The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-01-17

heard of your arrival. am glad to see
if no one else is
And another shower of kisses succeeded
greatly to the discontinue and envy of
the young man who had escorted Miss
Amber TO the spot and stood surveying
the pretty little tablcau.
SEQ about your business, Harry !" she
exclaimed, gayIy, give got ever so much
to say to Uncle Ohed !"
AMI Harry Latimer obeyed, but rather
ungraciously.
"Just the same little Fanny as ever ~
exclaimed the Old man, patling the curls
with delighted fondness. "Iou haven't
changed, though lildy has -
"No; and will never change for you,
Uncle Obed," said the girl. | haven't
forgotten how kind you were to me, up
Il; the old homestead, how you shielded
my transgrcs,ions, corcealed my faults,
and always had smile for naughty little
Fanny"
Aud she chatted on, entirely unhcoding
her mothers lrown Of dlspeasuIe. Fanny
had always been the least manageable oi
Mrs. Amber's daughters and the worthy
matron secretly resolved to lecture the
young lady at her leisure.
Uncle Obcd was by no means deficient
in observation, and even while he related
the changes which three years had wrought
in the vicinity of the old homestead, he
perceived the rosy blood mount to his
niccc's cheek every time Mr.. Harry Lati-
mer passed.
"Now little girl, said he, "who's that
young fellow there by the window T.
Fanny looked up and then down, play
ed with the middle button of Uncle Obed's
coat and answered very softly
"Mr Latimer.'
"l1umph suppose that isn't all you
can tell me about him ?"
There was minutes hesitation, and
then Fanny hid her check on the old
mans shoulder and told Uncle Obed all
Then why on earth don't you marry
him" calculated the old gentleman, at
the close OF the little life romance.
" Hes only poor lawyer" sighed
Fanny, and papa will never consent.
But one thing | am resolved on" she
added with sparkling eyes" | will not
marry any one else, least of all that odious
Colonel Woodall, not if he were worth
twenty times twenty thousand dollars.
I'll marry the one | can love-not for
money"
The stamp of her foot gave emphasis
to the determined words as she spoke.
Fanny was very much in earnest, and if
Colonel WoodqIl bad happened to be pre-
sent, he would have concluded that his
chances were, 10 say the least of it, rather
small
Twenty thousand dollars, ell p slow
ly repeated Uncle Obed "Well, Fanny,
it is hard world we leave ina hard
grping grinding world. never thought
so alore, but somehow tonight has borne
it in upon me .
Wien Uncle Obed went away next day
he was comparatively cheerful The kind
words and loving smiles Of little Fanny
had fallen like drops of balm upon the
sore spot in his heart.
There it was, nesting in the hillside.
the gray old farm house, with giant syca-
mores tossing their silvery branches above
it and the lilac bushes nodding before the
narrow windows. Uncle Obed thought it
never looked SO pleasant as now, in the
level gold of sunset with the purple woods
rising against the bright far-oh horizon.
But he did not stop in the coy room
where the eiSht-day clock licked away us
peacefully as if its master had not been
absent two whole days-a thing which
hadn't happened before in a half century,
be went straight up stairs to tiny nook
under the caves. where he kept an old
sort OF trunk, curiou-ly scented with cam
pher, and bound together with strong
clasps and riveta of brass. From this
receptacle he took bit OF paper, and held
it so the light fell on its contents.
"Twenty thousand" he muttered.
"Well | am AN old man, and that gal is
just the light of my eyes, 1t shall buy
her happiness, the blue-eyed bird, instead
OF lying useless in the garret She de-
- lNNS IL an
Uncle Obed pocketed the document
locked his precious trunk, and went down
stairs wiping the glasses of his spectacles.
The financial crash came, and the house
Of Amber Il Co. was among the first on
the list. 1t was true that Mrs. Amber
had been expecting the failure, but the
blow fell none the less heavy for the anti
cipaIlon. Somehow her plans all proved
futile Young Gold had in some unac.
cOuntahe manner discovered the state of
the Amber exchequer, and wisely con-
cluded that it WIS not best to waste his
personal charms and elegant stock of small
talk on so ineligible fair one as Miss
Cecilia. Colonel Woodall had also shown
unequlvocal signs of Withdrawing his suit,
not al all to Miss Fanny's displeasure
In short, everything seemed to be going
wrong, and the ony y satisfied members of
the confederation were Harry Latimer
and Miss Fanny,
1t was gloomy morning of rain and
tempest. and Mrs. Amber sat in a sort of
slovenly dishabille, in narrow room in |
one of our third rate hotels. Her own |
stately house had fallen a prey to greedy |
creditors some time since. Mr.. Amber
at an oppusite table was slowly opening |
and elancina over his letters