Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-05-23

David, without calling upon my neigh
bors," chirruped she, STOPPING to lay
straight tho braided mat, "and l might as
well keep on. don't feel 1t a tax as some
folks would. But there's Martha Dunning,
she's having hard time TO get along. Why
don't you take her, David7 She'd appre-
ciate such a nice house as yours"
"It would seem as If most any woman
might" said Mr.. Wiggin, in an injured
| tone, "all finished off complete, painted
outside and in"
"She'd DO delighted with 1t, am sure Of
| itp broke in Miss Dolly, with an air of
| conviction, as she darted into the kitchen
to lift the boiling kettle from the crane.
"But you don't mean that you won't mar
ry me, Dolly2" pleaded Mr.. Wiggin, anx-
iously, following to the door. 1--WE been
lottin' on seen' you at the head of things
in my house."
"Martba is grand manager" said Miss
Dolly, coolly. "David needn't think he
can buy me with new set of buildings p
added she mentally, swapping down the
lid of the pug -nosed teapot. "I never did
have tho name of being cropping"
"I tell you Dolly, I won't have Martha !;
don't like her turn p cried Mr.. Wiggin,
testify, balancing himself on the threshold,
yet not daring to step over it.
Miss Dolly gave her undivided attention
TO winging the hearth.
"You know you was always the woman
of my choice, Dolly" pursued Mr.. Wig
gin, as tenderly as he could consistently
with the distance between them. "And we
were both young"
"Pshaw ~ snapped Miss Dolly, scorch-
ing her wing "thars beyond the memory
of mani
Mr.. Virgins position was becoming
painful. He grasped door-post in either
hand, looking wretched enough TO say
himself on the spot, after the fashion of
Samson. Evidently he had not touched
the right chord MS yet. Miss Dolly was not
to be won by the attraction of wealth and
position, nor even by tender illusions to
the past. He would appeal to her kind
ness of heart.
81 used to believe you had some feeling,
Dolly" said he tremulously; "but you
don't seem to have any for me. Here am
left alone in the world; children all paired
off, 'thout's Matilda, and she'll go before
the snow flies house empty"
81 suppose you can have a home with
any of your boys, and welcome" put in
Miss Dolly, family, still fluttering about
the chimney like a swallow.
ayes, if worse comes to worst, suppose
can," assented Mr.. Wiggin, mournfully,
anything but consolod by this reflection.
at would break me down terribly, though,
you may depend, to give up my place that
set so much by, and crowd myself on to
my children"
No response save the Gathering of the
tongs.
"And it's dreadful melancholy business
for man at my time of life TO drag along
without partner. Pm getting TO be old,
Dolly" Mr.. Wiggin brushed his sleeve
across his eyes as feruled school boy
might have doue. "Yes, Pm getting to be
old, Dolly" he repeated brokenly; "and
it stands to reason that I haven't many
years to live; but 1 did hope we might go
down hill together, you chirkin' me up
with that spry way of yours that always
took to, and carryin' the heft Of
Here Miss Dolly gave little sniff, moth
ing worth mentioning only for the effect it
produced on Mr.. Wiggin. Indeed, had his
ears been as old as he pretended, he would
not have suspected her of being affected
by anything more than a cold in the head.
"Can't you make up your mind TO have
me, Dolly?" pleaded he, crossing the
threshold in his hopeful eagerness. az
don't see how I'm going to stand 1t il you
can't"
"Then Martha wouldn't suit.?" said Miss
Dolly, archly, making great pretense of
wiping cinder from her eye. "What Il
shame, now, when she needs the property
so much y
"IIang the property I'd mortgage the
whole of it rather than not get you, Dol
ly!' cried Mr.. Wiggin, with vehemence
that quite closed her mouth
And so at last he had Miss Dolly corner
ed.-Harper's Bazdr.