Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-07-10

is sufnclently plausible 10 de-
serve to be tested, and SO it shall be.
But first promise me one thing: promise
me that if this miracle of intuition
proves true, you viii be my wife to-mor-
row. My darling, you shall not say
No." He prevented her, indeed, in
lOver-like way from saying anything.
And silence is '.yes" to love.
The last day of August the whole
village of Red Cedar Pond was thrown
into torment of excited curiosity.
The excitement began in one of the
twin houses on the clearinghouse Hill"
at five o'clock in the morning. Miss
Tabitha Butts stood in her night dress
peeping through the blinds of a dormer-
window. She never could tell, as she
declared afterward, what made her peep.
She saw the back-door of ''Dick Sea-
mans" open, and Louisa Thatcher look
mysteriously out. Then she saw Tim,
the miller's boy, creep stealtnily around
the porch with pickaxe and a spade.
which he gave to Miss Thatcher. who
disappeared with them into the house.
Then Tim, stealing back again as far as
the lilac bushes, and cautiously survey
ing all approaches, put his hand over
his mouth and gave low whistle. I'm
mediately from the horse shed by the
church man came very quickly, and.
nodding to Tim as he passed, hastened
to the high-road. Miss Tabitha was
sure, although his cap was drawn over
his face, that this man was the young
stranger to the village who had been SO
infatuated with Miss Thatcher.
Then Miss Thatcher came to the door
again and beckoned to Tim. and whis-
pered and he went, around by way of
the church, down the plum orchard, to
the mill.
A pickaxe and spade Miss Tabitha
had cold shivers she could think of
nothing but a grave. When, two hours
afterward, the coast being clear, she
sped across the garden patch to the
''meetin' house shed, "her fancy lost none
of its horrors, for there, i'll the northeast
corner, was a space of fresh-turned
mould.
Miss Tabitha went home, put on her
sunbonnet. and was "down to the village
in no time"
The next excitement was at the son.
nolent dwelling of old Squire Wells.
Mr. Mansfield had been closeted with
him an hour. And when the squire re-
appeared he nearly upset his ancient
wife in the hallway in haste to get his
hat and coat, and choked till he was
scarlet, screaming into her wrong ear
that he was going to u ''on bizniss p
Off he went at such novel pace that
the poor DANES feeble faculties aroused
themselves to concentrate upon one fatal
remembrance 'When an old horse that
has alters walked takes to runnin' away
there's no ind o damage"
Excitement third was sealed letter
dropped by Mr.. Seaman's Ezri into tht
post-ofice at ten o'clock, the hour o.
general delivery, directed to the trustees
of the district school, which body, being
in quorum on the spot, opened at onc'
the resignation of Miss Thatcher il
favor of the highly recommended candi
date for the winter term, to whom the,
had kindly given her the preference.
Excitement fourth attacked faxen
haired Nettie's mother, a pleasant-facec
little widow, to whom Tim, who hat
ridden to u and back again at break
neck speed. brought note from tn
Congregational minister of u, saying
he wOnld sup with her that evening, 81
agreeable" as he was coming to Re-
Cedar Pond sin virtue of his ofice,"
sentence underlined like pleasantly
that so upset the good widows brain a
to spoil the count of her one-two. three
four cake.
Last of all, and the grand excitemen
of the day, was the ringing, at fou
o'clock in the afternoon, Of the meeting
house bell. "Who is dead ?" every on
asked. as tie first few slow strokes wer
counted but once fairly set going, th
old bell tripped up all calculations; fifty
eighty, a hundred still on quickly
jubilantly-ringing not for the dead. bu
for the living: ringing for wedding
Such a seampering as there was u
the Millbridge Road There was no lac
of witnesses TO the simple, solemn servic'
and of the coming down the aisle, on Ii
arm of ber proud young husband. Of
, delicate little bride. with mourning laI
aside for purest white. and day-lIllies Q
: her bosom.
Not married in haste 10 repent !;
leisure were the two loving people WI
took the evening train at T. for a f
commercial city, preceded by their gOc
: fortune in shape Of strong box flls
: with Spanish dOublOOns and Engli'
; bank-notes ingeniously bequeathed By !
eccentric misanthrope, and discovered
. It's hiding place by q woman's wiz. XII
died by wOman's sympathy.
In one Of the happiest Of homes, 5