Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-04-30

now they would ever come together
again.
But there was little chance of that.
We had met Mr.. Thornton elsewhere,
but he had never come across our thresh-
old since the day he went out with his
brides ring. And Aunt Helen's pecu-
liarity was that she never forgot. Could
she, then, forget the words he spoke to
her. in his anger? Could she ever for
get his marrying another woman in less
than week 1t had been in that week
and few following that her hair had
turned white. She had suffered mex
pressibly; she had never slept night; :.
but she kept up gay face. Perhaps she
would have suffered longer if it had not
been for our growing up about her. Her
life was thus filed, every moment of it;
she had but very little time to be lone
ly. to brood, or mourn. She forgot her.
self in us. 1t gave her quiet happi-
ness, and kept her comely. And then
she was too proud; whenever the thought
thrust up its head, she shut the lid
down, as you may say, and sat on it.
But one day-after the time when the
doctor had said Harry was hopeless
cripple, and must lie on his back the
rest of his life-Aunt Helen brought
home little basket from the county
fair, and took from the wool within it
two of the cunningest mites of chickens
you ever laid your eyes on. 81 hate
them," said she; ''they make me crawl;
but they will the poor child. They
are African bantams." And so they did
amuse him and delight him, as he lay
on his lounge in the bay. window and
watched them growing up. full of busi-
ness. And that was the way, by the
way. that we came to have chickens
round the front piazzas. One night,
-yoa. afterward, when the bantams were
quite grown people, somebody dropped
over the fence pair of big black Co
chins, that stalked about as if the earth
was too good to tread on. or as if they
were afraid of crushing bantam with
the next step. Of course we knew where
the Cochins came from-for nobody else
in town had any-but no one said
word Only it was sport on the next
day to peer round the corner and see
Aunt Helen, with piece of bread in
her hand, in doubt whether to have any
thing to do with those fowls or not,
twice extending her hand with the
crumbs and snatching it back again, and
at last making one bold effort, and
throwing the whole thing at them, and
hurrying into the house. But from that
moment the ever-hungry Cochins seemed
to regard her as their patron saint. She
never appeared but they came stalking
gingerly along to meet her, and at last
one even made SO bold as to fly up and
perch on the back of her chair on the
piazza OF course he was shooed off
with vigor-with little more vigor,
perhaps, because Mr.. Thornton had at
that moment been passing, and had seen
this woman who would never keep hens
presenting that tableau.
1t was two or three days after that
that Aunt Helen, coming home at twi-
light from one of her rambles by the
river bank. was observed to be very ner-
vous and flushed, and to look much as
if she had been crying.
"It's all right" said our Ned, coming
in shortly after her. 81 know all about
it I've been setting my eel traps; and
what do you think-she met old Thorn
ton"
"Ned !"
"She did indeed. And what'll you
say to that mans cheek ? He up and
spoke 20 her %
"Oh, now, Nedl'' Before you?''
"Fact. Before me ? No, indeed; l lay
low." said Ned. with chuckle. "But,
bless you, they wouldn't have seen me
if l had stood high
"For shame. Nedl Oh, how could
you-and Aunt Helen %
"Guess you'd have been no better In
my place" said the unscrupulous boy.
but there, that's all. If couldn't lis.
ten, of course you can't"
"Oh, now, Ned, please !" we all cho
rused together.
"Well, then He stood straight be-
fore her. Helen. said he, have you for
gotten me p and she began to turn white
Il have had time enough, SIR said she.
"Oh. you ought not to have staid
Ned |"
"YOu may find out the rest by you
learning" said the offended narr atol
81 should like to know how was going
to leave. Only Ill say this, that i
Aunt Helen would marry old Thornton
to-day She wouldn't touch him will
a walking-stick p
. To our amazement. on the very mex
! afternoon who should appear at our gat
with his phaston and pair, but Mr.
' Thornton and who. bonneted and GLOW
E ed and veiled, should issue from tn
i. door, to be placed in that -phaeton ant
= | driua off Nth him hut Amt Halon