The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-07-09

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alIy II squire wilkins happened 10 be
passing hcr bousc. II sbe saw Aim tilt
lag by ia hls gig she was sure to be busy
at tac front window, picking an imsE,u-
ary dead lgaI OF thc rose gersnium, or
culing q spray o. mignoneilc to fasleu
among bcr bounY brown eurls. Some
times sl.e woud be coming round The
hoaso from the eis,eu pump, avid she
would nlrt ber rufles iH way to show
the embroidered hems Of her mar
vclously dainty skirts aud thc trimmest
OF all preitily.arched ankles.
/ She was as artful as mink, Betsey
was, asd it was very certain that She hai
laid her plans to csptiyale the village
squire. Her brother thought so--he was
an old bachelor who lived with her-and
all the trouble Ira knew was the fear that
Bctsey would marry and bis coy reia.
. tions be broken np. He embraced every
opportunity 10 say something against
every marriageable widow or suscepla.
Z bic bachelor 10 the ncighborhoOd.
I No, don't like the looks OF Squire
/ wilkins. no how, be said ono evening as
he leaned back in bis chair at the tea
table aud picked his teeth eisurely. Them
deep, up-and-down wrinkles between his
eyebrows are enough for me; when YOU
see them on anybody's face YOU may lool,
ont for Immature aud a cross, fault-Gnd-
/ ing disposition. But where they run
/ this way, and he arched his eyebrows up
until his skiuny-looking forehead lay
all in deep furrows plowed horizontally
why, then, you may expect a good-na-
tured man, not faut-hnding nor hard to
please.
| It's nothing to me who is il-tcmpered
or who has wrinkles, Pm sure, said Bet
I sey, smiling demurely; but never be-
ieyed much in signs. You know our
old Grandmother Tresway was as full of
contrariness as the Gid fellow himself,
and people looked in her smooth face, as
placid as a china dolls, and they called
her a saint and a mother in Israel, and
all such holy, significant titles, You re-
member how she used to throw the tea
| pot, or the press board, or the boot-iack,
or anything that came in her way at us
young ones,
And 50 the tale of the brother aud sis
ter drlted on until it ran into the past,
aud they both talked of old times and half
forgotten adventures, and they spent a
very pleasant evening together, as they
usually did.
The next evening, just after dusk, the
Squire called and stayed an hour or so.
lie had not intended to stop long-just
ran in TO see how liza managed to keep
his sweet potatoes all wintcr-he'd never
had luck keeping his, somehow. Ira
hurried and told him, secretly hoping
that ned 90 home Immediately, but the
Squire was in no hurry.
They talked election news and discuss
cd the candidates for Governor, and for
Lieutenant-Governor, aud Congress, and
yet the Squire fingered He was build
ing a new house, frame; story and a
half, with two dormer windows, that
cost fifty dollars each. lie said dormer
windows were so charming to sit in and
watch the sunset in the summer even
ings when the meller light lringed all the
hills with glory; here he ran his spongy
hands into his pockets and then plowed
his fingers through his well.dyed ambro-
sial locks, and then fell into milking his
sooty black beard, while he glanced over
at the widow, whose eyes spake again
Or, he continued, it is pleasant to sit
in a dormer window in the full of the
moon and watch hlm sailing amongst the
clouds in all his evangelical majesty
One knows how to yally a friend at such
time; aud be rolled up bis eyes and
MIXED on loisurcly while he sighed.
That's so, said Ira, thinking that he
ought to say something to show himself
au appreciatiyo listener.
I've not planned yet how IN have my
upper rooms divided of, | want them
handy aud to be as large as possible, aud
he cast bis round, white ofbs up to the
ceiling, thinking that he looked like a
poet whose eyes were in a iine frenzy
rolling.
This is hue October weather, said the
widow, tossing her back curls aud rock.
ing gently to and fro, giving her head
just motion enough 10 swing the glitter
ing pendants IN her cars and make them
catch the light OF the lamp aud sparkle
there most bcwitchingIy. Oh, it was d
, a captivating little dodge, and It worked
like a charm: The squire's heart melted
like a roll Of July butter.
Her hands lay prettiIy. in her lap; she
continued always think ot what the
poct sung Of October lie says:
There Is yIgor in the air
/ That brings such light 10 heart and cyt
Is came not with The summer glow,
OF days gone by.
She rccited It rather mourniuily, ant
raised her voice at tho end Of each line
until she came to the last, and she grad
nally let Il Die awAy In 4 whisper.
THAT was aflful dodge number two.
LEA was growing uneasy at the seuti
Is mental laru matters were taking, aud
thinking Of hospitality, be said: Squire
s'poscn we have basket Of black wal
mats 10 cai-somc Of them boosters lha
gr0wcl down on the bouomt
No, | believe not; ate a hearty sup
per this evening, said the Squire. Nov