The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-09-07
otT ~ THK RAIN

spriuklel rain shower! rlghi down
on Mile Warmers tasteful little bat and
graceful shoulders, unprotected save b. =
thin shawl, notwiihaanding lbe beseseb.
ing glaaoe Of the prettIest pair Of bsaci
eyes that ever looked mp to cloud 10
that way.
When Mile came 10 = large, white
farm house, she very gladly, and rather
hssiily for jast then there was heavy
peal Of thunder-opcued the gate, and
entered without ceremony. There was
no one there, bat she heard childish
voice Ia The next room, aud again knock
ed A dark-eyed girl Of ten or eleven
years opened The door. Millie explained
why she was there, With the ease and
good mauners Of one much older, the
child bade her welcome.
| was just beginning to get dinner;
that was the reason didn't bear you
knock. IL will be ready by the time Ben
comes; bat that will not be COR sn hour.
can't get a very good dinner; but Ben
says DO nicely. like to have every
thing ready for him when he comes IN
Tired aud hungry. can't make biscuit,
II wish could-ior Ben likes them ever
go much; but Martha, who comes In to
make bread for us,says she will teach me,
Nj lille said
Now have got nicely warmed and
dry, 80 will help you get dinner II
you like | will make some biscuit, aud
We will have dinner ready 10 very short
time.
Iletty was delighted Ben would be
so glad Might she look on and learn
bowf
Milie was young and frank, aud gay
aud she and The children soon became
very well acquainted over The biscuit
The dinner seemed very meagre to lit
lie Hetly. The poor child said, apologet-
icaly--
When father and mother were alive,
we used 10 have good many things Tor
dinner, aud Martha, our hired girl, used
to get them all but when they died, and
Squire Johns said he bought mortgage
on our farm, aud that we had got to pay
every cent the day it was due, or lose
everything, we had to do without good
many things; and we are very poor now,
aud Ben is afraid we cant have enough
to pay II, aud they all say we may look
for 10 mercy from Squire Johns, for he
is very bard to the poor, aud be has al
ways wanted our farm, because Il joins
some of his own land where be wants TO
build.
Millie had listened to this with curl
Gus mixture Of feeling, for Squire Johns
was q declared lover OF hers; and though
she had not yet accepted him, she had
been pleased with his attentions, and had
certainly given him encouragemeni.-
Moreover, he was to receive her final
answer in three days from that time, and
she was not sure the answer reserved and
laid away for that time was no. She
certainly liked Squire Johns as well, il
not better, than any one, and his love
must certainly be disinterested, for he
could not know that Miliie Warner was
an heiress In a small way. She was sole
iuheritor OF small, unincumbercd farm
from her father, ,and five hundred in bank
stock. But the farm was Two hundred
miles south Of this town, where she was
visiting cousin, and nobody knew OF IL;
aud during her visit she had helped her
cousin in her work, as she had always
helped her mother when Sue was at home
capable, industrious little girl that she
was.
She could judge better about the truth
of the story when she had seen Ben
Who was Ben? Two or three inquiries
had amounted to nothing. The children
spoke ust as If everybody must know
who Ben was. Was be an uncle, cousin,
hired man or what?
Young Ben HAZEL, out IN The held,
pitched up the last hay on the load,
leaned nis pitchiork against tree, aud
took of his straw hat TO. cool bis moist
forehead.
The hay is all gone IN, be said, with
long breath of relief. could not afford
to lose one load nov; don't know that
| can do it, but IL can sell part OF the
land, may. 1t will be hard though,
The young man followed The cart into
the barn. The storm was at It's height
when be went towards the house from
the back way. He stopped in surprise,
as he cav through the window some one
was standing at the table, with arms bare
to the elbow, mixing fiur. IL must be
Manha. No; those fair white arms are
not Marths's, neither hers the slender,
graceful figure.
by and by there was a spauering Of
water heard in the next room by Hetty.
Ben has come, running hastily forward
and opening the door, she said prettily,
My brother Ben. Then to him: This
lady got caught in the shower, Ben, and
IA efayfflg uutii II clears uD She has