Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-03-10

60 up TO the house and think over what
course 10 take"
And Peter Raymond crept away from the
barn as though he were sneak thief, and
then hurried home as fast as he could, not
once thinking Of his bride. lie had hardly
got seated Ia his usual place in the big arm
chair before Philip came in. Philip ex-
pected his father would say, gruhly at is
high time you wore in bed" And so he
was taken by surprise when his father said
gently:
"Wont you hand me the almanac before
you sit down, Philip"
Philips mother raised her eyes from her
sewing and glanced at her husband as though
she wondered what had called forth such
unusual gentleness. Raymond opened the
almanac at September, and after glancing
down the page, he turned 10 his wife and
asked, as to-day the third or fourth Tues
day Of the month";"
"Ihe fourth" she replied. "To-monow
is the last day Of the month";
Are you quite sure about IL ?" he queried
II you are correct, | am a week behind
hand in my reckoning. I've.had so many
things crowding upon me lately, I've hardly
known which way 10 turn first. promised
Mr.. Skidmore that / would take that two
year-old heifer away that | bought Of him
before the first Of October. She must be got
home tomorrow"
Philip got up to go to bed. Raymond
said;
"Dont hurry, Philip; I'm thinking how
10 get that heifer home. | believe | will
take you down there early in the morning,
and leave you to drive her up. II is nine
miles there, but you can come back leisurely,
and feed along side the road. You'd like Il
as well as to stay at home aud work, wouldn't
you, Philip"
A" Yes, sir"
Philip replied in an absent-minded way.
lie was in quandary. Perhaps he had bet
ter stay at home a little longer and sec if
things didn't seem more agreeable to him.
Maybe he had judged his father a little too
harshly. Clinton Dexter could come TO the
barn at midnight to meet him, and
Philip was arrested in his cogitations by
his father saying;
81 have so many cares, so many things TO
think Of, that | can hardly keep track Of my
children's ages | believe, Philip, your
birthday comes the thirtieth Of September,
doesn't it?'
AYES sir"
"And so you will be fifteen years old to-
morrow. Well, well, it does beat all how
time flies. Fifteen years II doesn't seem
more than half that time since you were q
baby. Let me see. believe | promised
TO let you 60 TO Hartford this fall, didn't ?
We shall be half way there when we get 10
Skidmore's, and seeing tomorrow is your
birthday, perhaps we had better keep on.
don't know as we have any better time to
leave. We can take an early start-have
breakfast at half-past five, and get off by
six, and by nine, IL we have good luck, we
shall be there. We can stay there till three
o'clock in the afternoon, and you wouldn't
be late home. 1t will be light tomorrow
evening-there is a good moon, now. Well,
you may as well go TO bed and get all the
sleep You can. shall call you at -four
o'clock"
Philip started the second time to 90, but
just as he got his hand on the latch hi.
father said
"Wait minute, Philip. If you had som,
one to keep you company from Skidmore''
and help you to drive the heifer, | wouldni
mind staying till nearly night before we left
the city. Perhaps Clinton Dexter would b,
willing 10 walk up from there with you and
help drive her, If he could go with us tC
| Hartford, and spend the day. II you thinl
that he would, and you would like to hav,
him 90, you may run over TO Mr.. Dexter
and tell him that il it is convenient for hin
20 spare Clinton would like to have him e
TO Hartford with us, tomorrow, and wall
home from Skidmore's with you in the even
ing. And be sure and tell Clinton, il hi
father consents to his going, that we will cal
for him as early as six o'clock"
| y t,,lr L.,
hat and went into the hall but before h
got to the outside door, his father called ou
"One thing more, Philip. left my bridl
hanging on a bar post down by the shee
barn, this afternoon. II you'll come bac
across the lots and bring it up it'll save g
ing for it in the morning. intended TO &C
it myself when ! came home from Mr. De,
ters, but it slipped my mind"
Lucky thing it did" Philip said to hin
self as he stepped out of the door. "lf h
had come around that way home and hear
Clint and talking in that barn guess h
wouldn't be in quite so gentle mood to
night. He would have given me Hal
Columbia right and left and Clint woul
have Jared worse than |, for when his father
back is up he's as savage as tiger Strang
what has come over father tonight | NJ
'iouu ',i"e H'o'"ei "'S ss' - ~ ~ Sc -
50 niicn 'hore Social anu gentle '"'''' oo'
"'on"
On his way over to MIR. DeXters, fhili
had as great variety OF feelings and
great conflict with them as his father ha
while standing behind the barn door bu
before he got there the summing upwas Una
he was an ungrateiul scamp, and that HI
father was all right only he had so man
Al A
cares and anxieties that It sometimes mad
hun little stern and grabbed:
Mr.. Dexter was always ready to oblige hi
neighbor Raymond, and he eheerfully gay
his consent to Chnton's gong. Chnto
didn't know what to make OF TINS sndde
turn OF affairs. As he went with fhihp
the door, he whispered
;, What's up Phi what has happened
Has your iather iound Out anything
No' lhlng1ho' 'iing' innP nu
r'euiy wn'spe,,u o".h' iou "1' sul
pose Tint ue os Sss'"E us " r;aht a''' h'
.o,i',aiIoM, :..i II Nv nau a'' ,sn. ~
,,s ,s ,hs sVr"ngeS' .iiins 'n"' ever nalie"eu
ten you al aoou, ~ "-i'oi'o"
stay io,s e'ous. now
Mr.. Raymond took up newspaper al
bowed his head over 1t as soon as his SC
started for Mr. Dexter's but II his wife hl
observed him closely, she would have sec
that he did very little reading, and that the
I II. .I.aaN l. ..a.nuua -