Connecticut western news., 1873-09-12

she walked away with him, leaving Frank gazing after her with look of pain and perplexity mingled. As for Hetty, though she talked and laughed in her gayest tones, and leaned on Wills arm and glanced up in his face in her usual coquettish manner, her heart was heavy within her, nor did she feel hap pier, though she became much gayer, when, a few minutes later, Frank passed her with Selma Burton clinging to his arm confdingly.
 "Is that an engaged couple, Miss Morris ?'' asked her companion; as Sel- mas lisping tones died away in the dis tance.
 "I am sure don't know" answered Hetty, with light laugh; and then the conversation drifted into the usual talk of two young persons taking the longest way home under the elms on balmy summer evening. They stood for some time by the gate, trying to distinguish various cancellations in the sparkling heavens-so long, in fact, that Frank Kennedy, returning no doubt from sim liar astronomical researches with Sel- ma, heard Hetty's clear laugh, and paused for moment, half intending to join her. But his better judgment pre- vailed; he walked away and disappeared in the darkness. Then Will and Hetty exchanged goodnight over the low 1 gate several good-nights, in fact-and they parted.
 Every thing had gone exactly as Miss to the earth with her scorn, and she had dependent on his attentions. Certainly | Y,n OOI1IH ocl for InunfoI suitor than Will Lowry. Every thing he had said during the evening had shown her plainly that she had but to stretch out her hand and take him; and how manly and handsome he was "I will take him, too, if he offers himself" said Hetty to herself as she put out her light. Then she very consistently cried herself to sleep.
 The next day passed like dream to her. She performed her usual duties as if she were somebody else. Frank was still at work in the barn, having not quite finished his job; but he did not once look toward the house, as far US Hetty could see, much less come to- ward 1t; and she noticed that he had left off the customary whistling over his work. Even Farmer Baxter could not complain of any neglect on that day. Just at six o'clock, while she was setting the table, feeling thoroughly wretched and forlorn, her heart gave a great bound. There he stood in the doorway She had been feeling all the afternoon that if he came to her again, in spite of his offences she could not re- sist him. She was too unhappy with out him, and now he had come, as she had hardly dared to hope he would do. She hastily summoned all her pride, that her surrender might not be too sudden or absolute, and went forward with frigid air quite contradicted by her rapidly beating heart.
 "This is the key to the tool-house,
 Hetty," he said, placing in her out
 stretched hand cold door-key instead
 of the fervent clasp she expected. Tell your uncle I've got through. Good
 night p and he was gone before she
 could form reply.
 "This is the end of everything" :"
 thought poor Hetty. "Now if Will
 Lowry comes will accept him."
 Will Lowry did come in the evening,
 but she had no opportunity of carrying
 out her resolution, as his aunt came
 with him expressly to see Aunt Baxter,
 and they all sat together in the front
 room, except Uncle Baxter, who audibly
 slumbered on the lounge in the kitchen
 during the entire call, greatly to the
 modification of his niece. What that young lady said and did during the
 evening she could not tell. She was
 living over and over that cold parting
 with Frank Kennedy, and feeling again
 the chill of that disappointing door key. As the visitors rose to go, Will remarked,
 "Aunt Martha, you have nearly for
 gotten your errand."
 "Surely," returned Miss Lowry, pro-
 ducing from some mysterious quarter
 huge milk-pan. "We came specially
 to return your pan. The cakes were splendid. Did you make 'em, or did
 Hetty For I want the receipt." |" always make yeast cakes myself, , replied Aunt Baxter, looking bewildered. "But where did the pan come from ?" "Will brought the doughnuts home in it. By-the-by, you promised me some of them yeast cakes" Aunt Baxter still looked dazed, but !, Hetty, for the first time seeing light dawn through the clouds which hac into peal of rather loud and hysterica laughter, which brought Uncle Baxter out of dream-land into the front-roon . to ascertain the cause of such start , ling sound.
 | "Was it you who took the doughunts?' | cried Hetty, as soon as she could speak 2 "And you thought they were yeas cakes ?" And a renewed peal of laugh ? ter attested the poor child's revulsiol , of feeling.
 . "Mrs. Baxter said they were in plai1 . sight on the kitchen table, :" responded Will, in rather an injured tone " anC
 as they were the only cakes there, I nat Q urally supposed them to be yeast cakes. "No wonder you went home acros
 lots," cried Hetty, going off into anothe
 peal of laughter, in which everybod, joined.
 , ''Well, I thought myself it was kin, U O queer," said Miss Lowry at last, wip
 ing the tears from her eyes "but n s'posed of course you sent lem for tn . society so we ate 'em up." ' That night before Hetty slept she ha' v, written brief note to Frank Kennedy }. She had Q bitter struggle with her prid' 2 before she could make up her mind t . take the first step, but the lesson of tn 4 last few days had not been altogethe U lost:
 . "DEAR FRANK.-I have made horri V ble blunder, and am ashamed of my t self. If you feel that you can forgiv ,. my abominable treatment of you, com d to see me, and will explain. a H. M." t She was sitting under tree in tn
 orchard idly rolling one or two half-rip t. apples about on the grass. She ha l. watched and waited all day for Frank d and now, as evening was drawing O t. and he had not come, she was begir J. ming to think he was too deeply offend d ed to seek her again. A shadow passe