Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-02-03

Mademoisollo Widger was the milliner
VINO lived only three doors from Mrs.
Woodcock, and said mon Dieu ~ to APP
| pear like French woman She was equal
~ iond of cup of tea and dish of gos-
sip, and made all Mrs. Woodcock's bon
nets for nothing.
80 there I sat and saw IL ALL" pursued
Mrs. Woodcock. "And what do you think
Madcmoisolle, but Ernest came in with
lady on his arm older than his mother.
My wife, said he, and you might have
Knocked me over with one of your feather
poppes. There was never such surprise
in Thockmorton before"
Mon Dieu P' cried Mademoisele, with
little foreign scream "did you hear how
it happoned?"
mo more than the dead,' replied Mrs.
| Woodcock, solemnly. "Mrs. Seacrest tried
to pass it Off with her rsmooth-it-away man
ner, but she couldn't deceive me. could
sec she had hard work to keep her feelings
in. But there she poured her tea and pass
ed the cake to that old thing as smiling as
the moon. She is such a hand to cover up
and make as everything is just right that
happens to her."
$50 you staid to tea?" quered Made
moisello, helping herself to third cup of
that beverage as she spoke.
"Yes, they asked me and didn't want
to be deemed. 1 thought it would be a
good chance to see the bride, how she
looked and how she appeared"
"Well how was it ?" asked the miliner,
between her sips of tea.
"Sho appeared well enough, far as that
went, if she hadn't seemed old enough to
be his grandmother. You know Ernest is
master young looking for his years, and I
don't suppose he is a day over twenty
"But didn't you have any surmises how
it happened to take placer" pursued Mad
emoselle.
"Well, I suppose she must have been
worth property" returned Mrs. Wood
cock, who, like wise general, never ac-
| knowledged defeat. "But for all that,
don't commend it in him, and had as lief
tell him so at his dinner table"
While thus tho hidden affairs of the doc
tors family were being discussed and stir
red up in the Hollow, as hen stirs among
dead leaves, on the Hill they were being
covered over like the Babes in the Woods.
1t was never the Seacrest fashion to parade
the family skeletons like family jewels.
So they ate and drank and laughed and
tried to look at the elderly bride without
shuddering
But the age was not the worst of it She
was homely. And her LONELINESS was not
the worst she was stiff and unattractive
in manner as well as person. And it was
hardly the consolation that, perhaps, it
should have been, to perceive the unlimit-
cd fondness that the boy bridegroom had
for his aged companion. For it is really a
comfort, though a small one, to see our
friends chafe under degradation. Accept
ling slavery with contentment makes the
| captive twice slave.
: However, the less the family felt like
lraying sweet things, the more they pressed
! thC sugared cake, the ice cream and the
strawberries upon their new member. But
all this time there was something in the
background waiting to be brought forward,
and it was the bride who had the courage
| first to touch it.
Ernest she began with the dominant
air of an elderly aunt, IAN explanation is
! due your father and mother-and sister,"
she added glancing sharply at Miriam, who
was fairly seasick with disgust and sorrow
and modification.
Yes, Lilly, tell them," answered Ern-
est, looking at her as though sho were sugar
candy.
The idea Of calling that old, black, greasy
thing, "LillyW
"rho truth is them" said Lilly, turning
her withered face away from Ernest as
| though it cost her an effort, "by the will of
| the uncle from whom 1 had my money,
unless | married before certain date, l
lost it all. And kinsman, who was heir
at-law was very anxious to inherit it,"
"Ihc old cur wanted Lily himself" in
| terposed Ernest, "and he thought if he got
/ her property he would be sure to get her.
| At any rate he was to have that. That was
| why we We're secret.'
Miriam fairly groaned; and even fairy
| hearted Mrs Seacrest dropped her napkin
| ring on the floor, and came up from stoop-
| ing for it with wet eyelashes. To think
| that Ernest has sold himself for this wo-
mans gold So Mrs. Woodcock down in
| the Hollow was right, after all.
But. as though she suspected the nature
Of their thoughts, Lily went on:
II had some trouble in persuading Err
nest" she said, looking at him fondly
through her blue glasses, while she patted
her gray curs and settled her cap. ("I
knew you had y calculated Miriam maud
ibly.) "He had foolish notion it would
be more heroic to take me after had lost
my property. But had right to it, and
wanted to keep it,"
1--WE had jolly time, though, lodging
old Drymar. He is about discovering now
)nNily that he isn't so smart as he thought
| he was" said Ernest bursting into joy
| Gus laugh that nobody had the heart to
| join in.
Then he took from his pocket the mar
riage certificate dated that very day. 1t
seemed he had telegraphed to his father to
| to meet him and his wife at the station not
more than five minutes after she had be-
come his wife.
1--WE had to turn pretty sharp corners to
keep out of Drymar's way" continued Err
nest, still chuckling. "Ie thought he had
Lily safely locked in her room, while he
sent for u justice, thinking he would fright
en- her into marriage with him, or at any
rate keep her away from any other man
till the day had gone by. But Lily was
better at picking locks than he thought !;
and she came to me so out of breath and
| frightened
Ernests voice grew tondor and pitiful 1t
the thought, and took Lily's lhand in his
with caressing gesture.
"I loved her over since l have been in
college, and she knew it, but we had to
| keep It to ourselves as Drymar was her To-
| gal guardian until she married, or was of
certain age. SO chum and l fixed her up
| I'm hnr hrilal lrnsa and hnrn we nrn -