The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-04-10

Are YOU rested Matte? you II md
breakfast in the kitchen, and then will
YOU come to the porch and help me shell
the peas ?'
| disdained the breakfast but CRATE
fully fastened to the employment |
needed. | could feel Aunt Martha's
kind eyes search nv face. She made
no verbal inquiry. | thanked her in
my heart
Nov, child,n said she as | had fin
ished the task, and rose listlessly, ~ am
very busy this morning. Will you dust
the parlor
Did she guess how important it was
for me to break the spell of that haunt
ed room with hemely labor That
feather-duster waved like the wing of Il
good angel, to exercise sad thoughts,
till as it reached the-window seat, it
brushed against a dewy cluster of flow
ers; the delicate perfume had breathed
its sweet secret before | saw the dainty
purple blossoms of the heliotrope-Ger-
aids message Of Lowell Aunt Martha
interrupted my dream. There was more
of pity than scOrn in her face
Gerald is too kind to everybody
said she. He charms away my own
better judgment. Child, when YOU are
old enough 10 think of such things.
nope you will be loved by some one as
agreeable as he-and far more faithful. -
That was a good deal for Aunt Mar
tia to say. She never spoke Gerald
name again during my visit. | lOnged
TO know II he wrote to her-he did not
/ write to me-
| returned to Boston in October re-
stored to health, but not to happiness
The two years following brought great
changes TO me. My dear mother died
and ! was adopted by wealthy and
/ chiidless uncle in Boston. | was proud
TO hear myselfcalled the beautiful heir
ess, but there was no delight III the
new friendship that surrounded me. |
felt that my position-nOt myself-won
them. But alas | should have been
/ distrustful in any circumstances. My
/ betrayed confidence pronounced all low
ers false-hearted. | was not too embit-
/ tered 10 admire noble and generous peo-
/ ple-but the moment they sought my
/ friendship, doubted them!
Harris Donald was a surgeon i'm cur
army. Before | met him, had heard
of his wonderful unseltishness and devo-
ton among the wounded. There was
something commanding a. well as win
ming III his appearance. l admired him,
till his sister told me that he loved me.
!" If that is true, - | thought, . ne is in
love with my money, ndprepared my
self to repulse any advances he might
make.
Harris Donald was a keener Judge of
character than had guessed He made
no advances for me 10 repulse. | could
not understand the cool, almost curt
manner he showed me. 1t piqued my
curiosity, tosay the least One evening,
| met him at brilliant party at the
country residence of Mrs c., in New
ton
Among the waves Of people, we were
drifted into the enclosure of bay win
dow, which opened upon the lovely
lawn, gay with its colOred lights and
beautifully dressed ladies and gentle
men, promenading beneath them, | was
just echOing DR.. Donald's courteous
good evening" when my senses were
spell-bound nj the sight Of a gentleman
who was entering the drawing-room.
All the suffering of ''hope deferred, all
the bitterness Of trust betrayed, fled be-
fore the old fascination. The same in
describably graceful manner, the rest
less. searching blue eyes--I felt a if |
were turning to marble | thought
Gerald NJ kean was oceans away. |
had heard that he had persuaded Aunt
Martha to give him control of her prop
erty, which he had sunk in gambling
debts. Hillside had passed into the
hands of strangers. Aunt Martha was
dead Gerald had commenced life anew
in the old world. What brought him
back?
Miss King said Dr. Donald you
don't faint in this airless room, / shall.
Will you walk on the lawn ~
| accepted the invitation, silently. |
could not trl1st my xrpiga Dir IGapal1
was silent, too. After we had promen-
AIDED "a few moments, | thought what
if Gerald should speak 10 men' | trem-
bled at the thought. The arm my hand
rested on steadied it with the slightest
possible pressure. | was VeXed, and said:
'Let me sit down.
Dr. Donald led me to a rustic seat near
the bay window We saw our amiable
hostess Just within. | did not need to
see the person who was talking with her
| remembered too well that voice.
"Who is that goddess you have here
this evening"" asked Gerald.
(which one?n laughed the lady.
''There is but one. | mean that COOL
blonde beauty, dressed in sea-green,
gauzy something-her glorious, golden
hair twined up with pearls. She looked
like Venus Just rising from the ocean,"
y
ed But ! don't blame you for admir-
ing Miss King. By-the-way, you can
claim kinship."
as she Matte King@' interrupted
Gerald, eagerly.
"My dear friend don't be too san
guine,u said the lady. miss Matte
King is an iceberg. | warn you to be-
ware Everybody that tries TO be friend
" is repealed, and young men that dare
to offer lore, are completely annihilated.
| think she is waiting for a suitor who
can match her fortune with an equal
One.p
"Ah ?" said Gerald, with a hooking
laugh. "She has sold herself cheaper
than you could guess. One kiss won
her, and handful of flowers insured
her constancy. You wonder why | left
France. Isn't the beautiful heiress
worth the voyage? All this is sub rosa,
remember ~
The lady's eyes were vivid with curl
osity but she was called away, and Ger
aid disappeared among the crowd.
/ arose when | first heard my name,
but sank back upon the seat, powerless
to move or speak. The cruel words
burned in my heart, though was hard
lv conscious of hearing. 1t must have
been soon after that | swooned entirely.
When | recovered, / was seated, not by
the bay window, but in an airy summer
house, beyond the glare of the colored
light, where the drip of fountain
soothed and refreshed me.
"Miss King" said DR.. Donald, pride
and love warning in his eyes. "YOu
must excuse my bringing you here.
perhaps / should have taken you to the
house, and summoned our hostess to take
care of you"
~ suppose l should be grateful" |
said, coolly; "but yo,t know a0hy l
should not have been carried to the
house, and been cared for by that lady.
Your thoughtfulness humilitates me-"
Pride only flashed in the dark eyes.
" Do you think it was a pleasure to
me to be an eaves-dropper-and to hear
you insulted! | would have gladly left
that place before. | did take you away
the first moment there was free passage
on the lawn, when we could escape with
out observation. Then, with changed
voice" Let me take you away ! l
promised my sister | would return to
town at eleven. Trust me to make ex-
cuses for you to the lady of the house."
His kindness touched me.
"Don't let all friendship be poisoned
by that scoundrel," he said.
"All friendship is not poisoned, | re-
piled, earnestly.