Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-03-30
VI = celia nv .
From the Saturday Press.)
Is SHE i HEROINRt

That is the question wish to put befo
the public. have pzzzled over it fro
morning till night, have dreamed about i
and grown thin upon it, and can find 4
solution thereof
Her name was Nina Blake. and she live
among the hills. No matter what hills.
One pleasant Sunday mor-iBg, some tw
or three summers ago. Nina went to churcl
arrayed in her best. She wore blue dress
not because it was the "cllor OF truth ans
heaven, nor because IL was the outward
symbol Of the deep liquid purity Of her soul
nor for any other reasons of tiis kind which
factory gIrls always have for wearing blue:
but simply because il cost ten cents less an
The yard than any othor Of the nice goods al
Po1le's store.
have been particular In describing her
dress. because a heroine's dress IL ALWAYS
described when anything Is going to happen
10 her Nina had bright, attractive face.
When she arrived at church. she found
nearly all the congregation assembled, hut
the service had not begun; 50, after setting
her dress, and opening her fan, she looked
demurely round TO see what was to be seen
And the first sight that met her eyes so ar
rested her attention that she saw nothing
more. Tom ilartle was looking at Kitty
Smith \ young man gazing at young
girl is not wonder upon the earth, but
this particular young man was Mina's pro-
perty. They had been engaged for some
time and until the Smiths came into the
neighborhood be had been very attentive
lover. Kitty was the prettiest girl in
all that country. She had red lips
and pink checks, and green innocent brown
eyes, and the loyeliest golden brown hair
that was always kept short and curled itself
into shining rings all over her head.
Nina know that Ton had unbounded ad-
miration for Kitty Smith 1t cut the poor
girl to the very heart but she did not neg
lect her work, and 20 wandering about the
woods in an insane manner, nor was she con-
sumed by dumb, fearless sorrow." No.
She gave Tom two or three good round scold-
ings about the matter which he always an
swered by asserting that he cared nothing
whatever for Kitty, but that he wasn't going
to be such a slave that be couldn't look at a
pretty girl 4; and then Nina would take |
cry, and then they would kiss and make |
mp"
But Tom had no: been to see her now for
two weeks, and in that time Nina had |
thought over the matter a great deal, and |
had begun 10 see the right way through it, |
as she would have expressed it. Some of |
these thoughts were IN her mind now, but |
the minister gave out the hymn. and Nina |
tried to put all such worldly thoughts away,
lor she was a good, religious girl
The congregation were accustomed to
spend the intermissi0n in the graveyard,
where they gathered into groups to eat their
lunch, and to gossip. Nina stole away to an
uninviting spot where the old tomb-stones
We're half sunk in the earth, and the graves
overgrown with weeds. Here she thought
she would not be followed, fer she wanted to
think about Tom.
She had been there bat a few minutes
when sAe saw him coming slowly towards
her. with eyes bent upon the ground.
"He is sorry, poor fellow - she thought,
IL know he Is sorry"
Tom started on seeing her. GLOW you do
startle fellow, Nina - he said. "And
you look like ghost. What is the matter?
Does anything trouble you, Nina r. he ad-
ded in more kindly tone
Nina did not lean her pale face against
the tombstone, and say God knows !" or
look at him reproachfully like dumb ami
NAL being led to the slaughter, or do any
thing else she ought to have done. She look
at him with contempt, and exclaIming. "Tom
IIartle. You are fool - walked away as
fast as she could. for fear she would cry,
was a weakness OF hers.
She did not 90 far The thoughts that
0m's unlucky question had dissipated came
back to her, and turning suddenly round
she went back to the place where she had
lsit him. He was leaning against the fence,
Docking at the hills in the distance with
san and troubled face.
lom, said Nina, kindly, laying her
band on hisi shoulder, = | know what You
are thinEihg about Don't grieye over it.
Ii can t be helped, and you're not BIT to
blame for 1t. and guess it will all come ont
right in the end somehow
And she was gone before Tom quite COM
pretended her words
Tom did not intend to walk home with
Kitty Smith, but wien they went ONT of
Church. and she looked at him with her
great brown eyes. he was Drawn 10 her side
Is by a magnet, and they walked away to-
gether and Nina saw it, and 1t made
her angry. Angry that he had so little
consideration for her after what she had
faid to him in the graveyard, and more
angry because he did it in the sight Of all
the congregation who she knew wOn-
dcred at it, and pitied her.
Her road was the same as theirs, but she
went round longer way to the quarry, so
ss to avoid wslking behind them. The
quarry was half way home, and when she
got there she sat down to rest In thick
growth OF young pines, upon the summit Of
> breezy hill. But she was destined to find
D mental repOse that day, for she bad been
tere but few moments when Tom and
itty came in eight. They had loitered
4ng on the road. They should have been
PINE by this time. Nina watched them as
?ey seated themselves on the grass near her
hce Of concealment, and she noted Kitty's
quettish ways, and Toms increasing ad |
unration. =
u wish she would slip down into the |
larry and break her neck !" thought |