Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-04-08

said:
:" Mabel, have you been waiting for
me with your things on all this while 2
"'Yes, of course | have, Didn't you
tell me you would be here at seven pre-
cisely?' l replied.
"'Yes, I did said he. .but circum-
stances over which | had no control. and
which [ cannot explain, prevented me
from keeping my engagement. Now, |
hope Mabel will be a good little girl, and
not ask me any questions, and we will
let the evening, with its disappointments,
drop entirely out of our memories
The idea. Dorothy, of his treating
me like baby, and closing my mouth
in that style. Don't~,iets tlfinksf had a
right to know where he had been, and
what he had been about %
And you kept at it, | suppose and
finally drove him out of the house with
your inquisitiveness %
Il persisted in my determination to
| discover his secret-of course I did. -
What else was there that | could do ?''
You could have let him alone, and
believed in him-that's what. Mabel
Lynn, since your mother died, and
came to this house to take charge of af-
fairs, you have hurt my feelings two or
three times with your willfulness but
this is the cruelest blow of all. You'll
live to repent this behavior, or I'm no
prophet and Dorothy, after giving a
final twitch to her apron-strings plunged
into the savory dressing of bread and
butter and sweet herbs, which was to
take the place of the original stomachs
of che fat turkeys on the table before
her.
Just then Farmer Lynn entered. and
Mabel looked up into his face, dismay
written all over her fair young counte-
nance.
"He's heard something Horace has
been complaining to hiim-that's very
Sure p muttered Mabel, under her
breath, as the old gentleman carefully
wiped the snow from his feet, closed the
d56r, and advanced to the stove.
"What's the matter. father?" inquir-
ed Mabel. "You're not sick, | hope =?
Sit right down here, and get nice and
warm before you so out again. It's aw-
ful cold, isn't it?
''The mink p muttered Dorothy, stop
ping second from the filling process,
long enough, though, to note Mabel's
head tucked down on her fathers neck,
while the old man slowly rubbed his
hands over the bright fire. once in a
while stopping to caress the tender cheek
lying so close to his own. That's the
way she comes round everybody with her
PBn5ssycat B5 a NV ways She'll t c9me on ah it q}9ef
me with her blarney p
I've heard some bad news at The vii
lage, " said Farmer Lynn, in this way
answering his daughters questions. 'It
isn't so dreadful bad, to be sure but,
then, was in hopes that boy had sown
the last of his wild oats, and would be
able to leave college without being turn
ed out the back door,
What boy? inquired Mabel. "You
don't mean Lanse, father 2"
Lansing was Mabel's only brother, a
very bright and precocious young man;
but of generous impulses, therefore easi-
ly led, and consequently little fast oc-
casionally,
"Who else, child? of course Lanse.
Last nj ght being Christmas Eve, some Of
the young blades concluded to have lit
tie fun, so they started for the village,
and fetched up at the tavern. There
they got pretty well set up, and Lansing
and his roommate, then took a notion to
come home and make call Horace goi
wind Of it somehow Gt seems he was 60
ing up after his horses, and he managed
to get into the slei gh with the boys, take
hold of the reins, and instead of driving
them here where they expected to come
he turned another way, and before they
knew it Horace stopped at their board
ing house with them. It., seems they
were both too drunk to walk, and Hor
ace tried to fix things SO that the profes
sors wouldn't find it out; but they go'
wind Of 1t some way. ahd all the stu
dents who were off on this lark are sus
pended until the affair is examined into
and-oh, dear! after all the pains
have taken with that boy, and his edp
cation, to have him turn out SO ! | don
know but it will kill ma. .
"'Nho told you of this, father ~ ask
ed Mabel.
.'Why, Lanse, of course; you know
, he always owns up. | met him on hi
] way to the tavern to pay for some glass
es the crowd broke. That 1ahse Is jus
as good. hearted boy as ever lived il
this world | am inclined to think
: May, if we have a little more patience
that he'll turn out all right in the end.
Il have always thought So" replie'
Z Mabel. Then you haven't seen Ho1
ace this morning %
! ''No, not yet; but here is the bo
l now, )" as a quick, elastic step was hear
: coming down the long hallway towar
1 the kitchen. Mabel ran into the close
and closed the door.
e Dorothy chuckled and slammed th
t fowls into the oven, and then, with de
r light written all over her plain face
waited the turn of events,
n Il have just left the boys, MIR. 1yh
good morning, Dorothy The profe;
Y sors have sent for them to meet at tw'
: and think everything will be arrange
f satisfactorily. Lanse made me promi;
| would run in as passed. and tell 70
. not to worry. A good lesson for him,
reckon. How is Mabel this mornin,
h Dorothy %
perhaps you had better take a loc
G for yourself" said Dorothy, suiting Il
L action to the word by throwing wide IL
It closed door where Mabel, her checl
# glowing with excitement and her ey'
l swimming with tears, stood looking dow
r, at the eake-boxes with which this we
o filled larder was lined.
G '.Good morning, Mabel said Il