Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-12-21

head piece for his table. And so he had
determined to 90 with them, trusting to
some fortunate chance for his opportunity.
But sitting in the old best room, in the
dark, while the lad es were getting ready,
and trying to devise way by which he
might get an opportunity to speak with
Miss Dunton alone, it occurred to him that
she was at that time in the sitting-room
waiting for his sister. To step out where
she was and present the case in few
words, would not be difficult, and it might
all be settled before his sister came down
stairs. The fates were against him, how
ever. For just as he was about to act on
his thought, he heard Amanda Holiness
abundant dresses sweeping down the stair
way. He could not help hearing the con-
versation that followed
You see, Janet, l got up this trip to-
night to keep John from spending the
evening in the kitchen. He hasn't bit
of dignity, and would spend the evening
romping with the children and talking t0
Hudah if he took it into his head
Well said Janet, one can overlook
everything in man of your brcsrc-rr's-e'1s%
ture. But what queer way your country
servants have of pushing themselves.
Wouldn't | make them know their places =
And all this was said with the kitchen
door open, and with the intention of wound
ing Huldah.
Johns castles tumbled. The erudite
wife alongside the tea-urn faded out of
sight rapidly. If knowledge could not
give touch of humane regard for the feel
ings of poor girl toiling dutifully and
self-denyingly to support her family, of
what account was 1t
Two minutes before he was about to give
his life to Janet Dunton. Now there was
a gulf wider than the world between them
He slipped out of the best room by the
outside door and came in through the
kitchen. The neighbor's sleigh that was
to call for them was already at the door
and John begged them to excuse him. He
had set his heart on helping Huldah make
mince pies, as he used to help his mother
when a boy. His sister was in despair,
but she did not say much She told John
that it was time be was getting over his
queer freaks. And the sleigh drove off.
For an hour afterwards John romped
with his sisters children and told stories to
the boys AMI talked to his father. When
man has barely escaped going over
precipice, he does not like to think too
much about it John did not.
At last the little children went to bed.
The old gentleman grew sleepy, and re-
tired The boys went into the sItting-roOm
and went to sleep, one on the lounge and
one on the floor. Huldah was Just ready
to begin her pies. She was deeply hurt,
but j ohm succeeded in making her more
cheerful He rolled up his sleeves and
went to rolling out the pastry. He thought
be had never seen sweeter picture than
the young girl IN clean dress and apron,
with her sleeves rolled above her elbows.
There was a statuesque perfection in her
well-rounded arms. The heat of the FIRE
had flushed her face a little, and she was
laughing merrily at Johns awkward blum
ders in pie-making. John was delighted.
he hardly knew why. In fixing pie
crust, ais fingers touched hers, and he
started as if be had touched a galvanie
battery He looked at Huldah, and saw a
half-painful expression on her flushed
face
For the first time it occurred to him that
Huldah Manners had excited in him
fe ceiling Il thousand times deeper than any
thing he had felt toward Janet, who seemed
to be now in another world. For the first
time be realized that he had been more in
love with Huldah than with Janet al the
time Why not marry her 3? And then he
remembered what the Governor had said
about marrying woman's heart and not
her head.
He put on his hat and walked out,-out,
out, into the darkness, the drizzling rain,
and the slush Of melting snow, fighting a
fierce battle All his pride and all his
cowardly vanity were on one side, all the
irresistible torrent of his love on the other
He walked away into the dark wood-pa
ture. trying to cool his brow, trying to
think, and would you believe it p trying
to pray, for it was a great struggle, and
in any great struggle a true soul always
finds something very ike prayer in his
heart
The feeling of love may exist without
attracting the attention of its possessor. 1t
had never occurred to John that he could
love or marry Huldah Thus the passion
had grown all the more powerful for not
being observed, and now the unseen fire
had at a flash appeared as an all-consum-
ing one.
Turning back, he stood without the win
dow. in the shadow, and looked through
the glass at the trim young girl at work
with her pies. In the modest, restful face
he read the story of a heart that had car
ried great burdens patiently and nobly.
What a glorious picture she was of warmth
and light, framed in darkness. To his
heart, at that moment, all the world GEN.
tered in Huldah. All the world besides
was loneliness and darkness and drizzle and
slush. His fear of his sister and of his
friends seemed base and cowardly, And
the more he looked at this vision of the
night, this revelation Of peace and love and
light. the more he was determined to pos
sess it. You call him precipitate. But
when all a mans nobility is on one side
and all his meanness on the other, why hes
itate Besides, John Harlow had done
more thinking in that halt-hour than most
men do in a month.
The vision had vanished from the win
dow, and he went in and sat down. She
had, by this time, put in the last pie, and
was sitting with her head on her hand. |
The candle fickered and went out, and
there was only the weird and ruddy fire.
light. [ cannot tell you what words passed |
between John and the surprised Huldah,
who had thought him already betrothed to
Miss Dunton. | cannot tell what was said |
in the light of that fire; | do MT suppose
Harlow could tell that story himself.
Huldah asked that he should not say
anything about it till his sister was gone.
IL, r.
his sake. But his own cowardice was
glad of the shelter.
Next day brother of Johns whom
forgot to mention before) came home from
college. Mrs. Holmes husband arrived