Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-11-17

erence to their own toilettes, and to
women who have lost their love of
dress with their youth; but to young
girl who knows that the frill around
her throat has much to do with the
tint of her complexion, and that a
web of delicate threads softens the
beauty of plump, round arms, this
question of lace is an all-absorbing
one.
Ruth Beebe had other thoughts,
standing at the little counter, compar-
ing the lace she wanted with the lace
she did not want, trying to reconcile
quantity and quality and price
From tangled thoughts of lace it was a
step to tangled thoughts of life, for
Ruth's life was somewhat tangled now.
1t had boon a very smooth life until
| Mrs. Beebe's ambition had changed
it. Ruth Beebe, only a year younger
than she was now, standing under the
apple trees, with pink and white BIOS
SONS falling on her chestnut hair,
looked up beyond the brown hands
that sifted the apple-blossoms through
his fingers, into Jerome Anderson's
honest, love-lit eyes, and there was
no ENHANCEMENT in her life then.
Mrs. Beebe, from the farm house
window, looked into the orchard with
brow piled full of frowning wrink-
les.
jacob she called in loud, de-
cided tone.
Jacob did not hear. He was Ell
ther asleep or dreaming just in sight
of the pretty picture in the apple or
chard.
jacob exclaimed Mrs. Beebe,
this time touching the man on his
shoulder.
Jacob Beebe came 10 consciousness
with start. whats the matter,
Rachel ?" he asked "Are the cows
in the corn, or
"No, nor answered his wife, impa-
tiently. dts about Ruth"
whats about Ruth ?" inquired
the man, subsiding into a seat.
"What | have got to say" answer
ed Mrs. Beebe.
"Oh, | thought it was young Ander-
sons arm," said Jacob Beebe, with a
low, chackling laugh.
Mrs. Beebe rose up in her wrath.
Jacob" she said, "you're "a"
The angry woman changed her
mind, and modified her remark
you're enough to try the patience of
saint" she said.
Jacob Beebe laughed. The laugh,
interpreted, said, THAT is not you"
Ruth is a woman," continued Mrs.
Beebe, emphatically.
Hardly" answered her husband.
meuIlaCHe eIy- IFS ouIy 70" y~~-.~
since she was baby"
"Eighteen-just eighteen, the tenth
of last month, corrected Mrs. Beebe.
"But that's neither here nor there.
She is a woman and is thinking of
! beaux, and the next thing she will be
getting married"
Married ?" echoed Jacob Beebc,
sadly. "Yes, of course; but it's a
pity"
"Now the question is, whom shall
she marry ?" continued Mrs. Beebe,
as if she were stating a problem in
algebra or proposition in geometry.
at amt for you nor me to say, y
was the calm reply of her husband.
"She is pretty enough and good
enough for the Governor, exclaimed
Mrs. Beebe.
"Or the President" added Jacob
Beebe, with a proud smile.
"She amt likely to marry anybody
that will be a credit to her family
staying around here and going on
with that young Anderson" said Mrs
Beebe, Indignantly.
"Jerome is likely lad" answered
Jacob in kindly tone.
"He isn't the man for our Ruth
only an Anderson, and his father il
debt when he died, and all the family
hanging on to Jerome" demonstrated
Mrs. Beebe. "If you haven't ambi
tion enough to want to settle youl
daughter better in life than that
) have, and I've been thinking it woulC
be a good thing to send Ruth to hel
aunt Catharine's in the city, and lei
| her see little of the world
At last Mrs. Beebe had said wha
she intended to say when she aroused
: her husband from his nap or dream
with that shrill cry of Jacob"
There had been remonstrance OF
Farmer Beebe's part. 1t was hare
to give up his daughter for a few
! months even. He did not see he
danger in staying home as her moth
er did, and he did see her danger il
= going away as her mother did not
}, But Mrs. Beebe carried her point. |
t was her way to overcome all Obsta
!. cles that Jacob Beebe could interpose
e From this visit had come the entan
e clement of Ruth Beebe's life. 1t wa
easy to engraft on a young mind lik
+ hers a taste for the luxurles that SUI
J rounded her in her aunt's home, an
|, Mrs. Beebe, ambitious and scheming
was gratifed On Ruths return to Sc
y that she did not settle down quit
l. content with the old simple ways ol
living. The discomfort might hav
s worn away but for Mrs. Beebes fos
= tering, and the attentions of Hun
y phrey Olcott, the rich man on tn
II hill. These attentions in their ult
O mate meaning settled so satisfactoril