St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-03-03

boy through harvesting.
"The Reid house stood little this
side of Stony Creek There is nothing
left of 1t now except the chimney, and
1t looks out gray and bold from the
grasses all about it: but forty wears
ago 1t was Il fine old place. with lilacs
III front, and the hop vines running all
the back.
''Luct WAS hardly three weeks old
when she lost her mother. Her father
never married again, and the child grew
up there in the old home as fair and
sweet aS the flowers about it.
''She WAS turning into fifteen when
Justin came that summer. He was il
shy, strange sort of IL lad. and the neigh
bors said Farmer Reid would never get
the salt for his porIidge out of him.
"He'd been bound out until he was
IL to some man down in Maine. and he
hadn't Il relation in the world he knew
of, nor Il decent suit of clothes, when he
came to Farmer Reid's house. But for
all that. Justin proved Il smart, likely
boy, and the farmer, who somehow was
never very beforehanded i always
thought his wife's sudden death hurt
him found that Justin Was IL real prize.
AT first he was gloomy and silent.
doing his work and taking little notice
of anybody. But he couldn't stand it
long before Lucy. | wouldn't like tn
have the heart that that girls smile
wouldn't have thawed out.
''She was uSt like IL bird around the
old place, singing from morn till night
and her blue ewes, that were like hel
Il L..
laugh and her lips another. | neve,
wondered her father dotted on her as he
did. and of course Justin wasn't long in
the house before she tiled to make
friends with him.
''leor fellow it must have seemed
very strange to him at first. for don't
believe anybody had given him kind
word until he came to Meadow Brook
But he made ladders for her flower
vines Ia run ON. and got shells for tn,
borders. and propped up the dahliaS
and did Il thousand other things which
took them out into the garden aftel
supper, and made them the hest %
friends.
'Lucy had Il playful. childish way
about her. that made her seem mucl
younger than she was 4: then she wa:
small of her age. 50 that 1T fifteen slI,
did not seem Il hit older than YOU are
Cora.
"Well, she rode on top of Justin's ha,
cart. and helped him husk corn in tn,
barn. and pretty soon the farmer motto
ed change i'll Justin.
"Hc got him Il new suit of clothes
and his face lost its down look. and al.
ter harvesting Farmer Reid made hin
an offer to tarry all winter.
$50 Justin stayed. taking Lucy'S ad
vice. and went to the district school
and. though he had no education he
fore. he Went ahead of many an olde
scholar that winter.
$50 Justin stayed with the farm-
four wears; then he had Il good oifc
somewhere in New York State. an,
concluded to stop for the winter only.
''Lncy Reid had grown into Il youn:
woman by this time. and ii handsome
one. children. these dim ewes nevc
looked upon. don't know how it hap
pened for Lucy might have had he
pick among the boys for miles around
hut somehow she took to Justin: an,
when he left they were engaged To h
.
"Why. Grandma Dranc, you ain
/ going to stop now :" cried Cora in alarm
tor the old lady had laid down heI knit
| ting.
NO. my child" she said. moving he
| spcctaclrS and wiping her eyes "bu
| the lest is Il sad story, and must hun
over it.
Il don't exactly know how it happen
ed. but that winter LurN'S father 20
int" Il terrible law suit with SquiI
Wheeler. There was some flaw in tn
title, and the people said it was plai
the old man should let the homcstca
90.
..Thry said. too. he'd never surviN
it, and better perhaps he never ha,
than kept il as he did; but one da
Squire Wheeler. to all the ncighhol
hoods aStouiShmcnt. rode over to iii
r farm.
"What he did there. waS never c>
actly known, but in Il little while il ";
rumored that the suit was withdrawn
and next spring Lucy Reid WAS to !
married to his son. StilIman Whcclc
And 81 it was. One bright March da
she went T." the old church Nonder an
: gave herself to him.
"IIe was Il good looking man, hl
never over smart, the ncIghbors viii
. prred and | always thought that
: was his fathers money more than an.
thing else that kept him up"
! But Justin. Grandma Deanc win
, became of him p
/. There is Il dark look about the VIII"
1 matter. Lucy waS made the victim
I some terrible filSehood. never hlaI
4 ed her father. for the losing of Il
homestead seemed completely To sh;l
: ter him.
= Il only know that Squire Wheel
= and his son were at the bottom of it, III
e that Lucy Reid went to the altar h
T lieving that Justin had been false
e her"
# Dear me. how dreadful did he e'
e come back :"
= "Yes, the next May. Lucy had be
d II wife two months. Justin had II
V heard of her marriage. She was at hon
visiting her father. When she first $;
f him she fell down like one stricken wi
Ii Il fit. But he carried her into the hou
= and there learned all. Both had be
deceived.
e 1T was terrible scene the old fro
e room witnessed. Justin swOre veng
!. lnce. and it was not till. with clasp
:. hands and streaming eyes, the you
wife kmelt to the only man she e>
| loved. and pleaded for the life of l
husband, that he promised for her sa
," to spare his life.
l. but from the day of Justin's Wis
d Lucy was changed woman. All
light and gladncss of her being seem
II dead III her. She moved about
p. house pale and quiet, with Il look of |
f. tient suffering in her once sunny ey
:" that made my heart ache to behold
: "And her husband-did she ever