Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-11-01
A TALE OF TWO LocKETs.
(Continued.)
by LUCY II. HOOPER.

yVo' INV 40 on NN~AOyS "hN e"S PNN~''NS NV
more and moro daily. She is devoted to
DR.. Severne, and she idolizes his daughter,
for whom she seems TO feel an affection half
maternal, half canine, If l may use so odd
mixture Of terms They seem to con6de in
her entirely, and she has one grave defect
she is dishonest cannot imagine how such
q vice could exist in company with such
fidelity, such devotion such perfect trust
worthiness in every other respect; and yet
that it does exist l have ample proof. Sun
dry articles have from time to time mysteri-
ously disappeared from the room--a gold
pencil, a pair Of sleeve buttons, sea-, and
string of amethyst beads which l had pur-
chased for you, being the most important
all triaing, it is true, yet sufficient to cause
me considerable annoyance Yesterday,
having again missed some little article, l re-
solved to speak to Martha privately about
it; for, as she is the only person besides the
doctor and Miss Severne who has ever had
access to my room, my suspicious had but
narrow circle in which to travel. So yester-
day, when she came to remove the breakfast
tray, said to her.
Martha, will you take seat2 have
something which wish to speak to you
about in private"
She sat down at once, and crossed her
hands in her lap, looking like the very incar-
nation of primness and responsibility. Could
she, this staid, quiet woman, be a thief? My
resolution was almost shaken, but thought
of the pencil case (your gift and the sleeve
buttons which had once belonged to my ia
ther, and so nerving myself for the task, l
went boldly on;
Martha, l fear that during my illness
some one has been meddling with my things.
"Only to put them to rights, sir. l fold.
ed up your blue waistcoat myself, and as tc
your shirts"
al mean my jewelry-my sleeve buttons
studs, &c. l fear that some of them have
been mislaid."
"Oh no, sir, impossible Do you mis-
anything?"
eyes, do several articles"
She sighed deeply, but neither changed
color nor in any other way betrayed agita
ton or alarm. On the contrary, she ros
very quietly, went to the table, and brough
me pencil and bit of paper.
"Please make out list of the missin,
things. sir" she said, and maybe can 6nC
them for you"
/ took the pencil, utterly dumbfounded b.
her GOODNESS, and half persuaded that hac
made mistake, and that the trinkets wer
still in my own possession. Instead of EN-
barrassing or abashing her, it was | who fel
half guilty and tnpleasantly conscious Q
wrong-doing. | wrote off list of the los
vauables and handed it to her. She receiv
ed it with an odd, oll.fashioned little curt
sey, which is one of her usual forms of salu
tation or adieu.
Another time, sir, please tell me at ono
when you miss anything"
And she walked cut of the room as st
and dignifed as ever. This morning ever
article comprised in my list lay spread GU
on my dressing table, having apparently bee
brought there by stealth during the night
My sleep, under the influence of the opiase
which the doctor freely administers to me
has Of late been very heavy, so that it ha
been an easy matter Tor any one to enter m
apartment during my slumbers, whether b
day or night, for l have necessarily slep
much during the day But l mean to dis
continue the use Of narcotics now that oil
so near perfect recovery, and henceforth
will be no such easy matter to abstract or I
replace my belongings.
have left the most interesting personag
in our little society to the last-I mean, {
course, DR.. Severne's daughter and onl
Child. She has been educated by her fathe
with the greatest care, and though since sh
was seven years old she has lived in the III
ter seclusion of this lonely out-of-the-wa
little village, her manners are as graceful an
refined as though she had been moulded j
the most fashionable of educational atelier.
Of course she needs something Of the polls
which intercourse with the world can alon
impart, but she is so sweet so simple, s
fresh, so unspoiled, that one hesitates to ru
the risk of destroying so much that is charm
ing, to gain at best but doubtful improve
ment And then she is so beautiful A
English beauty is rara aUiS, but when ono
found she is certainly a marvel and Char
lotte Severne, while possessing the dazzin
complexion, bright, fair hair, and blue eye
OF her countrywomen, has escaped the inhiC
ton Of the long, high nose, the pOnderou
feet, and general cumsiness of form whic
are the usual defects of English womer
Heaven defend me from the ordinary type @
the British female-such creature as
sketOhed FOR you just before started fror
Chamouni on my ll-starred pedestrian tour
A Week Later.-This letter has been ly
ing unfinished in my portfolio for so Ion
that l think now | will make it a sort c
journal, aud only send 1t when it has attaine
unwieidly dimensions. Since last laid dow
my pen several new and startling events hay
occurred ~ Ihe 6rst place, old Martha ha
been Ogain SeiSed with taste for sbstractinI
my valuables. A very pretty scarf phi