Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-08-13
" Aud what arc you going to do with me "

OVNthf tnlh very moment, ana l began 4
cry more heartily than had laughed.
Tie took me up as easily as if had beef
a baby, and laid me on the lounge. "Noy
lie there perfectly still until my carriage !
ready" he said as one having authority. L
a few minutes be brought me some nnocen
looking stuff in a glass, which | dranl
without a word, and my nerves grew stead,
again. Iclimbed into the little old.fashion
ed sulky, in which there was spare room
tor its owner, carriage that must hav,
been invented by some misanthropic doctor
who did not mean to drive bis own patients
contracted myself into about the sub
stance Of a paper Of pins, AMI held my
breath, but that sulky was a tight fit in
decd! wore thin summer dress, with
only straw hat on my head, and as my
excitement lesscned, the cool, sharp air o.
the September night pierced me like knife
" You are shivering," said the doctor
wrapping one side Of his round cloak about
me and holding me close to his breast with
one arm, whio be drove his horse al
furious speed with the other.
give you a great deal Of trouble"
whispered into his beard.
"Not at all. Its all in my day i work, II
he said gruffly. This was not very gallant
but II made me more comfortable in mind
as It possibly was meant to do.
He did all that doctor could do for my
amt, which was little enough. Time and
patience were all the prescriptions he gave
to her or me, but he came every day, some.
times twice, as he perceived that time was
growing short and patience would soon have
its perfect work
The old story-old as when Cain went
counting into the land Of Mods coming.
as my reader can see with half an eye |
did not fall in love with DR.. Gilmore nor
he with me-all at once; but there grew to
be an inexpressiblc comfort in his rough
sincerity, and the warm hand.clasp with
which at every visit he met and stiled my
shrinking nerves.
In the first week Of our acquaintance
contided to him my unwilling listening in
the avenue to the love-quarrel of strangers.
With his advice and assistance sent a
carefully worded advertisement to the
village paper. To julge by the pile of
answers which | received, describing every
kind Of ring that ever was worn, one would
think the earth should have been sown as
thick with them as was the field Of CANINE
after the great slaughter Of Carthagicnian
knights. But not one of the answers so
much as limited at a violet of sapphres
with a diamond center
10 these lonely days | saw a great deal
of my neighbor, Miss Purdy she was one
OF those rare aud blessed souls who inter-
pret literally the command to love ones
neighbor as ones self. She and her niece,
Kate Purdy, lived together, as | lived with
Aunt Esther aud sort of felIow.feeling,
from our similar conditions, made us wou-
drous kind from the first. Kate was a
sparkling brunette, who made love to every
body, "male or female, jew or Gentle,
bond or free, 1t was all the same to her
| am a very meek looking person myself,
ight-haired, blue.eyed, faded out-you al
most need a dark background to see me
at all.
Kate and looked well together, and
stayed together chiefly for that reason at
first, aitcrward for strong and earnest
liking that lasted our lifetime. | told her
all about the ring, and showed her the an.
swers to my advertisements and when our
talk reached low water on other matters,
we always fell back on speculation about
those two lovers and the sapphire ring.
Kate was disposed to treat it more highly
than | could find it in my heart to do. She
thought it far too pretty to hide its light in
bureau drawer and after time wore
it, thinking that in that way it might be
possibly seen and claimed by its owner
We had become very intimate in the girls
fashion before | introduced Kate to "my
DOCTOR" as called him in my heart They
"took kindly" to each other, but she did
not at once begin to vile the heart out of
him, as | had seen her do with all other
men.
"Why don't you make love to DR.. Gill
more ?" | asked her at last. You are
naturally a fisher of men, and the prey is
very scarce at Dovecotes"
Firstly" said Kate, because you al.
ready have him in your own net, and un.
less all signs fail, you will soon land him.
Secondly, he is too fearlully old and grave
don't mean that he has lived any great
number of years, but be is one Of those
who was bora forty years old, and that
would make him at this present time three
score-and-ten."
My world was wel-uigh empty of kith
and kin when Aunt Esther died, but | was
not near so doleful as | ought to have been.
| had very little money, but had youth
and hope, and there was-the doctor. Kate
Purdy had been helping me to set the house
in order after the dreadful hustle that fol.
lows the vanishing Of familiar face.
At uight-ial she left me alone for an
hour or two; | was then, as Kate and
had taci,ly supposed, reading it in one
anoiher's eyes, that "my doctor" came to
see me.
Z" | am afraid you are going to be very
lonely here" he said, after the first greet.
ings were over.
"But shall not be here; am going
to live with the Purdys."
"Are you quite sure they want you ?"
"They say So"
Doubtless they feel in that way now,
but their hearts are warmed by the sight of
your ailliction. You had far better come
home TO me.
He held out his arms, with gesture that
belied the calmness of his words. but |
would not see it.
F" How can | be sure that you want me ?"
DO not say it2"