Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-01-24
Number 10
The curate bowed.

The eurate bowed.
Several moments Of silence followed.
All we're oppressed with the idea Of lone
illness thus so wildly presented.
Then a woman gently forced her kaj
into the apartment, and advanced TO the
centre Of the room. She seemed to be
tidy in her dress she was tall, and hid
a child at her breast, who covered at the
dark and at the dimly-se figures Of tho
people. She addressed the rector:
Last night he wrote letter, SIR"
The eurate choked up, and became
rigid.
"A letter ?" asked the rector. advanc-
ing. "Did he Then tell me quickly all
you know. What about the letter."
81 saw through the crack of the door.
II was on the jar-so much" She mea-
sures it off on her arm. ~ saw him three
times: once when he began it, ouce when
he got through, aud once when be sent
it way"
did you speak to him ?"
"No, | never spoke to him."
"Do you know where the letter isf"
She hesitates, dreading TO find that her
information will be of no use, but is final
ly brought to admit that she does not.
The curate breathes again, but trem-
T bles violently from head TO foot. There
is no way in which he can interpose. She
must go on gabbling, if she chooses. Il
soon appears that she has not the remotest
inkliDg of what the letter said, where it
went, TO whom it was addressed, or the
name of the sender. She becomes abash-
ed, and retreats. The rector becomes
again downcast, and the curate, under the
, cover Of the dark, orcns his mouth in
silent laugh.
Stop" whispered the rector, with a
: sudden thought. "Do you know hov the
letter went? Come back"
s She returns rapidly. She has the ans
: wer at her tongues end.
I "Yes, by boy, a boy he called in
. from the street. heard him halloo from
5 the window at the other end Of the pass
| age, over there"
G She pointed, and all within hearing
( craned their necks to see the grimy panes
now become famous.
t "Did you see the boy?"
"Yes, sir; l had a good look, a fair,
look"
D "Wel?
r "Hc was bright lad. He was lame
in his right leg, it being bowed outward,
making him limp. He had brown suit
!, and short hair he had gray eye and
d strange lip, harelip; he was very ugly"
2 The rector turned to the curate.
S "How strangely people meet and cross
S each other! / have met with many cases,
e but this is curious. Do you recall the
: boy ?"
The curate, stupcfed and aghast, was
; able to answer, but he shook his head.
e "He is in my class at the parish school,,
S said the rector, in an undertone. IL shall
t see him, and perhaps he will help u.s."
!. lie then spoke to the woman.
4 1--WE thank you. You have been Of
great assistance. We now hope to find
o some friends Of this poor man, and l will
a come and tell you, if you like"
t. "Ihank you, sir" said the woman,
d gratefully. 81 should like to know, in
!, deed"
d The curate went down the stairs be.
hind the rector, regarding him as he would
/, a jaier.
The instant he heard that the man had
d written letter, he recalled that he had
e observed him at church on four successive
e Sundays, in retired seat. From this he
;, imagined that he must have heard of the
: attachment between the rector's daughter
e and himself. Therefore, being an up-
II right man, as was sufficiently proved, his
II first impulse would be to disclose the
If wickedness be had witnessed to the rec
tor, with the intent cf saving his daugh-
n ter from such man as the curate.
:, The curate accordingly felt sure that
l. the letter was somewhere waiting, ready
to drop like the knife of guillotine.
# His agitation was no longer to be con-
C ceaed. His utmost efforts could not pre-
i vent his arm from shaking in the friendly
Is grasp of the rector.
If The light of a street-lamp fell upon
c MN, Inc rector looked up.
d "Why, man, you are pale! Brattle,
Brattle!" he cried, pulling upon his arm
p: Brattle, you are white, as white as
e sheet, sir!"
d The excuse was easy. Closeness, sad
is scene, overwrought feelings.
"True, true. don't blame YOU. of
course but can you keep up?"
If There appears to be no difficulty about
n this, and they pass on rapidly, the curate
ID with an eye upon every shadow, corner.
ID door way, and turning, ready to leap up.
I'd on what may come forth, and to strangle
s. 1T 1t 1t be boy with a curved leg.
The rector leads off into fahother SUBJ
IN ject, thinking it has charm for him, and
le will divert him. lie could not have chos-
m en- more exquisite torture.
70 "Ihat was most elegant ring, Brattle.
~ 1t must have arrived just as this poor
ne man fell from the steeplc. Misery and
;" delight at the same second Both at
once; both extricably coupled both in.
he volvcd and mixed together"
II. CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.
o-
to The Germans of Wisconsin wax
Al