Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-09-01

with her slippers tucked up under the
skirt of her white dress, and one cheek and
part of her neck was warm and rosy, when
Aunt Patty came and stood by the bed
side her old face fairly glistening with
| joy.
81 hated to wake YOU" she said "for
you looked as pretty as a pictur, lying
there with them white posies peeping out
of your curls but Hubert has come, and
| teas most ready. You'll hear him whist
ling and singing round the house when he
hain't dove into book. This time he's
| brought lot of German works. l can't
make head nor tail of them. They look
kind of outlandish TO me and all foreign
tongues does, for that matter. If you don't
feel well enough to come down, my dear,
you shall have your tea up here"
"oh no." returned Annette "I'll be
down directly"
Hubert was tall fellow. She thought
so as she glanced up to his broad shoulders
and higher still TO his pleasant blue eyes.
There wasn't a handsome feature IN his
face, but it was comely and agreeable, and
radiating with good humor, with ample
marks of sense showing themselves about
the broad white forehead, where the light
hair was carelessly scattered.
"You see he's gone TO tinkering the first
thing" said Aunt Patty. "My old Con-
necticut clock took to losing, and he no.
ticed ii the minute he got into the house.
If have any little odd jobs of mending l
keep them till Hubert comes home. lie
always was handy boy. When used to
be put to it for help tied an apron on HUI
bert, and he could do chores as smart as
any girl. If he ever gets married, Miss
Annette, his wife will owe me good deal
for teaching him how to favor women
folks"
Hubert laughed and colored little, and
so did Annette. Hubert went to the kitch-
en- sink and washed his hands, and wiped
them on the jack towel, in readiness for
tea. lie seemed in his true place there in
Aunt Patty's little house, and it came into
Annette's head to wonder how he would
appear in the fine parlors in Dover street.
"Those beans ! had cooked purpose for
you HUBERT" said Aunt Patty, who was
given to make excuses; but they don't
look to me as if they were done to a turn
and the bread is poorer than any we have
had for long time. Huldy failed on her
yeast I don't know when it's happened
before"
eyes, l see things are not so good az
common" said Hubert, pulling down his
face "and you don't seem to have more
than enough here to feed one or two regi-
ments."
"You needn't mind Il word he says, An
nette. He's only poking fun at me-"
When Hubert came out of his room in
the evening he brought bundle of papers.
Heres your Bazaar, auntie," said he "you
know you like to take peep at the fash
ions now and then"
claw, l don't care nothing about the
fashions, Hubert, such an old creature as /
be; do like the pictures. That Bazaar is
like a sugared pill. They put the picture
in to make you swaller the fashions. 1t
beats all how it goes. There's Miss Gibbs,
an old-timey Methodist, that thinks it a
sin to wear artifcials in her bonnet. l
went into her house the other day and
ketched her reading the Bazar."
Hubert was showing his German books
to Annette. She had studied the language
Il little in school, and understood enough
to be interested in the passages Hubert
read out to her with remarkably fine ac-
cent. Their heads were not far apart as
they looked over the same page.
Miss Annette" said Aunt Patty speak
ing up rather abruptly, "when did that Mr..
Murd ock, that friend of yours, say he was
going back TO BostonP"
~ don't know-that isl think he said
tonight" stammered Annette, while tide
of color overspread her face.
Hubert noticed the blush and closed the
German book, and in n few moments An
nette took her little night-lamp and went
to her room.
Annette was up early the next morning,
and as she sat by her pleasant window en-
joying the freshness, she heard Aunt Patty
bemoaning the fact that Jo Stubbins had
hurt his hand. And atterward she saw
Hubert striding down the path to the barn
yard, with pail in his hand to milk old
brindle. When she reached the break fast
table, there he was all spick and span, in
clean white duck coat.
at is nice to have man round, isn't II? ?"
asked Aunt Patty. "Im afraid Miss An
with me. Now Hubert, you must do some
thing for her enjoyment"
Hubert had plan to propose as he but
tered his toast. If Miss Annette didn't
mind looks she might ride Dolly. He
would answer for her having an excellent
gait for lady; and he himself could pro-
cure a nag from Farmer Ray, and they
would take long jaunts through the woods
and over the hills. Annette considered
this idea a bit of inspiration, and every
cool, bright day they were off securing the
country. Annette always came home with
a famous appetite and deeper shade of
rose-tint in her checks.
Aunt Patty had told Hubert about Mr..
Murdock, and afterward he walked out of
the room making Il dead failure of his at
tempt at whistling. Annette, for her part,
had long ceased to speculate as to how HUI
bert would appear in the Dover street par
lors
One morning Hubert entered the sitting
room to inform Annette that her nag was
ready for her daily canter. Much to his
surprise he found her curled up in one
corner of the lounge reading letter, with
her eyes full of big tears. "Just think"
said she, looking very miserable, "hther
writes to say that | must come home di-
rectly, and accompany him on journey.
Mr.. Murdock will be down on business
next week, and he offers to escort me back
to Boston, Friday morning. But l won't
go with Mr. Murdock; that's a settled
thing. can take care Of myself perfectly
we'll"
Hubert turned his back and began fuss
ing with the things on the table. At last
he managed to say, ~ should have suppos-
ed that Mr.. Murdock was the man of all
others you would have chosen for an es-
cort."
mo, indeed replied Annette, with en-