Dorothy at Skyrie

smayed by Jim Barlow's sudden departure and the escape

we never, never, have our breakfast? Why, Alfaretta, you thoughtful girl! Wh

w that their guest had quietly possessed herself of a colander from the closet and had hulled the berries

omewhat marveled at this stranger's assured manner, which

w fragrant those wild berries are! You must have a

a real nice woman, even if she is rich. Pa he says no rich folks can be nice. He says everybody'd ought to have just the same lot of money and no difference. But ma says 't if pa had all the money there was he'd get rid of it quicker'n you could say Jack Robinson. She says if 'twas all divided just

the basket which Jim had brought, and found it contained not only some fine fruit but a jar of honey, a pan of "hot bread"-without which no southern breakfast is considered complete-and half a boiled ham. For a moment, as the mist

r husband's: "It takes more grace to accept a favor than to bestow one." Besides, with th

orothy, at last finding a chance to edge in a word of her own between Alfaretta's ince

er-lookin'; least pa is, an' I s'pose the rest is just like him. His hair's real red and he never combs it. He'd disdain to! And he's got the longest, thickest whiskers of anybody in Riverside, Upper or Lower, or Newburgh either. He's terrible proud of his whiskers, but ma don't like 'em. She says they catch dirt and take away all his ambition. She says if he'd cut 'em off and look more like other men she'd be real proud of him, he's such a good talker. Ma says I'm just li

ckward from leg to leg and taking the crutches Dorothy brought him. Even yet she could not keep the look of pity from her

for working it. He had a hopeful, sunny nature, and never looked upon the dark side of things if he could help it. As he often told his wife, she

d not at all a bar to his success. Succeed he would-he must! There was no other thing left possible. What if his feet had failed him? Was he

it: "Important. Not to be opened until after my death, unless I personally direct otherwise. (Signed), Elisabeth Cecil Somerset-Calvert." The envelope was addressed to himself, by his own full name, a

e sort of trust, to be sacredly guarded: but why should such have been intrusted to them-mere hu

face lost its perplexity and, taking the pa

ce nobody would ever suspect. I'll

r task in the rear of the room, and the others had already gone out of doors; yet even in the one brief glimpse she caught of that long, yellow envelope, she knew its every detail. Of course, she was to

d him to move out there an' make a man of himself; but ma she said he couldn't do that no matter what part of the country he lived in, so he might's well stay where he was, where she was raised and folks 'round knew she was the right sort if he wasn't. So we stayed: but ma she carried that letter round a-

and swung across the floor and out of doors. Alfaretta's gossip, which had at first amused him, now bored him, and he was ashamed for her that she had so little respect for her parents as to relate their differences to strangers. Unconsciously, he p

e it's covered, I mean. I can do it first-rate. I'm as strong as strong! See my arms? That comes from helpin' ma with the wash. Once

and whose desire to help anybody and everybody was so sincere. Besides, there was in her expression an absence of that "pity" which hurt his pride, even when seen upon his

chanced upon no 'mine' of any sort, though if there's one existing I'd mightily like to find it. But I don't think you cou

hen, or living-room, and to place it ready for his use. She was as full of delight and curiosity conce

hicken feathers! And the wheels go round easy as fallin' off a log. I'd admire to be lame myself if I could be

on't, child, don't 'admire' to possess anything so terrible as this helples

ance, and though she thought him very silly to consider health as good as wealth she did not say so; but with re

mined not to lose sight of her Dorothy again, even for a few moments: and also res

der, Alfaretta's tongue was still. Not since he had arrived at Skyrie had father John had so comfortable a chance to look over the land; and whatever gloom he ha

h her own hand beside Alfy's, on the handle of his

said 'haunts' dear Skyrie, Alfy, ple

ad ha' known. When she heard you was comin' ma she said how 't you must be real brave folks. She wouldn't live here if you'd give her the hull farm. I-I seen-it onc

rothy clapped her

a lady 'haunt'? How perfectly romant

to her it was no laughing matter. Indeed, she had such a dread of the subject that it had been the one her loquacious tongue had abjured, leaving

o's seen 'him,'" began the narrator,

ng on Dorothy's face, and glad indeed that his impressionable child did not take this stat

tays the most is in-that very-room you-come out of to your breakfast-where you stay

y and merrily quoted a verse-slig

saw a Sky

hope to

n tell y

r see tha

e, absorbed in her own relation and astonished at their light treatment of it, Alfaretta ceased to observe the smoothness or roughness

the two girls had been projected upon them,