Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-04-29

} good.morning he went out. very hotand
angry inwardly, and more than ever do
tcrmined to find the mystery ont.
Maggie clasped her hands with looh
OF utter despair
"How cruel he isl wouldn't have
} thought it of him. Oh, that wicked lie,
and stupid lie, too; for how could
think to pass for her niecei And I'm
sure she hasn't told her brother. It's
but two weeks since I came here. Oh
dear. oh dear !! what shall dot"
"Tom, how late you are Make haste
and dress yourself. Dinner will be
you know"
"What company have you !" asked
Tom, pausing. He looked pale and
much disturbed, but his aunt scarcely
noticed this In her haste. ''-sn
"Oh, only the Shaws, and friend Of
theirs from Boston, Mrs. Peters. Run
up and dress yourself. will delay din.
ner few moments" Then, in whis-
per: "Maggie has done so. beautifully
all day, do hope she's all right.
And"-
"Humph I" muttered Tom, under his
breath, as he turned away. Halfway
up stairs he met Maggie, who had
escaped from her work few moments
to change her dress. She was very pale.
It was easy to see she had been crying O
good deal, but somehow she had never
looked prettier, Tom thought. Her
dress of blue and white striped calico
was becoming to her fair complexion.
She wore jaunty white apron, and
bright blue ribbons at her throat and
round her pretty head. She started
with half frightened exclamation as
she met Tom I; but he only gave her a
cool little nod, and passed on. The
poor child felt her heart swell almost to
breaking. Tom had always been SO
kind, so civil, to her. She had grown
to like him SO much and now this
young fellow, but six years her senior,
seemed turned into her inexorable
Judge. She hurried on as fast as she
could, pausing moment on the kitchen
stairs to wipe away her binding tears.
AS for Tom, he dressed himself in
half savage mood, feeling the stern
satisfaction common to us poor mortals
when intent on "doing our duty" by
some unfortunate fellow creature who
has offended us. How much boyish
vanity and self-importance was mixed
up with this feeling is difficult to tell.
We only know that Tom kept repeating
to himself, in an excited manner, that
"she Maggie, presumably should
"henr of it before the day was out.
He would say nothing to his aunt-at
least MS yet-but that little jade should
know her wickedness was discovered,
and confess everything to him, Tom
Fox, or he'd know the reason why.
The dinner bell rung in the midst of
these meditations. Hastily concluding
his toilette he went down stairs. Ere
he reached the foot, he heard somebody
rushing along the hall in frantic haste.
1t was Maggie. She shrunk back, terri
fed, as she encountered Tom at the foot
of the stairs.
WHATS up now9" asked the young
man, rather sternly.
Il was taken lila little faint"
gasped Maggie; and indeed she was
deathly pale, and looked frightened out
of her wits. "Please let me pass, sir,
she went on. "Jane has told Mrs.
Young she will wait on the table, and -
Here the tears begun to flow; she wiped
them away, and made motion to pass
him.
"No; come into the parlor with me"
said Tom, decidedly. II want to speak
to you."
"And 1 want to be let Alone" said
Maggie, firing up, as she marked his de-
termined look. -" Let me pass, sir"
l,,,,o ~ co;J To,,, 4o1y;pc how
arm in his strong grasp, either you
come into the parlor with me, or take
you down stairs and say what I've got to
say before my aunt. Take your choice
now."
Poor Maggie hesitated a moment, then
made motion toward the psrlor door.
He understood her, and led her in.
"Dinner is all ready, sir" she muir
INJURED, family, as he released her arm.
"Dinner be hanged I" said Tom, ve-
hemently. "Now, Miss Milly Wester.
Manu." in tone of stern decision,
"tell me who and what you are."
Milly gave a frightened little gasp,
and was silent.
Give been to Westbrook, Tom went
on, mercilessly. 81 saw that worthy
old man you called your uncle-I saw his
niece, Miss Maggie Reilly. Now 1 want
to know who yo1 are, and why you've
been imposing on us all. Then, in a
solemn voice, and with very little idea
of what he was talking about: "Do
you know what you've done2 Do you
know the penalty of taking another per
sons name that way!"
Milly was young--Only seventeen. 1t
s.A1 I,
might not be SO hard as he seemed. Dim
visions of chains and dungeon cells rose
before her. She stretched ont her hands
to him with little imploring cry.
"Oh, forgive me I didn't know I"
she sobbed out, and burst into an agony
of tears.
"Darn it all |" thought Tom, "I
might have foreseen she'd turn on the
water-works. Aloud he said, in con-
siderably softcned voice "There.
there stop crying, Maggie-Milly,
mean. won't be hard on you; only"
"a shade of sternness in his voice again
-"you must tell me everything. III
stand your friend with my aunt, if you'll
only be honest and own up"
81 WILL" sid Milly, trying not to
cry. IL wanted to tell Mrs. Young
many a time, but my courage always
failed me. Mr.. Tom, that woman down
stairs is my aunt
" What ?"
"That woman-Mrs. Peters" Some.
what composed by this time, Milly took
breath, and with a simplicity that
touched Tom and impressed him with
her truth, told her pathetic little story
from beginning to end.
"You have done very wrong, Milly,
no doubt" said he. gravely, when she
had finished; " but there's great excuses
for you, after all. And if that old hag
hadn't put it into your head
"Oh, don't !" cried Milly, piteously.
" She isn't an old hag. Shc pitied me,
a poor girl all alone in this great city.
I was most to blame; knew better.
And I'll never forget her kindness as
long as ive."
Your pretty good little soul, I
think" said Tom, "after all that's come
and gone. Dry your eyes, now-that's
a.