Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-08-22
OLD JANET.

Old Janet | 1t was an old nickname
that l had given her, though we were
children together, and she six weeks
my junior. She was tender, proud,
humble, all at once, and, more than all,
she was rigidly Just.
"Mind now, Teddy, I will tell grand
papa !" she said one day, when, coming
Unexpectedly to the stables, she sur
prisea me leading out Bess, the bay
mare, preparatory to ride into town.
Bess was our grandfather's pet mare,
and no person was allowed to mount
her except by permission, as a gracious
favor.
By this time I was mounted and
riding out of the gate. But as I swept
past her 1 looked back, and, pursing
up my lips, sung out insultingly
"Tell-tale | tell-tale! Tell tales, II
you dare p and so cantered off. She
did tell. l think that when was pun
ished, she suffered more than I did.
For two days would not speak to her,
and she moped about the house with
red eyes and unkempt head. On the
evening of the third day was sitting
in the dining-room window waiting for
tea, when Janet stole up to me with o
shy, hesitating air.
"Won't you forgive me, Teddy,
dear ?" she whispered. I made nc
answer, but sat resolutely gazing out
of the window at the red and bronzed
foliage tossed by the autumn winds.
81 am so sorry" A pair of culver
ing, wet lips we're laid on my hand; q
slender brown arm stole aboutm my neck.
&c Please forgive me, Ted p
"What are you sorry about ?"
asked, shortly.
go, Ted l am SO sorry because
because you are so angry; and I was SC
sorry to see you punished and gran l.
papa SO angry. I would thousand
times rather have been punished in
your stead. Please-please forgive me,
Teddo-de"
Tears were flowing plentifully, and
she was wiping them with her rufied
muslin apron all in mess.
"Well, then," I answered, Modified,
" if you are really sorry, you just &c
without your supper tonight, as I did
that night, and then I'll make it all ur
with you"
go! will you, truly? Dear Ted
how good you are am so glad
wish you had asked something harder
of me. But-won't you kiss me, Teddy
Just once?"
"To-morrow," I answered, turning
shortly away. "After it's all over IL
kiss you, if you want. But not to
night"
every well tomorrow, then |" Sh,
took her little, wistful, tear-stainet
face off to the other side of the room
and sat penitently down by the fire
She sat there quietly while the bel
rung and my grandfather and I tool
our places at the table. 1 had pictured
her, in my mind, with disgraced al
going early, supperless to bed, and
was not prepared for this. Grandfathe
missed her. She always sat at his righ
hand, feeding out of his cup or plate
as the wilful fancy moved her, and h,
now peremptorily ordered her to hel
usual seat by his side.
"Not tonight, please, dear dada +
she pleaded, without stirring; and wher
he asked her what was the matter, wen
hurriedly on: 81 am not to have an,
tea tonight. I don't really mind it
It's nothing-and Teddy's going tx
forgive me-and-he will kiss me in th,
morning-and we are always going t.
be good friends after this-always, for
ever
Then her voice broke, and, with
rush of tears, she was away from th,
room, upstairs, to hide them out O
sight.
$50, SO Master Theodore, that's it
is it?" My grandfather's sharp, needle
gun eyes seemed to shoot me through
and through. "Little Janet is to b.
punished because she was homes
enough to show you up in your faith
lessness to mep"
I muttered something in reply no
quite Ineligible.
Well, it won't hurt Janet, this dis
cipline. I like to see the metal She
made of. But, as for you, sir, it strike
me that you have much more the air o
a culprit, sitting there eating your sup
per, than the little girl who is hiding
her honest tears upstairs in bed."
1t was tough work. His look an,
words were hard to bear but L sat i
out. munching my bread with defan
air, and afterward going out of the room
with as much bravado as / could as
sumo.
I kissed Janet next morning, and 81
we made up our difference and prett,
much in this way we quarreled AMI
kissed and made up again till wa
eighteen years of ago and sent away t,
school. BY that time it was pretty vel