Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-04-26

DorS wondered ana specuIateu, as 10 TINS
One-sided friendship. as they called it,
and still more who he could be going to
marry, for he had newly shingled the
house. painted it a neat white and dis
carded from the windows the old rags
with which Mrs. Arnold had hitherto
cheated stern winter, and substituted an
unbrOken array of glass. The fence was
mended and the gate left off its tipsy
man@uvres to swing soberly on its hinges
A neat row of vegetables behind the
house eyinced more cultivation than Mrs.
Arnold could have bestowed. Certainly
a radical change had taken place in
James Henry. No wonder the people
speculated as to its cause.
Kate noticed all these signs and that
James Heury had ceased quarreling with
the modes and lenses and evinced ac-
quaintance with Webster strangest of
all, he began to respect himself. She
was sorry more than she liked to admit
when he called to bid her goodbye
He was going away. but where or for
what purpose he did not say, and Kate
would not inquire. There was new
manlIness in his appearance that pre-
cluded a patronizing manner, and that
was the form in which she had hitherto
thought it proper to manifest her inter-
est. She shook hands with him at part
ing and said, kindly, Il hope you will
be prospered, James, without in the
least knowing where her wish was to be
eentered.
Thank you, Kate, he replied. 'For-
tune helps those who help themselves,
and l mean to aid the old fellow all ]
can"
He went away and Kate more than
once caught herself thinking he was very
much improved and rather good looking.
James Arnold was going to college,
but no one knew of it save his mother
and Mr.. Grey, who had used his inter-
est to get him the place of janitor where
he could earn his tuition. James en-
ergy, aided by what little money Mrs.
Arnold could spare, went some way TO-
ward getting board and books. With
such prospects he left home. From the
smallest beginning he had in three
years been fitted for college, and Mr..
Grey felt proud of his pupil, and not
without reason.
Time went on. Mrs. Arnold remain
ed at the little cottage, the neighbors
plodded on In the same old way, to mill,
to meadow, to meals and meeting. while
Kate grew handsome and stately in her
fathers house. Lovers she had and
plenty, but all Jared the same, even
George Clifford, who was worthy, hand
some and talented. Her temper had be-
come less sharp and her words less
thoughtless, but otherwise she was the
same bright, sparkling Kate of old.
One day rumor started up some
where that James Henry Arnold had
gone to Europe with great invention
OF his, worth thousands of dollars. Next
the particulars were circulated. Kate
heard them from old Martin Foss, the
gossip. He was working for her father
and came into the kitchen ostensibly to
warm, but in reality to tell Kate the
news, which he had worked over to his
own satisfaction.
''They do say" he began, rubbing his
hands over the warm stove, james Hen
ry Arnold is agoin' to make a powerful
rich man, and he deserves to be 'cordin'
to all counts. He's just lived in a gar
ret on bread and water, not much of
that they say, workin' on that ere ma
chine of his'n. Wall he got it done an
fetched it to some men to look at it, but
what does they do but jest won't look at
it at all. Must have been dreadful
disappointment to James Henry But
he wasn't discouraged. bless you, no;
he'd got too much grit. He took it to
some other parties-some more parties,
he did. 'Twant no use. '1won't take
you more'n minute to look at it. says
James.
''Tain't nOthin', says they, and We
hain't no time to bother"
Why did be not send it directly to
the patent Office ?" inquired Kate, who
was much amused with his story.
why didn't he? He knew what be
was about, James Henry did But where
was | +? Oh. recoliect. 'Tain't moth
in, sez they. we hain't no time to
bother with it.
James Henry was mad. but be didn't
say DOthin' only turns around as perlite
as you please. and ser
Good day, gentlemen sirs,' and walks
off.
He made up his mind 70 go to Eng
land and see Victory. You see he'd
heard what nice woman she was, 30 be
jest packed up and took the train for
England When be got there as it hap
pened. Victory was awalkin' in the gar
den. Now you know women is dreadful
Gurus. So she sees the machine under
his arm and asked him what it was.
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