Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-04-04

ue answered, To morrow-it may be-
Shall | ieel the same myself. tomorrow
or will fate"
She laughed uneasiy. "You mustn't
ask me riddles.n she cried.
AT II, tomorrow. them" ho said.
lifting his hat.
AT II, to morrow" And she went
oack TO the house, wishing il were IL to-
morrow, now and then, in a gay freak,
As she heard the clock strike, she ran
down the hall and set the hands forward
an hour. Bring him the quicker" she
whispered -"bring him The quicker, and
went back to the others.
They were talking of flags aud bull.
rushes that grew by Lenders lake, q
sheet OF water in the neighbOring woods /;
and she was eager to hear the details oil
the direction there. for she shared the
popular frenzy raging just then for
oulrushes, and thought of all things she
should like some great bunches of the
brown velvety things in the vases, 10.
morrow.
Il believe. il l rose early" she said.
Il could be there aud back before IL"
why LIP" said Mallory lazily.
"oh' have an engagement at that
hour she replied. bending her head a
little, that he might not see the color
creeping up.
II am at your service" he said.
"Wiil you come along. Nettie," she
asked.
AT i've O'Clock in the morning, and
on loot? Not step. That hour in the
afternoon. behind pair of bays would
suit me very well. Young Vary thought
It would suit him, too.
Very well. Mr. Mallory. II you
will come at to morrow. shall have
my bulrushes and be back in good
season"
Wen not FAIL" said Mallory. "And
10 that end. | assure this company that
Il is the witching hour of nig0t when the
sweetest sound the ear can hear is the
slamming OF the big house door" And
with that they all depal ted.
As s o'clock in the p;orniug came. Miss
Alice. with her shears hanging at her
eide, and her hat tied on. was looking up
and down the road impatienily. She
quite forgot her freak with the old clock
the night before. 1T is a very indeco
rous way to serve me" she cried. Ten
minutes past eight. And l shall not wait
another moment. will have my bnlrush
es. Mallory or no Mallory. Aud if am
q little late don't care; il will seem as
though body were not so very anxious
and | don't kuow-I'm afraid-I'm really
afraid | was gushing. last night, aud l
do so despise a gusher And he may
only want-may only want TO engage
me 10 watch with old Miss Steers, the
night she takes ether for that operation!"
Aud thereat the little body was off tor
Lenders lake. with precious small idea
of the exact whereabouts of that pretty
sheet. live tongue in my head. l
suppose said she.
As Miss Alice continued, her ideas
grew still less. She feared she would
lose her way. and would not be back at
all; she wished she had waited for Nal.
lory. But she plodded on after her best
sense OF locality. tore her gown with
bti-rs. lost her veil, broke her parssol,
came near breaking her ankle, and at II
o'clock by her watch sat down and cried
hot. bitten by flies. tired out. and lost.
When she had finished crying she
looked up. aud there. glislening double
through her tears, lay Lenders lake, blue
as sapphire. in the hollow of the hills.
Her courage came back al once. 1t she
could not keep her appointment. she
could show by the bulrushes that she
had intended TO. She forgot fatigue. and
was of for the edge OF the lake, not so
easily reached. after all. and. with tri-
umphant handful OF the brown velvet
wands and of great blue flags. was pres
emily homeward bound. having found the
highway. aud staying only to ask at the
door OF little hut for cup OF water.
Nobody answered her rap; the door
was opeL-she pushed it wider, and
peeped 10, but started back at the sound
of groan, and 3 quick, sharp sob. a
perfect storm OF sobs. A moment Miss
Alice hesitated; but she was no coward
where pain was concerned; she took
heart OF grace and walked in, and found
the urown old berry woman with her
little boy. her grandchild. bleeding to
death in her arms. "Oh. she exclaimed,
Il new knew you lived here. What is
the mater? How did he do il ?"
With the aIl with the AZ just noW"
cried the woman. ''And | can't stop it,
and I'm all alone, and can't ,top it, and
can't le,.ve him, and he'll die-oh, he'll
die!"
"Oh, no. MOI" said Alice. What have
you done? Only cold water? Lay him
down. Get q lowell" for she remember.
ed still her school lessons in physiology.
And before the woman knew what had
happened. Alice had rugged tourniquet
with the handle of hair brush. and was
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