Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-08-14

hats which were only held up by the pressure
of the cape, fell on the floor.
How he got out Of that parlor he could
never clearly tell. But somehow or other, he
did, and walked slowly toward home. The
moonlight looked very differently to him now.
The shifting clouds became troops Of laugh.
ing COLLINS. He thought Of the cold moon
light falling on the ice in the far north, and
wished that he were buried mile deep in
those lfeless regions. lie thought it wasn't
no strange, after all, that Victor Hugo sheud
have made his hero wait the rising tide, and
wondered if he could find a suitable place in
the Charles, whercon to sit and wait like
happy oblivion.
Reaching his room, the fellows we're all
eager to hear his story.
4" Did you leave the cards ?"
" All but one aud here it is
lie felt in his pocket and looked blank.
1t had fallen with the cape on that parlor
floor, and he had left it there.
Word by word they got the whole story
out of him. They laughed till they could
laugh no more they rolled about the floor in
in ecstasies Of mirth but he sat silent and
motionless Az last they saw how deeply it
had cut him, and left him.
70 no very happy reflections. To be sure,
he had broken no law; but the petty element
Of the business kept annoying him more and
more. How could he ever hold up his head
in Cambridge after thisl
He sat late into the night Bob left him
sitting there silent aud motonless, looking as
if he had seen the Gorgon's head.
The next morning Bob called out, -
Jack {"
Yes"
" hope it doesn't trouble you. It's all
Imagination, you know
My child never sit on your parent when
he's down.
He didn't dare to walk about Cambridge
for fortnight. At the end of that time he
yentured out. 1t was a dull, cherries after
noon The trees kept up a slow dripping
aud the sidewalks were damp and slippery
The loaden sky cast a gloom over all tn,
landscape, that accorded well with his mood
/ lie was thinking that he was always getting
into scrapcs that injured him, that he was
useless member Of society, that his life woulC
always be dull and ordinary, and that h,
might as well stop trying to make any thin
Of himself, when he turned corner and CAM
full Oh Miss Hastings.
He didn't expect her to recognize him, an,
was resolved to pass her without noticing the
cut, but she stopped and spoke to him.
" Is this yours 2' said she, handing him tn,
card he had dropped.
" 1t is" he said, and flushed at the cruetl
he was hurrying on, but she stopped hin
again.
d" lie didn't see it. picked it up an,
kept it. saw through the whole thing.
never pitied any one so much in my life. -
You must have felt awfully. Come and SCI
me at the De res'."
lie was so overcome at the sudden reyul
sion that he took her hand and kissed it, RICH
in the street Nobody noticed it, except
very small girl on the other side, who sal,
" Oh, my !" and crossed over to get bette
view Of the further proceedings.
OF course he had TO apologize for the rude
ness, and explain all about it at once. The,
walked slowly up the street and Just as the,
reached little eminence, the leaden SIX
broke into great riffs before them in the west
and food of light glowed on the far of
snowy HILL and threw a crimson veil over al
the sky
4" How beautiful the view is !" said She
Yes" said he, looking right in her face
" What lovely flush the sunset throws OIL
litw
What else he said is not recorded Blu
Bob said that when he came in that nigh
" he was so happy that if you had stood hin
on his head he'd have walked off withou
knowing it, Weodore Osborne, IN old aac
| Nelc Magazine.