Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-05-27

should always be hankering for famil
and money. One must give up som'
thing; IL may ~ we'll DO love - any
thing. Oh, II my father had only bee
q stonecutter, too I"
Grandma Peverill met Mr.. Helper i
the street later. ~ hope you don
mean to desert u.s." said she, "becaus
that foolish chit OF an Agnes doesn
know when her bread is well buttered
Remember it's a woman's privilege I
change her mind. II you neglect us,
You shut your life from happier chance
as the poet says. Nobody knows wha
may happen.
"But 1 hear that Miss Peverill ha
encouraged Mr.. Bond," said Harold
helplessly.
"And you're going to stand aloof an
let that little Miles Bond walk owe
youi Now let me tell you that I mea
to make you and Miles executors of m
will; so I'd like to keep on friendl
terms with you-dont you see9
"Thank you; but aren't We friends
near or apartf"
"'Tis said that absence conquer
love-" she laughed; "and haven't 20,
heard of the virtue that resides in pro
pinquityf If Agnes sees Miles ever,
day, and you once in six weeks, whicl
do you think she will be most likely Il
love best 2"
"It is not likely that she will eve
love me, whatever happens.
"Who said she would never love you
Aren't you worth forty Miles Bonds9"
"Oertainly not in Miss Peverill's re
gard"
Prithee, what do you know of he
regard, Sir Faintheart ?"
every little, to be sure"
He either fears his fate too much,
Or his deserts are small,
That dares not put it to the touch,
To gain or lose it ALL"
"Haven't put my fate to the touch
Mrs. Peverill, and haven't found thai
my deserts are miserably small"
"Dear me I see that you dom,
know that women blow twenty ways Of
a morning. Who knows but she is cry.
ing her pretty eyes out this minute, and
wishing with all her silly heart that she
had it to do over again2"
"Miles knows" laughed Harold.
"Come and see who knows best. An
old woman's advice isn't to be sneezed
at. refused my first lover myself, be-
cause thought he'd come back and
tease me into it, but he never did.
Served me right, too"
And Harold did as he was told. He
made himself intimate at the Peverills'
as of old. He was there in season and
out of season. He bore with the
caprices of Agnes aud the condescen.
sions of his rival. BE was often left to
the tender mercies of Grandma Peverfll
while Agnes and Miles made the garden
or the river echo with their songs. He
came and went like a shadow. When
Agnes chose to listen, he let loose his en-.
thusiasm; when she gave him the cold
shoulder, he accepted it without muir
mur-as if one should be grateful for
any gift of hers-and fell back upon the
old lady's unfailing kindness. One day,
however, even Grandma Peverill failed
him. She walked suddenly from a
doze, and asked is it really love9"
glancing after the two, pelting each
other with roses in the garden.
"It looks like it," gasped Harold.
"Time will prove-time, that unlocks
all secrets and discloses all impostures.
Miles is OF the earth, earthly. He
loves fine society and grandfathers
and coats-o arms. It is crime in his
eyes to be born without silver spoon
in ones mouth"
Then she fell into doze again. The
shadows draped themselves about her !;
n star came out and leaned to look into
the window; late bird tilted on
spray near by, and made sudden gush
of music through the place the murmur
of laughing voices came family toward
them on the breeze. But Harold listen
ed alone, for Grandma Peverill was al
ready far away.
A few weeks later Miles Bond and
Mr.. Helper were engaged looking over
the private papers of the lat, Mrs.
Peverill, as her executors That modest
portion of her fortune which her sons
speculations had left intact she had be-
queathed to. Agnes. Presently Miles
raised his eyes from the paper he had
been inspecting. "a rascally piece of
business, "he groaned, between his teeth.
Should he quietly light his cigar with
the paper, bury its contents in oblivion,
and marry Agnes, and go on his way
rejoicing No perish the thoughts A
Bond, of the BoLds of Bondholder, who
could trace their lineage to the Con-
queror9 A thousand times mol He
made desperate resolve, and passed
the sheet to Harold, It was merely
letter from the late Mrs. Peverill, set
ting forth certain family matter, which
she had deemed it wise that they should
know, not as executors, but as lovers.
"Of course this will not affect your
said Herold, filing the paper
away, quite at his ease.
"It might not" sneered Miles, "if
I were not Bond, with family credit
to sustain"
"And yet" said the other, "Shakes-
peare tells us that
"'Love is not love, which alters
When it alteration Ands.'"
shakespeare be hanged |" quoth the
quondam lover.
The following week, when Mr.. Helper
dropped in to pay his respects to Agnes,
he found her watering her beds of mig
nonette and pansies.
"Oh," she said, presently, and half
shyly, "the oldest thing has happened
must tell somebody How dear grand
would laugh if she were here,
and say it served me right. I received
. note yesterday (you could hardly call
It billet dour, though it was from
Miles), and what do Won think2 He
ssys in lit There + turn your e. eyes away.
begs me to release him from an engage
ment which, upon close examination of
his heart-under the microscope, sup
pose-he finds himself unable to fulfill | |
Now you must know that there never
was an engagement at all between us
he just teased my soul out of me to
marry him, and I promised. Only 10
Ib;pG of IL povoril1 q douooDdsne ~