The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1917-05-03
DoROTaEAs cAnEn
|sy OLIVE RoeERrs sARyoM.

D"rothea ripped open the Official
looking envelope and ran her eye rap
IDLY over the cOutants of the letter
and then AT the place on the inclosed
check filed in to the amount of d
thousand dollars. Somebody had died
no matter who. and her share of the
deceased relations estate now lay in
her hand TO do with as she would.
i The state of Dorothea's feelings may
he more readily understood perhaps il
the reader. be Informed Of the thirgs
that had been uppermOst In her mind
all day. She had been living over again
her triumph of the night before, when
as star performer at the dedication of
the new library. she had won laurels
far beyond her greatest dream of sue.
cess. Of course everyone knew she
could play; and she played the organ
Sundays. and figured c0nspicuOusly on
the programs In all the local concerts.
But no one In Pnrsonsburs had ever
heard her sing before. Not even Mrs.
Pressing. who lived In the other half
of the house. except perhaps a little
liunmins when she was hurryins
through with her dishes to 20 to the
movies with Charley.
Dorothea. therefore. wns as sur
prised as anybody when on the day
before the library concert she had dis
covered something.
She had found the sopranos part of
the OffertOry for Sunday lying on top
of her piano after the choir had gone
home from practice She glanced over
the notes, first humming the tune, then
grooming 1t. and finally opening her
mouth ind letting out the full round
notes.
Ecstacy took hold of her. she had
never known what JOY 1t was to sing
She would surprise Parsonburg and
sing at the library instead Of playing
the serenade from Chaminade that she
had intended.
And so Dorothea had stood upon the
platform In the auditorium of the new
| library and had sung. and not the least
Of her triumph was the look of per.
picked surprise on Charley Totten's
face.
| Dorothea was silent on the way
home. Life. which before that day
was carrying her straight into matr-
mony. with Charley's heart and home
as port. had suddenly turned In its
course and was heading for the har-
Dor Of career. Already grand opera
was looming large. and she had visions
| Of herself as Brunnhilde and Caruso
as Slegfried woOing her with the soft
notes Of his wonderful tenor.
And so, when the check for the thou.
sand dropped out of the clouds to light
en- the way. there was no doubt in
DOrothea's mind that 1t was all heaven.
sent. She 'phoned to Charley.
I'm leaving In the mornil,g for New
York." she said. Il wish you'd come
around tonight. I've something to tell
you"
But when Charley saw his dreams of
happiness fading and the girl he adored
slipping away forever he voiced pro.
test.
There isn't much in that game
grille. You've got u mighty fine voice,
but 1t takes years of hard work, and
then some, to get anywhere, and not
always then. Besides, Dolly, l was
just going to tell you. I've had some
good news myself. and was going to
ask you II you could get ready to be
| married next month. Uncle Ned's writ.
ten for ME come on and he's going to
give me dandy position In his bank.
You can still live In New York and you
won't have to work SO hard as you will
at your music. can't give you up
Dolly"
But the magical door had shown
Dorothea visions she could not forget
I'm sorry, Charley, but l feel that
l cannot waste my life being merely
domestic. I think it's my duty to 60
ahead and make the most of my talent
Besides, 1t looks like fate when a thou.
sand dollars drops from the skies like
this. No. it's all over, Charley.
hope you'll be very happy. Good-by
now. ! must pack"
A year sped along. Food. lodging
and lessons at ten dollars apiece had
played ducks and brakes with Doro
thea's fortune. There were five years
of hard work ahead. years in which
more money would be needed, ant
years, too, at the end of which moth
ing was certain. She had discovered
a thing or two also-that New Yorh
had thousands Of musical students with
as good or better voices than she had
The money went There was moth
!: ing left but to go back to teaching
; music in Parsonburg or to find worl
in New York. She would rather have
died than to own up to defeat In he,
own town. SO she took course i1
stenography and finally answered ar
ad.
OF course 1t was Charley who turned
from the big mahogany desk when sht
went in. She drew back as though tt