Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-08-30


and Annie herself shed few tears, but fnal
helped US all by saying gayy
You'll make me III again if you all 70 o
like this. hate people that cry
No strangers eye would have detected tn
thousandth part of seconds pause whic
George Wares feet made on the threshold O
that room when his eyes first saw Annie. BE
fore the second had ended he was simply tn
eager, glad, affectionato cousin, and had take
calmly and lovingly the child's kiss whic
Annie gave him as She had done every day o
her life.
We could not speak My uncle prctcndc
to read his newspaper my ount's hands SHOOT
in their pretcnse of sewing; threw mysel
on the floor at the foot Of Aunie's lounge an,
hid my face in its cushions
Brave George Wares brave voice wen
steadily on. Annies sweet glad voice, weak
and low, but still sweeter than any other voic,
! ever heard chimod in and out like fairy
bells from the upper air. More than an hour
passed. ! do not know one word that we said
Then George rose, saying 81 must mol
tire you little Annie, so am going now"
"Will you come again tomorrow ?' she
asked as SIMPLY as llttle child
" Yes, dear if you are not the worse ioi
this, he replied and kissed her forehead and
walked very quickly away without looking
back. followed him instantly into the hall
for ] had seen that in his face which had
made me fear that strong man as he was, be
would fall. | found him sitting on the low
est step Of the staircase, Just outside the door
My God, Helen" he gasped, " it isn't
only this last year she has forgotten She
has gone back five years"
"Oh, no, dear George | said "you are
mistaken. She remembers everything up TO
a year ago You know she remembered
about your going to India"
That is nothing" he said impatiently.
You can't any Of you, see what | mean, |
suppose But tell you she has forgotten
five years Of me. She is to me Just as she
was when she was fourteen. DO you think |
don't know the face and voice and touch Of
each day Of my darling's life? Oh, my God :
my God ~ and he sank down on the stair
again in a silence which was worse than
groans. left him there and went back to
Annie
How old Cousin George looks, she was
saying, as | entered the room " | didn't re-
member that he was so old Why, he looks
as old as you do, sweet papa. But then re.
fectiyely al after all, he is pretty old. He is
fifteen years older than | am--and | am nine.
teen thirty-four that is old, is it not, sweet
papa?' said she, half petulantly. "Why
don't you speak, any of your
You are getting too tired, my darling"
said her father, and now | shall carry you
upstairs"
After Annie was asleep, my Aunt Ann aud
! sat for hours in the library, going over and
over, with weary hopelessness, all her words
aud looks, and trying to comfort each other.
But | think each knew the utter despair Of
the others heart.
From this time George came and went
with his old familiarity not a day passed
without his seeing Annie, and planning some.
thing for her amusement or pleasure. Not a
day passed without her showing in many ways
that he made large part of her life, was
really a central in IT, Even to us who knew
the sad truth, and who looked on with intent.
ness and anxiety hardly less than those with
which we had watched her sick bed weeks be.
iore--even to US it seemed many times as i'll
all must be right No stranger but would
have believed them lovers not servant in
the house dreamed but that Miss Annie was
still looking forward to her wedding They
had all been forbidden to allude TO it, but
they supposed it was only on account of her
weakness and excitabiity.
But every day the shadow deepened on
George Wares face | could see, though he
would not admit it, that the same despair
which filled my soul was setting down upon
his. DR.. Fearing too, who came aud spent
long evenings with us, and cautiously watched
Annie's every tone and look, grew more and
more uneasy. Dr., one Of the most dis.
tinguished physicians Of the insane in the
country, was invited to spend few days III
the house. He was presented to Annie as al
old friend of fathers and won at once her
whole confidence and regard. For four day,
he studied her case, and frankly owned him.
self baffled, and unable to suggest any mea.
sure except the patient waiting which wa.
killing us all.
To tell this frail and exeitable girl who
had tainted more than once at sudden
noise, that this man whom she regarded only
as her loving cousin had really been hel
promised husband-and that having beer
within two weeks Of her weddng-day, she
had now utterly forgotten it, and all con.
nected with it-this would be too fearful q
risk. 1t might deprive her forever of her
reason.
On the other hand, she seemed in every re-
spect, even in the smallest particular, herself
She recolocted her music, her studies, her
friends. She was anxious to resume her old
life at all points. Every day she made allu.
sions to old plans or incidents. She had for.
gotten absolutely nothing excepting the lover.
hood of her lover. Every day she grew
stronger, and became more and more beauti
ful. There was slight under-current Of
arch mschieyousness and half petulancC
which she had never had before, and which
added to her sweet sympathetic atmosphere
made her indescribably charming. As she
grew stronger she frolickod with every human
being and every living thing When the
spring first opened and she could be out
ture of Ariel and Puck than like mortal
maiden.
found her one day lying at full length on
the threshold OF the greenhouse. Twenty
great azalias were in full bloom on the shelve.
white pink, crimson. She had gathered
handfuls of the fallen blossoms, and was
making her gray kitten, which was as intel.
ligent and as well trained as dog, jump into
the air to catch them as she tossed them up
sat down on the grass outside and watched
her silently.
Oh, you sober old Helen" she said
you'll be an owl for thousand years after
you die Why can't you caper little You
don't know how nice it is"
just then George came slowly walking
down the garden path, his hands clasped be
hind him, his head bent forward, and his eye
fixed on the ground.
He did not see us. Annie exclaimed,
" There's cousin George, too Look a
him Would't you think he had Just hearC
he was to be executed at twelve to-day
don't see what ails everybody"
George, George" she called, com,
here. For how many years are you sentenced
dear. and how could you have been so sill,
as to be found out ?" And then she burs
into peal of the most delicious laughter a
his bewildered look.
at don't Lnow darlino c,r bnn. -,