Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-10-06

and that no pcrsuasions could induce her to
take her station in the world as his wife.
lie sought Mr. Linn, and informed him Of
his ill-sucoc.s.
She can't mean it :" exclaimed the old
man, all the advantage Of the match rushing
more strongly than ever upon him. These
girls never know what they want"
Miss Annie seems to, at all events"
Nonsense She wanted to tease you"
II never saw girl show less inclination"
I'm talk TO her,' returned the old man in
his imperative way, q" shall see you to-
morrow--it win be all right"
Mr.. Martin went his way, divided in his
opinions, and greatly chagrined at the prob.
able overthrow Of an the pretty castles in the
air he had been ndustriodsly rearing during
the past weeks of blind obscurity.
Whnt's this Martin tells me 2" demanded
Mr.. Linn, abruptly entering the room where
Annie still sat- her thoughts going back to
the previous year. whose narrow round had
swallowed up the brief summer Of her life
" He says you refused him."
d" / did, father" she answered trembling
little before his power, but retaining the COM
posurc and courage which She had gained
from sorrow.
" should like to know why ?"
She took his arm and drew him to the win
dow, pointing towards the distant graveyard
baihed ia Che solt light Of evening.
70 bucause when Won laid him down there
TO rest you buried my heart there also"
The old mans arm fell to his side She
went out of the room in silence, leaving him,
for the time so much shaken that he could
not pursue the subject either by argument or
threat
Three years more had gone by. Mr. Linn
was grown am old man, and as he neared the
grave, his rugged nature began to soften
lie comforts in Annie's affection aud gentle
ministering care, which did not fail him and
cheered by her presence, he went on towards
the moment when be put of humanity and its
trials like a woru-out garment that the eager
soul despised.
The brothers were greatly dissatisfied with
the will-Annie shared equally with them.
1t would have been quite enough for her to
have been left in their care. What did she
know about the use of money.
1t was Of no avail to grumble, however,
the matter was settled Her elder brother
was coming to take possession of the home
stead, and as Annie could in no wise regard
it her duty to live with his wife, she made
preparations to depart. While she was med
itating upon her plans, old Mrs. Manson came
to her
81 thought you considered yourself my
daughter" she said
| do. | have no one left but you"
Then come home, my daughter; my
house is your rightful home now
So the matter was arranged. Annie settled
quietly down in the dear old brown house
dearer even than her childhoods home, from
its associations with Charley's memory--as if
she had been indeed the widows child
OF course people wondered little; but
after all it was natural enough, and her
brothers wite's peculiarties of disposition
were sufficiently well known to explain Annes
declination to make his house her home. .
1t was the fifth spring since the funeral
took place from the farmhouse Annie was
twenty-iour years old.
She had been out for a long walk, and it
was already twilight when she assembled the
hill She passed through the yard, and as
she reached the outer door, Mrs. Manson's
voice reached his ear She was startled--it
sounded us if the widow was giving way TO
hystorical emotion.
Mother" she called out. Mother !"
"Thero she is!" the old lady exclaimed.
" Richard, 90 aud tell her--dou't lot her in
/ lwi'hoet--sheh die. O., Aunie, huuie -
She rushed into the hall before the fright
enod gigl could stir; she caught her in her
arms, weeping and trying to speak, while
Richard followed, little less agitated
d" A letter, Annie" he said trying to con-
troll himself Were all mistaken; Charley"
" Is alive -
The words died on her lips-power and
sense forsook her in the agonizing joy of that
moment.
When she came to herself, Charlie Manson
was supporting hor-was calling her name
wildly. 1t was no dream. He was there
alive-as she had sometimes dreamed might
be the case, only TO throw aside the thought
as impossible in her quietor moments.
1t was very natural, improbable as it seems.
After writing that letter to his mother, he
had hurried to Liverpool and shipped for Cal
lfornia without seeing one Of his old friends.
lhe body which had been found was indeed
dressed in bis cothes-things Charley had
given on his arrival home to poor tramp.
He was some stranger, a drunken wanderer,
whose name nver trauspired.
Charley had not for long time written
back, and when he did, the letters never
reached their destination; so that he arrived
that day in the village to find himself regard
ed as comfortably disposed of for five years
past
There is nothing more to tell.
Business had prospered with him his
early habits had been flung aside, and the
true nobleness of his character shone out
without a stain, So the old miracle had
done its work.