Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-01-12
Cinderella

heF real name was IuclDQd. QouOt
if Jane Gay had ever read the story of
the Little Glass Slipper but if she had
she never would have thought of giving
to her one baby such heathenish. out
of-the-way appellation as Cinderella.
The child was named for her grandma
ther a good. old-fashioued substantial
name that had been in the Gay family
for generations. Not that any one cali
ed her by it, unless. once in while, in
some sudden stress of anger or offended
dignity Sometimes it was Cinda. but
generally Cindy-and this last name
the girl liked best of ali. She learned
to like another still better after a time
but thereby hangs tale,
You remember the gold-fever, the sud-
den wild enthusiasm that swept over the
whole land like a tornado in 1913, and
bore so many adventurous young men to
the Pacific coast ? Well, Philip Gay
was one of the first to 90. and one of the
first to die. He never came back. His
wife led a half-and-h half sort of existence
that was not life. for year or two and
then followed him to the unknown land
that is at once so much nearer and so
much farther than California. Very far,
very remote it seemed to little Cindy.
But she was not left utterly desolate
Aunt Tilly lived in Millthorpe and af-
| ter the funeral she took the child home
with her. After the cottage and the bit
/ of land were sold. and the debts were
| paid, it was found that there was a tri-
fe left-enough, if well invested. to
clothe the girl and to send her to school
for year or two. She was not quite
penniless.
And there in Millthorpe we find her,
on the eve of her eighteenth birthday.
1t has been long, hot July day but
now the sun has gone down in blaze
of glory, and a soft purple haze lies low
in the valleys. The house, which stands
we'll back from the village street, /:
thrown open that the grateful cool of tht
evening may steal in at window anC
doorway Mrs Munro stands in tht
wide entrance hall, with a troubled face
and an open letter in her hand. He
daughter, Elizabeth, tall, 5ark-hairet
girl of twenty, bends toward the ives
window, reading by the fast-wanine
light. Laura, the younger, lies languid
ly on the sofa, tanning herself.
Cindy has just finished putting ava.
the tea-things. She has polished th'
last teaspoon. made the glasses clea
and bright brushed the crumbs off tn
pantry shelf, and '.set sponge" for te
: morrow's baking. For her, too, the hou
5 Of rest has come, and she has droppe
: down on the back door step, for a littl
i coolness and quiet Not that she IS S
very tired for she has perfect healt
= ! and is generally the blithest little cree
ture under the sur. Yet, tonight, sh
looks a trife worn and weary.
Just then Mrs. Munro came ont wit
the open letter in her hand.
Il don't know what to do. Cindy,
: she said Il hate to refuse, and it's sue
a fuss to have him come :"
E "Have who come, Aunt Tilly Q"
{ '.Oh. forgot You don't know. VII,
d have just got letter from that Mi
= Alden. who boarded here one sumne
4 She wants me to take her brother for
ii few months. He's a painter. or som
Z. thing"
n Cindy's face sparkled all over He
eT a% more than that she said. Miss Aid
sd told me about him He's real artist.
ID whats the difference ." asked Au
TiIly. I'D be willing to have him cor
just to oblige his sister. but it Will ma
so much more and
Never mind that. Aunt Tilly,''
terrupted Cindy. Il don't mind t
work. if you think best to have h
come"
Brave little Cindy She never
. mind the work :" and the result W
she had it all to do. Those who arc VI
ing to be burden-beareTs for othe
D have no difficulty in finding the burde
" Not one Of that family meant to be
X Just OF ungenerous. But Elizabeth
n Literary" IN very small way. She '
u fond Of her books. fond Of study.
wrote verses for the county paper.
,sa it was vaguely hinted that she was
ust gagged on something that would sor