Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-09-10
A Simple Love story.

One thing squite certain, said Dorothy
Dean. -" | shall never marry a farmer"
She looked just like her sweet rustic
name, as she stool there under the check.
cred green canopy Of the great hickory
tree, where the robins we're singing, aud
the sunshine turning all the leaves 10 Hecks
Of floating gold There was nothing Of tho
imperial about our little heroine, but she
was marvelously pretty to look upon, with
blue, shining eyes and the gold Of the but
tcrcup in her hair, while the faint. pink
glow went and came upon her dimpled
checks with the tide Of every strong emo.
tion that stirred her soul.
"0h !" said Mrs. Morrell, who was knit.
ting out on the front porch "thon it's
Just as well that Joseph Mylife, your old
boy-and-girl sweetheart, is engaged to Bar.
bara Wilde"
Engaged Is he2" Dorothy turned
sharply around, her eyes uncousciously di.
lating. And to Barbara Wide Dear
me what could there have been about her
TO capiiyate himq"
Mrs. Morrcll smiled to herself as 1hc
scanned in the middle Of her needle
Oh, well, don't know. She is very
stylish, you know and she made very
agreeable impression when she came from
New York to visit her uncle Amcsford
And perhaps Mr.. Myliffe feels, as you do,
that our homcspun, country people are
scarcely fit mates for him"
Dorothy bit her lips.
He is very particular, said She IL
should think any of the girls hereabout would
be quite good enough for Joe Myiffe."
People always used to prophesy that
you would become his wife some day" said
Mrs. Morrel, arifully. "But since you
have received a city boarding-school educa-
tion, Of course your actions are quite
different"
"Of course" said Dorothy, abseutly,
and then she went into the house to get her
worsted work.
Yes, she and Joe Mylifie had been little
lovers years ago, when they dangled their
baby legs from the same wooden bench in
the school house lie had gathered bags Of
the ripest hickory nuts, aud culled out the
rosest apples for her and iu strawberry
times, had be not kept the incest places for
her, where the red fruit ieweed the grass
like drops Of blood2 What a nice little
fellow he was And now to think he was
to BE- Barbara Wilde's husband"
"Of course, I'm not jealous" said Doro-
thy to herself, with little dsolaiming toss
of the butter.cup gold curs " He is only
a farmer. Farmers aren't in my line at all.
Cream and poultry and harvesting apples
are pretter in romance than they are in
real life but for all that, l don't think
he should have invited me to that picnic.
| III 20, though-just TO show Barbara Wilde
that can please Mr. MylifTe us well as she. a"
Dorothy went. 1t was like all other
picnics, but Dorothy Dean never forgot it,
Barbara Wilde was there, in white muslin
dress with rose coored ribbons; and she
had the glowing satisfaction of engrossing
Miss Wildes lover all the afternoon.
" He's great deal nicer than thought -
said Dorothy. Don't you think he has
improved during the past year, aunt?"
d" Very much" said Mrs. Morrel. " He
has bought the finest place in town now
the old fmcourt property"
Oh - said Dorothy, opening wide
her eyes. He's not a common farmer at
all, then"
b" A farmer .! said Mrs. Morrell, drily,
" but not common one at all, in any re-
spect. Barbara Wilde will gain a perfect
treasure in him."
Dorothy looked down into the crown of
her straw hat, obviously. Elmcourt was a
fine old place, with century old cedars
fringing its terraces, and stone house half
covered with ivy, and Joseph Mylffe was
dark and handsome, like Dorothy's dream
Of Corsair lover Two weeks passed
away-three weeks! Dorothy wasn't half
so happy as she had expected to be, when
she came home, " cut and dried" young
lady, with her education finished.
" It's all that horrid Barbara Wilde, with
her city airs and imported graces," thought
i she. What is she staying on at Squire
Amesford's for Why don't she 60 home,
and get her wedding things ready 2"
And Dorothy, to her surprise and vexa-
tion, found out that she was crying a little,
as she walked across the daisy-pearled mead
ows toward the little trout stream, whose
brown, gurgling waters made merry mon
: otono in the twilight.
81 am late" She thought, Z" and papa
always scolds when | am not home in time
for tea. | must take the short cut across
the brook, even if the old bridge is little
unsafe"
And so Dorothy Dean left the by path
and plunged into the shady Businesses Of
the woods that bordered the trout stream
. ,rttl Al and Lid ttptffarc
, Firmly she laid her light foot upon the
shaking boards, her gloved hand on the
messy rail, and had crossed nearly half the
+ little distance, when there was a cracking
sound under her feet, sudden giving way
of the ruiuous beams-and she fell
Fortunately the water WIS not deep, but
the bridge stood high enough to make the
descent dangerous-and a low, gasping cry
issued from her lips; Help help"
And she closed her eyes, expecting the
next instant to feel the sharp and cruel
edges of the rocks below.
But, to her infuite surprise, she felt her
! self grasped in firm and tender hold
and glancing up found her own eyes mir
f rored in those of-Joseph Myliffe.
! dorothy, my darling My little Dor
othy! Thank God you are safe -
Joseph :" she gasped how came you
here 2"
al was fishing close by the bridge. o,
my love! my love if had not been here
it makes my blood run cold to think what
. would then have happened Dorothy, il
e you had been killed, | would have shot
3 myself didn't mean you to know it, but
this terrible danger has frightened the truth
out of me Forget it if you will, but it is
, nevertheless true | love you, Dorothy
She looked at him with a vague, dreamy
f. sense of happiness shining in her eyes.
Y /" But--Barbara Wilder"
5 Barbara Wilde? Don't you know
$ She is engaged to my brother Cyril, aud
they are to be married in month"
5 The blanched roses crimsoned once more
: into Dorothy's checks.
!, 40, Joseph thought it was you"
c They walked home together in the twi-
Q light, and after they had parted at the gate
/, parted with true lovers kiss - Dorothy
: ran back into the lamp-lighted sitting-room
I. where her father was reading the evening