Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-12-17

sure Che answer reserved and laid away fol
that time was mo- True, Millie was moi
IN love with him, but she had waited sc
l9nfln vaip Tor that ocstatic state of f9eline
she,hid Tead and heard so much about
thought she was not capable of love, and
that 70 Ike any one was as much as she
| couh expect. But she certainly liked
| Squire Johns as well if not better than any
one, and his love must certaiuly be disin-
| terested, for he could know that-but now
Willie stopped. Could he notP Might he
! notPase ionnd out some way7 If this sto-
I ~ was truc would such man be likely to
marry poor girl? For Millie Warner
was really an heiress in a small way. She
was sole inaeritor of small, unencumber-
ed i1---4trm her father, and five thousand
oollars>n-s1k stock. But the farm was
two hundpi miles south of this town,
whore she g. visiting a cousin, and no.
body knew IF IL; and during her visit she
bad heipoi Ter cousin with her work as she
NO <4y-y Helped her mother when at
home-cail jle industrious little girl that
! she was.
! agreed With things that she
<HU1~H hintod at, and even
\ timttdc -, moIr'dg were smoothod over
for Squire Johns was rich and influential
man, and people could not afford, without
some reason to lose his favor. She remem-
berod it aiL-now. Could he in reality be
such scoundrel?
She could djudgobette about the truth of
the story when slr had seen Ben. Who
was Bon? Two OF three inquiries had a
mounted To- nothing. The children spoke
just as if everybody must know who Ben
was. Was no an uncle, cousin, hired man
or what? evidently somebody very old.
by the way lefty poke of him. But she
shrugged her shoulders as she looked out
at the 3till pouringrain.
Young Ben Hszwell, out in the field
pitched up the last hay on the load, leaned
his pi.ehf' l-aganst tree, and took Off
his straw nat to cool his moist forehead.
His e.ze followed tho hay cart, went over
the broad lands, and returned.
'Th hQsl4 al gone in he said, with a
long breath Of relief. 4 could not afford
to lose one load now. l don't know that
can dot, but if can sell part of the land
may. II wilFbe a hard pull, though
The .ouns man followed the cart into
the ban. Tho storm was at its height
when lo went towards the house from the
| back WY. He stopped in surprise when
he saw through the window some one was
standing at The table, with arms bare to the
oil I l..
No; those fair, white arms are not Mar
tha'9, Eeither hers the slender. graceful
figure. AS he came nearer ,he could dis
tnguish the aparkling piquant face. She
was laughing and chatting with Hetty (;
and evidently giving her directions for
what she was making. Hetty was gazing
upon her eager and absorbed. Little Eva
was sitting at the table in her high chair,
working at piece of dough.
BY and by there was a spattering of wa
ter heard in the next room by Hetty.
Ben has come running hastily forward
and opening the door.
'Bep has iumr echoed the little one,
clapfing hiAJ@szls fnd lisping, as he came
in, bright ara smiling, with what she had
in az ~ - IS g,.ae..' ,ete lir 90, 7
H9 caugli aer up in his arms and gave
her kiss, While she laughed and shouted,
but Lis eyes were seeking the stranger.
Hetty said, prettily: My brother Ben
Then to him; That lady got caught in the
shower, Ben, and is staying until it clears
up. She has been so kind as to help me
get dinner, and has made some splendid
biscuit
They both stood mute a minute, she with
surprise at the real Ben, young, handsome
and well bred, he with admiration, and a
strange new feeling he could not define.
He had hardly made her welcome, with a
return of his self possession, when there
was loud rap at the street door. Hetty
went to the door, came back pale, and whis-
pered to Ben, Squire Johns.
Mile drew quickly back from the halt
open door. Ben went in to his visitor, clos
ing the door after him, but every word was
distinctly heard by NIillie, for Squire Johns
did not speak in the suave tone she was ac-
customed to hear him, but loud and per-
emptorly.
Il am in haste young man; just stopped
to say thattbe time for the payment of the
money due me being day after tomorrow,
if it Is not ready I shall be obliged imme-
diately to resort to severe measures
'Impossibler said the young man, in a
surprised and excited tone; you are very
much mistaken. 1t is not due till the 2Sth,
it is now but the 18th. AT that time, if |
sell the piece of land partly expect to, I
hope with some other money coming in, to
be able to pay it,
you are laboring under singular mis-
take, young man. Here is your mortgage,
you can soc for yourself that it is the 18TH
Let me see it,.
Tic fguIes danced upon the page. lie
pressed his hands over his eyes and calmcd
himself with great effort. He grew ashy
| pale as he read.
1T reads so, certainly, but l can't under
stau1 it, Hs went to the desk. Here is
| a memorandum my father made Of the cir
cumstances, and it is the 2sth, and he was Q
very sure, methodical man, and would not
bel likely 70 mako a mistake that might be
I f.',sFr- 'WWvssyy imII .ss7tant and evil con
sequencesto him. 1 believe sudder
suspicion coming into his mind as he de-
tected lsrking triumph in Squire Johns
eye-'I believe there's some villainy abou
this matter and that you are at the bottom
of III, he eexclaimed, excitedly, fixing hisey'
firmly upon the lawyer, who changed colol
in spite Of himself
'Iio careful what you say, young man, as
you may get yourself into trouble he sale
angrily,
Yes, sir, 1 believe that you are bas'
villain! remember that you are the law
year who made the mortgage at the time
and know that you have for years beer
aching to get hold of this property II
| tb.,,, L. - i,,,ico In law Won shall be eX-