Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-10

right hand thus the light fell sideways
on her face, while that of her sister was
in shadow and the table being SMALL
Gretchen's hand and mine came frequently
i'll contact. She ate very little; she crumb-
ed and played with piece of bread, and
seldom allowed those strange piercing eyes
of hers to leave my face. As supper went
Oh, Lori talked and laughed good deal
Gretchen said nothing. She seemed to
/ grow more and more absorbed in her own
thoughts and once when her hand touch
ed mine, [ observed that it shook. She
filled up a tumber of water and drank it.
Lori pushed the beer towards me.
Fill up for yourself | drained the
jug into my glass. raised it to my lip
and began to drink. Suddenly Gretchen
uttered a sharp cry, and started up. In
doing so, she nearly upset the table; and
her elbow somehow came III contact with
the glass in nv hand Its contents were
split upon the floor.
..Ach the beetle-the horrid thing "
she cried 1T has gone down my back, |
believe,'' She rushed from the room as
white as a sheet.
, Fool" muttered Lori, setting her jaws
tight What waste of good liquor And
there is no more in the house | will send
her, for her pains, to 90 fetch another
schoppen."
Not on my account | pray. | like
| water quite as we'll Nay, your Bayerls-
4 che bier sometimes disagrees with me.
l She looked up sharply into my face.
r Why. what manner of man you,
that drink water" She demanded.
e = seldom afford myself anything else, .
' replied.
The beer had streamed from the table to
the floor, where it had formed itself into q
: long diagonal channel towards the stove
: 1t was still dripping, which drew my at
' tention, | suppose, to the boards. The
O beer had encountered one or two black
: beetles in its course had heard of theil
e fondness for fermented liquors; it had takeI
4 effect very quickly in this case. saw
r them struggle. feeblv and more feebly, t.
it crawl away from the intoxicating flood
b Lori's quick eye discerned what | wa
Q looking at.
Q The nasty creatures They SOON max
2, themselves tipsy," she said, as She rai
le and fetched a broom Then she swep
5. them up into plate, and carefully wipe
D the floor.
K Gretchen now returned to the room an
helped her sister clear away the supper
1r As she moved about |, my hunger beln
le appeased, noted with quickening perceT
a ton what u supple, grandly formed crea
III ture this Gretchen was. The fancy cam
IN into my head that the White Cat, whe
ne transformed. must have resembed her
of fair and lissom. with delicate pink nostrl
and strange bright eyes. In the elder ii
r. ter | thought the cat grew akin TO the t
re gress; her sharp narrow teeth. heavy jay
and -tealthv, cruel eyes, filled me more an
more with an indefnable repulsion. ";
," glad when She said
Il will 90 see after Your bed, your
ne man, Gretchen will keep you compar
e. meanwhile"
w was sitting in the moonlight near II
window. Gretchen stood beside me.
1t You are unlike all men have known
be She said. after She had looked nj me in h
re strange way for some minutes. Are /
all Engli>hmcn ike YOU"
we Happily for them, suppose We
e. But Encli,hmeu are faithful, she sai
led eagerly They never deceive, never t
it. tray. have read about one Engli>hm
| in a book Could YOU be true to 4 woma
1c) without changing all your life
or. Il should hope So" | cried with t
the impetuo>ity Of youth g" y mans love
the not worth much otherwise.
the She stretched forth her long white han
by and laid them ON my shoulders.
viii YOU be my love Young Engll'
aid man." She murmured, in hoarse. tren
ldv lous voice 1t. | can make You rich.
need toll no more | can save YOU fir
.ori great dangers. too. like your face"
ter started up, blushing, for the TIN
our came upon me suddenly after all but
replied without hesitation
to Were | to say | could love You. Fr'
vas lcin. should be false. have left behi
all. me in England one whom have long low
eat and to whom my word is pledged. =
we'd Listen. She interrupted yehemen
but in Il whisper. az though dreadlng to
,sk- overheard Il have more III my poN
aid than YOU know OF. DO not reject the l'
offer. Il may be worse for you if you
not | would save YOU, young man.
not understood her to refer to my pove
5 - and her own wealth, as | replied, will
little flourish Of gallantry,-
osts IF nv love for another makes me pr
IS | against your charms, Fraulien, am
re-" likely to yield to the temptation OF ricf
den Poverty and are well acquainted alrea
lere Its dangers and hardships cannot scare
for Ehave experienced them all
rom There are some dangers YOU have
sho vet experienced \ comelv young tel
and may run rlsks sometimes '""' "o n"
the not of.
soli- There was Il wild look III her eyes
she spoke, and her words left a vague,
rails comfortable impression on me But l
moss entered the room at this moment, carry
wall my bedding i'll her arms, and further {
she yersation with Gretchen was lmpossl
She helped her sister to spread the be-
the the corner Of the room; then she tetc
;. as sheets and a patchWork couhterpahc'
design of which | can distinctly re
chen even now. There were triangular bit
here red cloth inserted here and there, vi
as a looked to me like so many small tongue
t. at fire. | have good reason to remember tn
nd When her task was done, Lori stood
,alls. fore me- with her arms akimbo.
hree - OIL feel sleepy, Young man, no 40
tn a after your long day. We keep early he
was for we are up betimes- You shall ha
see. cup of coffee and a slice of black brea
af of five. before we bid you God-speed. y
: for no excuses 1t is in our VOW. Schl
Java Sic wohl.
ater. Had [ spoken the truth. L should
shted said that. far from being sleepy, |
| the never felt more wide-awake than |