The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-03-26

ONA
''He seemed natural enough-ju
er. as he always did till, finally, he sa
he didn't know how l had looked
our acquaintance, and he thought v
ought to have an understanding
And so l said l had never thougl
of anything but friendship for hin
|, We had been schoolmates. and
ow should always prize him as a frien,
W. almost like a brother. You kno,
Alilly, l couldn't have him think
was dying for him and if he ha
not looked upon US as lovers l woul
not have him suppose l had. Yo
know am very proud said Ella
with a CLEAN of consolation.
"You are very much of fool
that is what you are J" retorted Mi
ly, picking up her apple and bitin
it ferociously.
"He said he didn't know how ha
understood our acquaintance and
of course, ] would not have hir
think l understood more than h
meant. / talked a long time, and
don't think l ever talked better i
my life. l quoted from Emerso
and Tupper, and talked as easy a
possible, and could think of every
thing to say ju t as ! wanted to sa,
it, but felt as though my heart wa
breaking. Afterward / brought tha
new chene dress of mine to shov
him, just as / always showed him IN,
things, so he needn't notice anything
: any differt Mt. and he looked at it anC
then looked up at me so reproachful
ly and with so much meaning, an(
: said, 'Chdngeable!' and nothing more
Oh, Mlllyl l fel. like death anC
you have no idea how handsome ht
g looked as he went down the road tC
q Dorset, and how / loved him. AuG
= l shall never, never see him again
G Never never -
k At this miserable thought Elizs
e sunk on basket of apples all in q
: bunch, and began to cry, while her
friend looked on and pitied her.
E Presently Millyspoke:
; "Don't feel so, Zay,'' said she,
. hopefully. 81 have presentIment
that you will see Fred again. And !
am perfectly sure it is true present
iment. Fred loves you, | know that,
for l have seen you two together too
much to doubt it; and if he loves
you, of course he is not going to let
this be the last
"Your friend Zay is very proud"
repeated Eliza, hopelessly. "And
Miily, 1 was not going to admit had
thought farther than he had"
"Eliza! Eliza! 1t is time TO
hang on the pot and put in the pork"
called down Mrs Orange from the
stairway. "If you will start the din
ner l needn't come down till ] get
my skein OFF,
"Yes, ma'am," called back Eliza
.'Dinnerpots, pies, and stocking
yarn, That is all / have to look
forward to in life now" she added,
drearily.
And so it seemed to prove. Days
and weeks and even months went on,
and Milly's cheerful prophesies were
not fulfilled. Even worse.
One day Milly Bergen's half-aunt
| Betsey, from Dorset, who was a
talking old woman and took snuff,
came over to pay visit to her hall
brothers family. While she was
there Eliza Orange came In, and
presently Milly said of sudden:
"Doyou know Frederic Chestnut, >
Aunt Betsey? He is book keeper
in the cutlery at Dorset, and boards
at Miss Halsey's, or used to-
Eliza stopped over to stroke a
seven-toed kitten lying asleep upon
the hearth, stopping her breath to
listen for the reply. But Aunt
Betsey was never in haste to begin
talking, or to leave off after she had
begun. She took up her chair cush-
ion, counted the stitches on the seam
needle, took pinch of snutf, and
then said deliberately:
"Frederic Chestnut? Yes, know
him. Why; see-Miss Halsey lives
very next house but one to me, and
we are great knit-ups, and are out
and in together like own folks, her
and me- So 1 always know who she
has for boarders. Chestnut is one
of her oldest boarders, quite stand
by land l know him as well as | do
this yonng lady here. l don't know
anything against him neither, nor
nobody else. He is just as nice
young man as there is in the town
of Dorset now that is so. And he
is paying attention now to a girl
over there to Dorset. A Dudgeon
girl and Miss Halsey and / are not
over pleased with the match. for she
isn't more than half good enough for
him Good enough. Why, she
is likely girl belongs to a respec-
table family, and all that. But /
consider her lazy piece of furniture,
and so does Miss Halsey."
Eliza had lifted her face from the
kitten and was listening, white and
eager, greedy to lose nothing ; not
even the pain every word brought
her.
"But you think they will marry p
asked Mllly, moving her chair to
bring it before Eliza's excited face.
"NNell, it looks that way, now.
understand he has taken her home
to see his folks, and see how they
like her,
@Has l thought 1 saw him pass
here with lady one day last week. |
Probably it wss then,'' interrupted
Milly, indiffer emily. "0h, did you
know we are expecting Augusta and
the baby in a few days 2" she added,
as though with a sudden change of
thought.
1t made no difference to Aunt
Betsey what the subject-she was at
home on any-and taking a piuch of
snuff she chatted away just as readily
on the next theme put in her way
with such adroit carelessness.
When Eliza went home soon after,
Milly went to the gate, and finally
along the road as far as the third
maple tree.
81 thought you were My friend,
Milly,' said she, bitterly. "But
you know how 1 long to near what
ever else your Aunt Betsey could
tell"
$50 I am your friend, your true
friend; but you looked as though
there was dagger sticking in your
heart, and / was not going to let her