Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-03-01

parsonage some dayg
Kate looked blank with surprise, then
colored with vexation. Tom White ex-
ecuted, or rather kept himself from exc
cutting, most expressive whistle, and
we walked on.
expected to be taken to do for that
speech in the privacy of opr apartment
at home, but Kate pretended that she
had forgotten it, and was relieved.
There were surprising number of
picnics in Saltwater that summer, and
if it hadn't been for that, l don't know
as Kate and Mr.. Atherton would have
got acquainted at all. She was deter
mined not to like him, and it was only
because of what l said about the gipsey's
prediction of her living at the parsonage,
| verify believe. All the other girls
were remarkably Jealous lin Sunday
school work. and the vestry meetings so
well attended that everybody agreed that
new ministers were highly conducive to
piety. Kate fell from grace, however,
and yawned during the sermon every
Sunday. AS for vestry meetings, mis-
siOnary circles, and all that sort of thing,
she withdrew from them altogether Tom
White had left town, but there were two
students spending their summer vacation
in town who were rivals In making up
for his loss. She did not care to 60
where she would be likely to meet him,
and if he came to our house, she would
adroitly manage the conversation into
some pet drift of mothers, so that she
would be sure to get into a discussion
with the minister whether he would or
no. then slip quietly out of doors, her
self, and perhaps enjoy tete-d-tete with
Will Somers on the piazza. In the
meantime, Mr.. Atherton was making
himself agreeable to the other young la
dies. He liked romantic walks. delight
ed in boating, played on the flute and
was charming generally. The village
had not been 50 lively in summer for
years, holiday air pervaded all the
streets. and white dresses were the order
of the day. Kate's toilet was somewhat
neglected, however, and was very much
afraid Mr. Atherton would not think her
as pretty as Leua Stevens. But my
hopes revived after the Beach Hill pic
mic. Kate was in unusually good spirits
that day. and looked unusually pretty,
thoug h she would wear an ugly gray
linen dress, with only pink bow at the
throat to relieve its plainness. As usual,
she would have nothing to say to Mr..
| Atherton, but l fancied that the rather
puzzled looks he gave her were not un-
mixed with admiration. Some ferns
were needed for the decoration of the ia
bic, and Kate announced that she was
going in search of them. Mr.. Atherton
Immediately offered his assistance, and,
for wonder, she did not refuse it. Tc
be sure, she could not have done so with
out seeming rude, but she was not over
scrupulous And, in some way, they
managed to get lost In the woods, and
did not find themselves again until late
in the afternoon when we were beginning
to think abont returning home "Rath,
er a singular place to get lost in,'' re
marked Lena Stevens, pounding the
ground furiously with her parasol han.
die. lone can see the whole wide world
from the top of the hill, and any one car
tell which is up and which is down, ever
in the midst of the woods"
Will Somers looked as if he appreciat
ed her remarks fully, and would be glaC
[ u duuAuiidNC WI. AlnCIGOu.
There will be a different state o
thing after this" thought, delighted
ly. "there's nothing in the world mor'
likely to bring people together than be
ing lost in the woods in company.
And there soaS different state o
things. When they appeared at last
after serious and prolonged searches hac
been made for them, | fancied that Their
was something like guilt in their cOun
tenances, though they were breathles
over fearful adventures with briers an,
brambles. bottomless pools and deceitfu
paths, which promised to lead then
Alright, but which did lead them no
where. That they had been lost. ther
could be no doubt; it was also eviden
that they had liked being lost, in spit
of everything. Mr.. Atherton came t
our house amazingly often after that
and though Kate wasn't particular
: gracious. she was never unciyil.
, She sang Scotch songs to him, but nc
: with the coquettish air which she en-
! plOyed when she sang for the edi6eatio
? of viii Somers. Sometimes he woul
t bring over a new book and read to Kat
: and me while We were engaged with ou
needles on dreary day. He read wit
y a great deal of feeling-Kate called
:. affectation-and whenever he came
= anything very pathetic. which brougE
the tears into my eyes and made b
J, voice husky with emotion. she woul
d burst into most unsympathetic peals
d laughter, especially if it were anythin