Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-02-10

pale with excitement.
Soon after that, my Mirandy was
teachin' school and boardin' round the /
village, and she went to MLean's to /
stay, and she told me that Daisy had /
stopped goin' in the room when the ma
jor was there, and got out o his way all she
could, but Hugh was as black as thunder /
cloud, and Mirandy said that Daisy and /.
she would both be glad when the board /
ers all went away and never came back (
again.
But this was only midsummer, and
things got from bad to worse, and one
night the men were ont late in the hay
field, and Daisy went out in the barn to
help milk the cows. 1t was only play to
her, she'd bin used to it at home, and l
dare say the poor child was so sick and
sad she was glad to be busy. But what
must that iackanapes do but follow her
out there and take the pals from her
hands to bring them in She couldn't get
courage, you see, to tell him to go about
his business, but if he'd had an eye in
his head, he could see how things was
a-goin'. Howsomever, Hugh came in at
the big gate, and saw Daisy empty
fingered, walkin' along by the majors
side, while he had a pail in either hand
and as he set 'em down ON the stone floor
of the wide room, and turned with some
pleasant word to Hugh, the pals went
fiyin' out in the stubble, the milk stream
ed at his feet, and Mirandy said-for she
was standin' by-she never saw such
surprised look in a face before as in
Major Jacques. Than he famed up
and got mad, and Hugh got madder, and
if it hadn't been for Daisy there might "a
been murder there.
"That night poor Daisy had her wish,
for the city boarders were all scuttled
away, and not light was burnin' in the
house at nine o'clock but my Mirandy
she couldn't sleep, and no wonder, con-
sidefin' what she'd been through, and
about midnight she heard the clatter O.
hoofs, and just got up in time to see
Black Dan fly out the gate with Hugh on
his back. Soon after that she heard a
low sobbin' sound, and lookin' down,
there she saw Daisy in her white gown,
dippin' water out O the pen-stock and
putin it to her face, c1yin' and sobbin'
as if her heart would break.
"My Mirandy was just goin' down to
her. when she heard the click of the gate,
and i'll walked the major, and up he went
to Daisy, straight as an arrer.
"And Madam, said he, tremblin' all
over, and blaze like ightnin' in his eye,
tive come to take you from that brute
and put you under your fathers protec-
tion.'
"Oh, you haven't told my father ?"
said Daisy, holding up her hands.
No; but / will, said the major.
Do you think [ can look on and stand
all this ? Curse the ,scoundrel [ never
had thought of you till he put it into
my head with his brutality. But now
he'll find I Gaze enough about you to
shield You from harm. Come, Mrs.
MLean, put shawl about you, and
come with me to your fathers house.
I'll deal with him when he comes back.
Then, if you'll believe me, that poor
child fell to begging the major not to tell
her father, and declarin' she'd rather die
at Hugh's hands than live away from
him.
"'Do you love him so, my poor
baby?' said the major.
{" AS God is my Judge, love him
better than my own life, said Daisy. Il
will stay / am not afraid.
"Then the major turned upon his
heel and went out the gate, and Hugh
M'Lean was brought home the next day
with broken spine. He and Black
Dan had rolled down a gully together.
and they had to shoot the beast to get
him out of his agony; and they do say
that but for Major Jacques, Hugh would
a died there, for the major was the one
that found him. He was good rider,
you see, and could make his way where
others would be afraid. And something
he said to Hugh made him gentle as
lamb. All the way home he held his
hand in his, and was with him after the
doctor left. Hugh fell into kind of
faint. When he opened his eyes, they
fell upon the major; and Mirandy said
that Daisy was on the other side O. the
bed
$50 Tn goin' to de- said Hugh.
well, I'm ready And then he put
Daisy's hand in the majors. Take care
of her, he said.
But you're not goin' to die, said
the major. You're to live, the doctor
says
"'To live 7 said Hugh. SO much
the worse. In that case, major, get away,
for Gods sake. / think it's best
Just as you say, Hugh, said the
major.
"'I think it's best said Hugh; and
the major went away that mornin', and
from that day to this nobody has laid
eyes on him.
"And the Judgment of God was sore
on Hugh M'Lean. He lay in that bed
for seven long years, and Daisy never
left him night or day, save when he'd
free her to go, and, if you believe me,
that girl never seemed happy out O. his
sight and my Mirandy said it used to
make her cry to see the way Hugh
M'Lean followed her about with his big
fierce eyes, that had plenty O. fire in them
yetfor everybody but Daisy. Mirandy &C.
tually got to hkin' Hugh !; and l never
dared say a word about that night nor
the bruise on Daisy's cheek to Mrs.
Hitchner, though I've been that burnin'
to sometimes that I've had to jump up
and run out O the room. And now the
old woman's dead and buried this three
years, and Mr.. Hitchner he went afore
she jil. Hugh outlived 'em all and n
queer thing when he died he want
ed to be buried by his horse Dan,
and there they lie, up ON the mountain
together and Mirandy says that Daisy's
sworn to be put on t'other side. It's fit
to make shivers creep down ones back,
the hull o it. And there she's lived
ever since, all alone in the old house,
save when school is keepin and Mirandy's
there. And yonder may be the majors
ghost but if it amt, it's Major Jacques
himself. Queer, amt it ?"
every queer" I said /; and just then