Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-12-20

At that moments village school broke up,
and out burst cornucopia of youngsters,
shouting and flying along the road.
'My lad" said Mr. David, catching at
one of the hindmost as he scudded past,
"can YOU tell me where old Farmer Mich
OILS has moved TOP"
The boy eyed the stranger with rustic
shyness, wrigglng himself from the de-
tanning hand. 1t was vexatious to be stop
ped in that way.
Guess you haven't been long in these
parts" he said, giving his hat knowing
thrust on one side.
"No, not long. Where has the old man
gomez"
"To the berrn-ground, 1 reckon" said
the boy, viciously, unable to resist the Jest.
"Od sexton Simms ill tell you where"
he added, looking back rs he sped alter his
comrades.
Old sexton Simms had been village in
sttulion in David's young days. No
change had overtaken him, it seemed.
thin aud wrinkied little man, blo--Sv>rs-
n last years mosquito, he pondered the
Strangers face with a wise and sidewiso
glance, as though studying an illegible in
scripton.
shouldn't a knowed We no more n the
dead" he cried, when Mr.. David mention
ed his name "though l did think, soon's
ever | sot eyes on ye, you must be some
one or nuther. The old folks? Oh yes, the
old folks Is gone, both on 'em; died with
in six months of each other over three
year ago come next spring. The old place
| In. ;,,1 I,n 81
"And the girls?"
"Mari led and settled-leastways Jane
and Betsey. James done first-rate. She's
Squire Johnson's wife, up there in the big
house yonder. And Betsey, she always
was a sharp one, thought, but somehow
or another her husband isn't a bit fore
handed"
"And Hannah?" was on David's lips,
but an old customer came in and absorbed
the sexton's attention.
David concluded to make his way to
Squire Johnson's.
At the moment of coming to this conclu-
sion few big drops fell ominously from a
hot and 'thunderous sky, but the white
house was just in sight, and he made n bee
line for it, The shower increased TO a flood,
but there was no shelter midway, and he
hurried on.
At the gate Of the mansion stood a gig,
from which stout lady was at that mo-
ment descending obviously, tucking up
her raiment and preparing to make run
for the house. She eyed sharply the stran
ger standing there under the dripping UNI
brella.
Mr.. David held open the gate. "June !"
he said, stepping forward and offering the
shelter of the umbrella. "Tve been eight
years coming, but have just arrived in time,
you see."
"La ~ said the lady, starting back She
still retained the sharp, incisive voice he
remembered, surviving over all these years
though the former Jane was vanished ut
/ tcrly, crowded out,by maironly fessS. ~
flowing skirts.
Davids brown, bearded face bore a boy
sh smile as he spoke, and perhaps that
helped Mrs. Johnson's memory.
She had to accept the umbrella, and con-
sequcntly the escort; but she hesitated at
the doorway, looked down at David's boots,
and wiped her own significantly as she
glanced at the blazing Brussels that orna-
mened her parlor.
Mr.. David repeated the process patiently
she could not help asking him in. Jane
was pious and patronizing-a wellto-do
woman. David had been troublesome
lad, to he sure but then one must let some
things pass.
lie staid till the shower was over, and
the squire came ina plain little man in
gold pectacles-who said, cheerfully, when
supper was announced,
"Come along in, do, Mr.. Durham, and
take a dish of tea
The only fault Jane often declared, that
she had to find with johnson was that he
wasn't particularn choosing his company.
"And where's Miss Simmons?" he ask
ed as he slipped his tea.
"Gone over to the Dobsons, and | sup
pose got caught in the shower"
After supper the two men smoked pipe
together and talked of crops, the weather
and business in general. Jane was no fool
as she often observed. She gathered that
= David was part owner of a ship-yard, and
had built some tidy craft himself. Anoth-
er time she would not be so particular a
bout the door-mat.
In the midst of the talk and smoke Miss
Simmons came floating in In flutter OF
4 muslin and ribbons, breathless, bright, and
coquettish.
l ~ Just ran over between the Drops" she
l said, shaking out her curls with jeweled
fingers.
Miss Simmons was pretty girl from the
city. She had wit, she had wealth, it was
said, and she was quite belle She play
- ed, she sang, she chatted brightly. She
smiled on Mr.. David, and ratified Off his
o favorite old tunes. 1t was new to him "a
have any one shine especially for him,
sparkle and warble and plume themselves
0 for him. Miss Simmons's clear voice and
Q high keyed notes, her tall and graceful fig
urc, her noiseless, easy movements, charm
ed him. "a splendid girl y he said to
0 himself; "and how smooth her skin is
b whereas Hannah" Hannah was pock-
u marked.
G Hannah lie steadied his voice and said
p "IIow is Hannah" as if the whole party
n had been making allusion to her.
Z Sister Jane colored up. "Don't talk tc
e me about Hannah r. she said
And they didn't talk. At that moment
Miss Simmons struck up brilliant bra
: varu on the piano, and when it died like q
\ shower of sky rockets, Mr.. David Durham
took his leave.
q The next day he hung about the village
, dropping in upon one or another old ac'
q auaintance. Finally he stumbled into Tho
brlmmng household whore Betsey presid
ed. Betsey had settled in life, as the sex
- ton said-settled like a building on ILL
O made ground, She had been trim, she had
been sharp, model woman, with GavoI
l. of crab-apple about her; she had grown
II slipshod and vinegarish. A devoted moth