Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-05-27


to tell q man who offers one his heart
that he ought to have known better.
"Nor that you will not marry him
because his father was a stonecutter.
Mr.. Helper accepted his refusal, how
ever, with good grace. He made no
fuss about it; he merely assured her
that her happiness would always be
dearer to him than his own.
"That's the letter of gentleman"
said grandma, 81 if his father was forty
times a stonecutter.
"Pshaw |" said Miss Agnes, tearing
it into fragments; but, curiously enough,
gathering them together as soon as
Mrs. Peverill's back was turned, as if
they were sweet to her as scattered rose
leaves. Perhaps she was thinking of
the days when Mr.. Helper was her
fathers clerk, and had taught her chess
of winter evenings-days when she was
not so worldly minded, and more ro-
mantle, and didn't guess the worth of
position aid long descent Perhapsshe
regretfully remembered the spring
mornings when they pushed through
the woods for wild flowers and ferns,
when he made quaint album for her of
pressed seaweeds- she had it hidden
away somewhere now.
cit wouldn'tdo," she said, half aloud,
answering some unspoken thought. I" l
should always be hankering for family
and money. One must give up some
thing; it may as well be love as any
thing. Oh, if my father had only been
a stonecutter, too |"
Grandma Peverill met Mr.. Helper in
the street later. 81 hope you don't
mean to desert u.s." said she, "because
that foolish chit of an Agnes doesn't
know when her bread is we'll buttered.
Remember it's womaa's privilege to
change her mind. If you neglect us,
you shut your life from happier chance,
as the poet says. Nobody knows what
may happen"
"But / hear that Miss Peverill has
encouraged Mr.. Bond" said Harold,
helplessly.
"And you're going to stand aloof and
let that little Miles Bond walk over
you2 Now let me tell you that mean
to make you and Miles executors of my
will; so I'd like to keep on friendly
terms with you-don't you see9
"Thank you; but aren't we friends,
near or apart2"
"'Tis said that absence conquers
love-" she laughed; "and haven't you
heard of the virtue that resides in pro-
pinquity? If Agnes sees Miles every
day, and you once in six weeks, which
do you think she will be mcst likely to
love best ?" .....
"It is not likely that she will ever
love me, whatever happens. "
"Who said she would never love you ?
Aren't you worth forty Miles Bonds2"
Certainly not in Miss Peverill's re-
gard"
Prithee, what do you know of her
regard, Sir Faintheart ?" ...-
every little, to be sure"
&c 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. y"
"Haven't put my fate to the touch,
Mrs. Peverill, and haven't found that
my deserts are miserably smallS"
"Dear me I see that you don't
know that women blow twenty ways of
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. I refused my first lover myself, be-
cause I 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 and the condescen.
sions of his rival. He was often left to
the tender mercies of Grandma Peverill
while Agnes and Miles made the garden
or the river echo with their songs. He
came and went like shadow. When
Agnes chose to listen, he let loose his en-,
thusiasm; when she gave him the cold
: shoulder, he accepted it without mur.
mur-as if one should be grateful fol
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 q
doze, and asked is it really love?'
, 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-of-arms. 1t is crime in his
2 eyes to be born without silver spoor
, in ones mouth"
Then she fell into doze again. The
shadows draped themselves about her
star came out and leaned to look into
{ the window late bird tilted on 9
spray near by, and made a sudden gusk
= of music through the place the murmul
of laughing voices came family TOWARD
= them on the breeze. But Harold listen
ed alone, for Grandma Peverill was al
[ ready far away.
3 A few weeks later Miles Bond ant
Mr.. Helper were engaged looking ovel
. the private papers of the lat, Mrs
. Peverill, as her executors That modes
Y portion of her fortune which her son't
speculations had left intact she had be
Y queathed to Agnes. Presently MileI
raised his eyes from the paper he hat
. been inspecting. ga rascally piece o
business, he groaned, between his teeth
e Should he quietly light his cigar will
t the paper, bury its contents in oblivion
. and marry Agnes, and go ON his wa,
1 rejoicing No perish the thoughts
Bond, OF the Bonds of Bondholder, WHIT
s could trace their lineage to the Con
queror7 A thousand times no HI