The Lamar register., 1923-03-21
LITTLE MISS CARO-
BY JANE GORDON
a.. LEE. MealeEn NeN.n.prL unlon.l

For he WAS lnt young anu 'i'''' N<
of a far-nway young woman's college.
He came only the night before to the
secluded southern village, and had
seemed averse to conversation
When, therefore, upon the following
day, Mrs. Fairly gained his Interested
attention, she was greatly gratihed'
She had been sitting on the front
veranda, facing the dusty road, ana
the professor sat near with his book.
The sound that attracted their atten-
tion was the wild and joyous barking
of two dogs who heralded the ap-
proach of their mistress. The girl
carried a market basket on her arm
and was too busily engaged in eluding
the bounding animals to notice her
observers.
Little Miss Caro-, of course Mrs.
Fairly exclaimed, and as though ask
ing question. the professor repeated
the name.
Miss Carof" The hostess of the
inn was only too glad TO tell her fa-
vorite story.
"A happy personality, our little
Caro-. yet her life has been overshad-
owed by tragedy. We all love the girl
so; think If the president were com
ing to town, and Caro- by the same
train. she would be given the greater
ovation II was so with her mother
before her When you walk about the
village. Professor Manly, you will see
great decaying house, one of our
former places OF grandeur-the Rich
mond house. The last old master still
lives there. Near by, at the end OF
the park stands white cotttage-the
very one you read about-roses clam
bering around the doOr-dainty rutfied
curtains at the windows. This used to
be the lodge Now, little Miss Caro-.
granddaughter of the solitary old man
Of the big house. lives in this neat
cottage with her mothers mulatt0
maidservant.
Until short time ago two colored
servants attended Andrew Richmond
In his isolation. Recently ,iey have
been removed. one by death. one by
reason of frailty. Many years ago,
when our southern standards were so
ridiculOusly autocratic. Anne Rich
mond fell in love with a man too hum
though he was far from strong at
the dime OF their marriage, she. with
unselfsh love. hoped to nurse her
young husband back to health and
strength This was not to be. Anne
was left soon, u widow In the distant
city to which her fathers unjust anger
had banished the two who dared to
Illustrate his will. Caroline. the
mulatto womsn-Hnd the only mother
whom Anne in her infant bereavement
had known, went with her beloved
mistress TO the distant city, and when
Anne lived only long enough to smile
upon her infant daughter. It was
Carline who brought the baby back
to the grandfather's home.
'In dainty beribboned basket she
left the tiny Caroline before the old
mans door She Is named for the
one soul who has been faithful TO
me- Anne had written as she gave
Carline directions. The note in his
daughters tremulous handwriting was
affixed to the baby's dress.
"When Andrew Richmond saw the
child he rang his he'll. Take the brat
away he ordered the watchful
Carline.
"WIthout reply the mulatto woman
carried the baby to the white cottage
at the end Of the park. And there
little Miss Caro-. as they called her,
lived and grew in loving care. just
as Caroline had IGNORED and revered
her mistress Anne. so now she served
'Anne's child with this difference.
Then Caroline sent Ahne's daugh-
ter away TO college. When Caro-
came last time we thought she looked
pale-studying too hard, / told
Oar'llne
"'It's the stories the Jealous ones
are telling about her at school,
Car'line said. Because mulatto wom-
an pays for her schooling-because
Miss Caro- lives In my little house with
me-because her grandfather treats
her as II she were no kin-they're say
ing that Miss Caro- is my child
Then, only a month ago Osr'line
was taken sick. With the fearful su-
perstition of her rnce, she sent word
to Caro- that she was about to die.
And at once Caro- came to nurse her
nanny to health. II was through
an accident that she learned her Iso-
lated grandfather was quite alone
In his big. empty house-alone. with
out sufficient money to pay new servi-
tors.