Middletown transcript., 1874-09-19

MUM to take you would not feel /
easy
i !" Wouldn't I, though =
/ DO you send your butter to Il
town-hall Nell. u your butter boz
lust as If it was going to market?
/ Exactly, said Nell, sorting ht
rags this bit of orange wouldn't 6
in badly there 2-yes, with my name o
a card in the box
Would you MUD lending me you
stamp-the sheaf Of wheat after yo
have done using it !?
| :. Not the least in the world.
81 broke mine last churning. @
q I'll send it over and tina. wa
how it happened that Nell stamped he
own butter with a strawberry instead Q
sheaf Of wheat.
So far Amanda had been as honest a
the sun. !" Mother hadn't so mucl
as touched the churn- -dasher, and it wa
not till the evening before the fair-da,
that the father Of lies, or original sin
made suggestion to her naturally Nc
in accordance with :. honor bright.
The butter, cheese. vegetables, fruit,
and fancy work were all displayed ii
the town-hall. ready for the morrow
judgment. Nell's and Amanda's among
the rest and it had unfortunately fall
en- to Mr.. Wheating's part-he being
one Of the judges on fruits and vegeta
bles. and the nearest neighbor-to locl
up the hall and take the key home. in
order to make sure that the products ol
the county were not molested. Aman-
.da saw him come in and hang the key
behind the keeping-room door.
I" What's that. father! she asked.
q It's the key to the town hall. that's
ALL
And then her evil genius said his
say" and she wrestIed with him till all
the house was asleep, and was worstcd
She threw a shawl over her shoulders
just as the clock struck eleven, and took
down the key stealtnily, looking over
her shoulder the while. :. [ must have
the piano. at all Odds" her thoughts
ran, . and as for the premium, 4 HI II
make it up to Nell some day" The
moonlight was so bright she had no.
need Of a lantern. She hurried across
he fields into the highway, brushing
he dew as she went straight to the
own. hall and let herself in. The moon,
playing fantastic pranks among the
trange assemblagu there. startled her
It FIRST. A mammoth cabbage seemed
o be shaking its head at her; the eyes
u the potatoes winked at her knowing
y; the air was rank with the odor Of
ruit.. She knew exactly where her
,utter box had been placed. and Nelrs
90; she remembered that the boxes
1ere counterparts of each other, both
mall and unpainted. All she did in
be world was to put her own box in
be place Of Nelps, and exchange cards
nth her. Then she slipped out again,
nd the great door groaned on its
inges, and the groan echoed through |
be silent hall; and before she was
lirly out of its shadow, somebody pass
4 by on tho other side. whistling, |
The rose that al are praising." She
rev the shawl over her head !; for it
as Tom Briefly. who psused and look
after her retreatiDg figure. Where
ad Tenn been at this hour At Nelrs,
erhaps. looking at the piano. She
I'd seen it arrive that night with her
Rn eyes. and had not pluoked up heart
lough to go in and praise it. 1t
emed too bad that Nell should have
le piano and the premium both for
le foolish girl hadn't doubt but
ellis butter would be the best !; it had
ken the premium once, and people
eren't apt to retrograde in the matter
making butter. But then, if Tom
Iould find her out, how he would de-
Use her! at that thought, though she
as hurrying away from her misdeed,
g would gladly have returned again.
It for fear Of meeting Tom and being
'tected.
The next day the roads were gay.
ID alive with folks Aocking in from
9 neighboring towns. dressed in their
lnday best. There was a blowing
atch worth seeing. at which Tom Bri-
y himself took prize; and, to
own all, there was the grand dinner
the big tent, to which every body
liked by twos to the music Of the fife
d drum flom West Briefly, and all
. nobodies stood aside and stared, and
nsoled themselves with sarcastic re-
'rks on the toilettes in the procession.
then went and peeped through the :
inks Of the tent till their mouths Z
tered. :
Tom Brierly came in little late to 2
J dinner, flushed and handsome from !
blowing. and Amanda's heart gave .
reat thump when he dropped into a
'ant seat beside Nell. while she sat 9
al n - "A