The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-16
ouc og MY nBy-Gones."

counsel with myself, OF as quaint ola Her
bert expressed it,
TO tumble up and down my chest
And see what my soul doth wear.
1t was the avenue which made me take
the house; nobody's avenue in particular,
vet it seemed to belong to each one of the
small group of cottages to which it led from
the high road. 1t had existed az a sort of
lane before the cottages were thought OF,
and great trees had had time to grow up IN
a eisurely way and meet overhead.
long gate closed it in at night from the
snares of the outer world, and gave greater
sense of security to the lonely spinstcrs ana
timid widows who lived in the cottages:
On this night thick mist EMBODIED the
,rces and me as with somber garment, ana
the remark of one of our old neighbors
when she heard our destination came BACK
to me like a bird of ill-omen: "Going to
Dovecotes Then you will live and die an
old maid. No one ever goes there but the
doctor to make them sick and the lawyer to
write their wills. 1t is too far from the vii
lace to walk, and to near to make 1t worth |
while to ride
She evidently spake not without knowl-
edge, and keenly felt TIC little fine point
that was wrapped up in it. 1t had a fearful
sound, to be an old maid all my days, for
old maids do live immensely long lives,
having neither great joys nor great sorrows
TO wear out their bodies. 1t almost seems
that with little more effort they might live
forever. / was twenty-five years old, and
no love passages had ever been mine. If
one must be an old m i'd, it would he some
consolation to have few old letters and
bunch of dried flowers to turn over in win
ter evenings. 1t was an old fanilia track
OF my mind my thoughts Travelled it often.
b., h.u LAT I'm M fnU
made n darkness that might be felt. Sud-
denly heard voices near me- but whether
in front or following it was impossible to
tell, as ] distinguished not ot-stcps.
II fear we have made mistake" said
woman's voice, trembling in spite of hard
tone in it. ''If you cannot bear with me
while We are lovers, what will become of
me by and by?"
at is only when we are alone that !
should ever suspect that We were lovers.
rrjoincd masculine voice.
s.You were willing that our engagement
should he a secret
'Yes, because you bcsought me 50 anN-
iously; but your manner to other men is so
utterly--uttcrly
'Don't hesitate for II word, lassurc you
can endure it. My mamma is 500
''Unengagcd, | would saw to put it very
mildly"
'Pcrhaps il is better that my condition
should fit my manner"
'Pcrhaps; unless you change that man
ner."
81 could no more do that than the loop
ard could change his sports. l have loved
YOU well, but that is no reason why we
should marry, suppose
ooh! none whatever. hear some one
coming. Here is the ring that you meant
for fetter. Goodnight, and good-by"
A woman ran by me so closely that her
skirts brushed mine, and the fog lifting
little at the same moment l saw the outline
of a man take his elbows from the long
gate, on which he had been leaning, and
stopping down seem to look for somethin :
on the ground. Then he hurried away to-
ward the village, and as Bunyan says
of his pilgrims, ~ saw him no more
felt like person blind-folded who has
been tormented with other peoples secrets
against his will. I leaned my arms On the
gate, until the fog cleared away, and soft
waving moonlight fell on the trees, which
seemed to whisper together about the very
secrets which had shared with them. In
crack between post and bar something
CLEANED in the moonlight picked out a
ring which one had thrown away in her an
cry haste, and which the other looked for
formed of small sapphres, with diamond
in n center. carried it home and tucked
it into the furthest corner of my upper
drawer, and for month ! pondered it in
my heart. ! looked eagerly for all notices
under the head of 'Lost and Found" Vast
hordes of dogs seemed to have gone upon
their travels about that time; muffs and
bonds and other small matters were en-
treated to return, and no questions asked
but no one had lost ring, l composed
with infinite pains at least a dozen adver-
tisements which should delicately convey
to that outline of a man that his ring might
be recovered if he desired it. / said nc
word to my aunt with whom l shared the
cottage and all other worldly goods) of my
little adventure in the evening. If she hat
ever had any nonsense about her it had en-
tirely worn off before my time. She would
have sought for the owner of that ring il
the same straight forward and exhaustive
way as if it had been stray hoe found If
her garden, These two lovers would have
been forced to stand and deliver their name.
and their secrets within week.
Aunt Esther had brought me up in til,
same way that she did everything else SHE
never forgot to wind her clock on every
seventh day, and she never failed to give
me good measure of home comfort, but j
was not pressed down and running over.
gave her honest respect and liking withou
any love. and she never missed it. Never
theless, it gave me a terrible shock wher
her vigorous life was suddenly arrested by
a stroke of paralysis. Our only servant il
her fright was as helpless as her mistress
but Miss Purdy who lived next door, cam,
in to stay with my patient while ran through
midnight darkness down the avenue and tn
long village street after the doctor. DIR
Gilman was the name on the first door tina
had light behind it. At the first pull o
the bell the handle came off in my hand
but opened the door and found myself il
the office. The doctor lay on a lounge sleep
ing heavily, as if he had just thrown him
self down after hard days work. call
ed to him in vain, and finally laid violen
hands on him. He must have been dream
ing some fearful thing, for he seized m
wrists as in voice and roarcd, Snow
have you" before h. opened his eyes.
''You are mistaken doctor, it is | VIII
have YOU" | said, laughing. lie release
my wrists and sat up with his eyes yer
wide open.
"And what are you going to do with me ?
"Oh, you must come to my aunt at Dove
cotes, this very moment" and began to or
more heartily than had laughed.
He took me as easily as if l had been
baby, and laid me on the lounge. "No,
lie there perfectly still until my carriage
ready" he said as one having authorit,
In few minutes he brought me some inno
cent looking stuff in glass, which dram
without word, and my nerves grew stead
again. climbed into the little old. ia s
Toned sulky, in which there was spare rooI
for its owner, a carriage that must hay
been invented by some misanthropic docto
who did not mean to drive his own patient.
contracted myself into about the substanc
of paper of pins, ard held my breath, b,
that sulky was tight fit indeed wore
thin summer dress, with only "a straw Ia
on my head, and as my excitement lessene
the cool, sharp air ofthc September nigl
pierced me like knife.
''You are shivering" said the docto
aucapIairo Ia &C L. III.