Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-03-07

so much, to place where she would
have nothing to do at all. And her
ladyship does not like it; she gives
herself too many airs" #.t
Three miles below the old farmhouse
stoon the busy town of Perkinsville.
On hot summer afternoon, two days
after the talk under the pollard willows,
a shadow fell across the open doorway
of the farmhouse which shadow was
Immediately followed by the appear.
ance of Bernard Leyburn.
"Good afternoon, Mr.. Daryl" he
said, as he approached the gentleman.
"I want to go to work"
Mr.. Daryl, knowing Bernard as he
did, stoGouIsued.
"Any money to invest?" he asked.
"Not cent"
"Then you have not the ghost of a
chance. Dozens of young gentlemen
now IN town wanting work. Sorry 1
can't help you, Leyburn, he said, cor
daily, "but, indeed, every place is full
and overfowing."
"I do not care particularly for q gen.
tlemanly sitution had no expecta-
tion of that kind. Twill do any kind
of work.
"Humphl That is differ ent thing.
What kind, for instance ?"
Driving wagon, porterage, any
thing"
GA company of us have started the
lumber business high up the river, at
Maple Bend. Got a saw-mill going
tolerably lively already, and it will move
faster soon. 1t is going to be a big
affair, think. If you want hard work
there is chance for you, bat it won't
be dainty work. Can you help pile
lumber, or take it to the RATS, or cut
down tree, if necessary ?"
"Uertainly, L can, and will be glad to
do it."
"I don't say but what you may work
your way to something better, but that
is the way you will have to begin.
am afraid it won't suit you"
eyes, it will" said Bernard, eager
ly.' L wish [ could prove to you how
anxious am to go to work.
"Do you see that row of flour bar
rels, ranged out there, ready to be
shipped ?''
eyes, SIR"
"That sloop has come in sooner than
was expected, but those barrels ought
to go on board of her this afternoon,
and all the hands are busy"
"I'll do itp' said Bernard, smiling.
He went out in high spirits and be-
gan rolling the barrels up the gang
plank, eager to show Daryl that he
was not afraid of work. He was ac-
customed to handling heavy weights
at the gymnasium, for his amusement.
But, before his present job was half
done, he found out the difference be-
tween work and play. When it was
three quarters done he wished he had
let it alone. When the last barrel was
on the sloop, and Bernard went back to
the office, Daryl noticed that the
brightness had died out of the eyes,
and the old, sleepy look, had come back
to them.
"That was we'll done, Leyburn, /"
said Daryl "Yeu'll make a splendid
workman. When will you be ready for
up the river?"
"I have not quite decided to go. I
must think it over"
"This is Wednesday. I must know
your decision by Saturday"
"What has come over young Ley
burn ?" asked Daryl of Jessica, when
he paid visit to the old farmhouse
that evening. "He came to me to-day
to ask for work" And then he related,
with a good deal of humor, the adven-
ture of the barrels. 1t was we'll they
were out on the porch with no light but
the stars, or he would have seen how
Jessica's eyes were sparkling with
pleasure.
"I told him if he would go up to
Maple Bend he would find plenty of
rough work to do, getting out lumber.
He was all eagerness, before his tussel
with the barrels, but very cool after
wards. He is to decide on Saturday,
but I feel so sure he will not go I shall
say nothing to anybody"
"But I will p thought Jessica. "I
would not encourage him by any hope
of my loving him. But I will give a
little push-iust to start him off. will
tell everybody in town"
And she did. That is, she told half a
dozen carefully selected individuals,
and they told all the rest, that Bernard
Leyburn was going up to Maple Bend
to learn the lumber business. 1t was
not until Friday that this report OBJ
tanned general circulation. Thursday
evening, Bernard visited Jessica, but
not a word did he say of either love or
lumber. The next day he was con-
graduated everywhere, and everybody
he met wished him good luck.
CT had half determined not to CO."
he thought, with vexation. "But
Daryl has spread the report about, and
now I'll have to go up and give it a
trial. I shall find it horrible business,
I know"
Bernard had not returned since first
he went up, now nearly year ago, and
he had not written Jessica a letter, or
sent her message. His uncle's family
had told her that he wrote to them in
good spirits, apparently, but that he
said nothing about his business, and
they believed and hoped he was fast
getting cured of his folly, for they un-
derstood that he worked like a common
day-laborer. She sometimes questioned
Mr.. Daryl, but he would merely reply:
"The young man is doing pretty fairly,
which was certainly not very enthusiasts
tic praise. Mr.. Daryl had good reason
for his reticence, for he remembered
how she had spread the report of Ber-
nard's going to Maple Bend through all
Perkinsville, while the matter was still
undecided, and after he, Daryl, had
told her he should tell no one.
"It's strange" thought Jessica that
afternoon for the hundreth time, " that
Bernard never writes to mel I am
afraid he is not doing well. wonder