Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-02-12

cat eleven tomorrow, then" he said,
lifting his hat.
/ sc At eleven tomorrow" And she
went back to the house, wishing it were
eleven tomorrow now; and then, in q
gay freak, as she heard the hall 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 are talking of the flags and bull
rushes that grew by Lenders lake, a
sheet of water in the neighboring woods;
and she was eager to hear the details of
the direction there, for she shared the
popular frenzy raging just then for bul
rushes, and thought of all things she
should like some great punches of the
soft brown velvety things in the vases
tomorrow.
"I believe if rose early" she said,
"I could be there and back before
eleven" ."
"Why elevens" said Mallory, lazily.
ooh, 1 have an engagement at that
hour" she replied, bending her head a
little, that he might not see the color
creeping up.
81 am at your SERVICE" he said.
"Will you come along, Netty9" she
asked.
cat five o'clock in the morning, and
on foot9 Not step. That hour in the
afternoon, behind pair of bays, would
suit me very WELL" Young Vary
thought it would suit him too.
every we'll, Mr.. Mallory. If you will
come at eight tomorrow, I shall have
my bulrushes and be back in good sea-
son."
"Tll not fall" said Mallory. "And
to that end, 1 assure this company that
it is the witching hour of night, when
the sweetest sound the ear can hear is
the slanming of the big house door. "
And with that they all departed.
AS eight o'clock in the morning came,
Miss Alice, with her shears hanging at
her side, and her hat tied on, was look
ing up and down the road impatiently.
She quito forgot her freak with the old
clock the night before. cit is very
ipdecorous way to serve me-" she
cried. "Ten minutes past eight! I
will have my bulrushes, Mallory or no
Mallory. And if I am little late,
don't care it will seem as thougha body
were not SO very anxious; and l don t
know-Pm afraid-I'm afraid 1 was
gushing last night, and I do SO despise
gusher And he may only want-may
only want to engage me to watch with
old Miss Steers the night she takes
ether for that operation !" And thereat
the little body was off for Lenders lake,
with precious small idea OF the exact
whereabouts of that pretty sheet. "I've
tongue in my head, I suppose" said
she. ...
As Miss Alice continued, her ideas
grew still less. She feared she would
lose her way, and not be back at all
she wished she had waited for Mallory
but she plodded on after her best sense
of locality, tore her gown with briers
lost her veil, broke her parasol, came
near breaking her ankle, and at clever
o'clock by her watch sat down and criet
hot, bitten by flies, tired out, ant
lost.
When she had finished crying, she
looked up, and there, glistening double
through her tears, lay Lenders lake blue
as a sapphire, in the hollow of the hills
Her courage came back at once. If she
could not keep her appointment, she
could show by the bulrushes that sh,
had intended to. She forgot fatigue
and was off for the edge of the lake, no
so easily reached after all, and with
triumphant handful of the brown velve
wands and of great blue flags, was pres
emily bomeward bound, having fount
the highway, and staying only to ask a
the door of little hutfor cupof water
Nobody answered her rap the doc
was open-she pushed it wider, ant
peered in, but started back at the eoun(
of groan, and quick sharp sob,
perfect storm of sobs. A moment Mis-
Alice hesitated; but she was no cowarc
where pain was concerned she tool
heart of grace and walked in, and founC
the brown old berry woman with her lit
tie boy, her grandchild, bleeding t
death in her arms. "Oh,"' she exclaim
, ed, 81 never knew you lived here
What is the matter9 Howdid he do it2
"With the ak with the ax jus
now" cried the woman. Sand I can
: stop it, and I'm all alone, aud I can
leave him, and he'll die--oh. he'll die !
. "Oh, no, no - said Alice. "Wha
have you done9 Only cold water? Lie
| me see. Lay him down. Get towel
l for she remembered still her school les
| sons in physiology. And before tn
l woman knew what had happened, Alic
3 had rugged tourniquet with the handl
s of hair brush, and was checking i
4 some degree the flow of blood wit
, which the boys vitality was ebbine
8 "Now don't let it slip, and I'll run an
: find the doctor, if drop. Perhar
t some team will overtake me. Don't d,
Q spair-the child shan't die;" and ST
!, kissed the brown old woman, an
8 plunged out, eager as though it wei
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