The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-04-24


| thought O him.; she a little, young, i'll.
nocent thing, why, she seemed like 6
baby to me, am in the hands o. that mar
i wouldn't "a trusted dog with him
Mother sot there groanin', an 1 tried tC
comfort her, but 'twant no use. ! felt
quite sure they'd gone to York, an ]
went down am hung round the streets
Tom owned house there-an' waited tC
see her. At last | see her come out o.
the house one day. she was dressed
beautiful, an looked like a princess
JUS as she was gettin' into the carriage
| stepped up an held out my hat as tho
| wus a beggar. She turned kind o.
white, an said sumthin' to the driver,
an he druv off, then she beck nd me in
to the house an took me right into her
room; then she shut the door, am ] fell
on my knees an begged her to go back
with me!
Go back, Benz she screamed, go
back / can't now-it's too late-I never,
nerer, can 90 back y an she looked into
my face with such wild look that |
thought she wus goin' crazyl
Isn't he kind to you2 says |.
Yes; don't you see how Kind he is
look rOundu
II looked hadn't noticed before
an my eyes was fairly dazzled at the
great mirrors, an marble things, an
bright flowers thrown all over the car
pet; but there she sat in silk an Jewels,
crouchin' on the floor an mOanin. You
see he'd promised to marry her when
she got to York, an now he wouldn' t
do it.
''Well, plead, an plead, an plead
with her, an when | told her about
mot lar III GfapfhaI
sed
Don't for Gods sake. don't Benny!
its no use. L never never will go back
an you mustn't come here again. Tom
may see YOU
~ found it 'twarnt no use, so l went
home. Mother wus sick, an she grie-
we'd all the time, an then fever sot in,
an before a month she wus gone. Then
the farm was sold, an, father'd left it so
much in debt, that there WIS only two
or three hundred dollars, an | took it
an went to York. Seemed as though |
must be near Sophie, an | used to see
her quite often. She didn' look happy
out o. her eyes, they wus heavy an sad.
After a while Nellie wus born, am Tom
staid with her two years longer, then he
left ne n married some rich girl. | went
70 her then, | couldn't stray away from
her no longer but twas no use, ravin'
crazy as she wIs, she wouldn't come
with me. | tried to force her. but she
broke away from me into the street, an
| couldn't follow her. Then | took
Nellie, thinkin, she'd follow the child
but it's six now, six, an God only
knows where she's been, or what she is
dow. Oh, Sophie, darlin'ln
Ben paused for the great s0bs that
rolled up into his throat.
1T seems to me | must find her Miss
Allie.n
1--WE will 20 together sometime Ben
NY
A look of pain passed over his face.
"Youl oh, no. YOU mustn't 90
'twould be no place for you, an yet she
wus once pure and pretty like you ~
Allie looked like az angel, as she fall
tered with tears in her voice:
"She is a wOman--a sister in trouble
and in sorrow. Christ loved such on
earth-dOn't you remember what your
Testament says and shall / weak as
she, though never so tempted, refuse 10
help her, lest | should be defiled?"
The only answer Ben gave was a
grateful loOk-a look Allie never for
got.
Having rendered them quite comfort
able at the cottage, and restore Benny
to something his usual mood, Allie
ieft Unem. Tic story Of the morning
diverted her mind from her own hope
wreck. She thought of nothing all The
way home but that young, deserted
creature. She lOnged TO comfort to
sympathize with her
Once, in the house, however, and find
ing her father absent-althOugh ii was
far past the dinner hour-her loneliness
returned. Home had lost something of
its pleasant look Between her and
everything she looked at an indefinable
something had crept, something which
marred, which intangible though it was
gave q realness to her sorrow, that
made her heart lie cold and heavy
There is nothing 50 terrible as the con-
viction that those we have loved are lost
to us forever.
she wandered through the house do
ing twenty things for which she could
have given no possible reason, save the
necessity Of eXertion, and
at last she settled like weary bird on
the sitting-roOm lounge. The clock
struck three. and her father had not
come. She became seriously alarmed;
he never missed taking his meals at
home, and it was long past the dinner
hour. About an hour after, when sus-
pense because almost intolerable,a knock
at the door startled her. Allie opened
it. and Ed Lowerre entered, looking
quite unlike his usual gay self.
miss Bird" he said hastily, ''yOur
father has met with quite an accident
down at the pond. The boys were skat-
ing, Ned SimOnson fell through, and as
L. I l.. lss.
slipped"
ed ?' Allie gasped
Its a compound fracture" Ed con-
tinued, "we sent for Dr. Lewis, and he
has done everything that could be done.
Your father insisted upon coming home,
and will probably be here in about an
hour; | came over to prepare you, and
help, Unnecessary, in arranging for him."
FThank you; what shall | do, Mr..
Lowerre ?''
"a bed must be arranaed ON this floor,
restOratives, bandages, ETC., must be con-
venient The parlor, think, would be
a better room for him than this he can
not be taken up stairs, and this seems
too much exposed"
She listened attentively. Ed couldn't
help admiring this firm, fearless young
girl Half the women would have gone
into Mysteries, and raised the very ID
he soliloquized, as Allie left the room
moment to summon Bridget and Sam.
In the course of half an hour the bed
was put up, and rendered inviting with
spotless linen; a fire cIackled and spark
led with roliclling cheer in the wide
Franklin: the last rays of sunlight were
allowed to CLEAN on the walls, and Al
lie brought in her fathers easy chair,
and the centre-table, with its evening
lamp and newspaper. Ed remained TO
assist her. talking on every imaginary
topic but that of broken limbs, flashing
out every now and then with some hui
morous remark, ''to keep her spirits up
He found Unemployment rather agree
able, for he fingered until he heard the
sleighbells, then knowing his services
would be required no longer, took short
cut home through the fields. 1t must
be confessed that Eds thoughts were
somewhere in the vicinity of Farmer
Birds.
'fWonder how the doctor managed
him, he was cross enough about carry
ing him home,n he muttered, with
half whistle, ''glad he did though, Allie
would have felt badly. She's what |
call splendid-a regular brick-guess
I'll call over tomorrow and inquire
about him.
And Ed did, but Allie was invisible
Allie met her father at the door, not
having gone to the gate, fearful lest her
presence might impede rather than help.
The DOCTORS face Frightened somewhat