Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-12-29
Bertrode, you must have saved my

berIfOue, you must nave saved my
life."
"I suppose 1 did," she answered.
"The creature was coming directly to-
ward you. Did you ever see anything so
horrible, Fennel ?"
He took her hands; she hardly glanced
at him.
Darling" he said.
She snatched her hands away sud-
den impotence.
"Don't!' !' she said. "I wish you
wouldn't, Fennel."
But love YOU"
81 cannot help it."
He regarded her sorrowfully. She
took her shawl from the grass and put
it on.
cit is chilly here, and late. I am
going home," she said.
He walked silently at her side out of
the woods and across the wide fields of
Growers Tract. Never was there a more
hopeless lover than Fennel Gould. At
the farmhouse door he said, Good
night, Bertrode." She bowed, and he
went on over the hill in the warm gray
twilight, cursing his cruel fate as lovers
huNO CulSCNl bACll luOC6 DClOIts
Through a succession of hot days the
month went out. Before it had passed,
Bertrode was taken sick-miserably i'll
of fever She suffered wearisomely, but
little could be done for her. 1t was
slow fever which must burn out its
course. She was thirsty continually,
and suddenly in the midst of her suffer
ing, the spring which had supplied her
with cool water grew dry, and all other
water tasted warm and brackish to her
fevered lips.
"IfI only had some ice, mother /" she
moaned.
"I know, dear, but there is no ice in
less than twenty miles"
Too i'll, to express her misery, the
poor, fevered girl fell asleep, to dream
of the old yellow Grover Tract stage
straining its way over the heavy sandy
roads to N0rthboro', the only place
where there was an ice-house-there TO
procure for her a great green block Of
the refreshing ice she coveted.
&C. 1t will be so nice !" she murmured
in her sleep. My throat is parched,
and it will cool my drink so deliciously!"
A cricket sang in the heated wall and
woke her. She heard the stage trundling
over the hill
Has it come, mother ?" she asked.
" What, dear? you are dreaming,
Wake up, and drink some of this nice
iced lemonade.
"Ice, mother! Where did you get it p"
Fennel has been to Northboro' for
it. He,s very kind to you, BERTHE, dear. p"
"lt's refreshing. How long have l
been asleep, mother 2"
"All the afternoon, and really think
you look better, Bertie."
Bertrode turned on her pillow and fell
asleep again. In the morning she was
better, but not well. The pale lips were
still parched-the mouth so long fevered,
tasteless. She relished only the drinks,
iced and cool, which her mother pre-
pared. One day she said A.:
How is it that that ice lasts so?"
"Why Fennel goes to Northboro' for
a fresh piece every other day. The
weather is SO warm that it melts very
fast"
"But it's haying time. How can he
be spared ?"
"He goes at night after eight O'Clock.
[ don't see how he can do it when he
works in the field until he is ready to
drop"
"Then why do you ask him, mother ?"
Goodness, child I never asked him
guess didn't It's his own service. [
never dreamed of asking him."
Bertrode, bolstered up in bed, sat
silent awhile.
Fennels very kind" she said at last
"but | don't like to tax people So
Mother, if l am better tomorrow, can't
ride out ?"
Perhaps so.'a
Tomorrow Bertrode was feverish
again. Nothing passed her parched lips
but yellow peach, a rareripe, that was
wonder to the neighborhood.
"N here did it come from, mother?"
Fennel brought it."
The next morning when she awoke,
gust of spicy GOODNESS whitfield into her
face.
/ "What is that9" she cried, starting
up.
Just pitcher of sprays from the
scrub-oaks Of the lowlands, their tender
pendant acorns swinging among the
glossy leaves-sbranches of bayberry,
sweet fern, and a handful of checker
berry mixed with sweet swamp hello
trope, and wild asters, all dripping with
morning dew.
go, mother, bring it closer! Where
did you get it?" placing her thin, white
hands among the cool, sweet foliage.
"Fennel left it at the door this morn
ing. He thought it would please you. "
l." 1t does please me-"
No one but Fennel knew how she
liked fragrant green leaves and swamp
heliotrope.
She was grateful, and she told Fennel
so when she saw him. 70 prove it she
let him drive him her out and find her
roses again among the fields As the
light came back to her eye and the dim
pie to her cheek, she laughed merrily
sometimes, and forgot to look wistfully
towards the mountains, as he had no.
ticed her doing so often two months
before.
One day she was pale and troubled
when Fennel came with his buggy. She
wac silent for few moments after they
began their drive.
"Fennel ?"
"Well ?"
Yes"
Why, tell me, please?"
" I think had better"
That was all. She did not dare pretend
not to understand him. Both faces were
pale. He turned towards her at last,
smiling family.
eyes, BERTHE, you don't need me any
longer, and I am going away to try as
hard as / can to forget you. 1t is