Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-01-29

ing in wavy masses down her back, hair
of red, golden hue make an aureole
around her. She has her hands full of
rosebuds. Carew has been very liberal;
having used all she wants for her dress,
she has brought these for her sister.
"You careless child, how you're hold
ing them, heads and tails together"
Mrs. Saltoun says. Thanks these are
for me, are they? Have you decorated
yourself sufficiently in your own estima-
tion ?"
81 shall be wreathed in them tonight,
Belle" the girl replies 81 wish to-
night were come. Oh, Belle, I shall be
watched if have to sit out and watch
other girls dancing, and don't get any
myself"
"Oh, some one is sure to be good-nat-
ured enough to ask you
"Mr. Carew will, l am sure" Polly
rejoins.
"And I've no doubt but that Mr..
Staunton will, Polly; he has been here
this morning"
HAS he % Polly asks, with superb
Indifference.
"Yes; you are sorry 1 didn't send for
you p the married sister asks.
"Oh, no, Belle, couldn't have come"
the child answers, freely. 81 was about
my dress, you know. 1 do hope it will
look long enough behind" And with
this expression of earnest feeling she
passes away from the subject of Mr..
Staunton.
Half an hour after this, Mrs. Saltoun,
riding away from her house, casts an up
ward glance at the drawing-room win
dow, where Polly lounges, watching her.
The red golden hair is tangled, for she
has been rolling on the floor with pup
py, and the bright child's face is dimp-
ling all ovOr with smiles that are eVok-
ed by nothing particular.
THANK heaven !" the young matron
says, taking her horse away at a sharp
trot, Polly is child still, with no
thought of love or marriage in her head"
So thinking, she filings off all weary
ing thoughts of the responsibilities of
her elder sisterhood. So thinking, she
stays out many hours of that bright
summer afternoon, enjoying her ride
stung by no consciousness of violated
charge-free from the oppressive infu,
ence of the knowledge that she will have
to come to a definite conclusion soon.
She stays out, beguiled by the beauty
of the day, SO long that when she reach
es home, hot and tired, she finds that
dinner will be ready in quarter of an
hour, and that Phil is already dressed
for it. In her eyes Phil is faultless. In
other peoples eyes, Phils mania for
punctuallty is deemed a triAe less than
virtue. However, whatever it may be,
Mrs. Saltoun has respect for the quail
ity, and reaches the table just as her
husband is beginning to get impatient.
She is so breathless with the rapidity
of her movements during the last ten
minutes, that she does not notice Polly
until dinner is nearly over, and she has
detailed to her husband every incident
of the ride. Then she turns to her sis
ter and is about to offer the latter DON
key ride ON Black heath, when some
thing in the child's face stops her.
"What is it ?" she calculates. "Polly p'
The red gold hair fringes the brow
and hangs in wavy masses down hel
back, just as it did in the morning. But
the free, happy child's face. and bright
unaffected child's manner, have changed
e She has been reused from the enchanted
sleep of childhood but whether it ha
e been by the kiss of the genuine fairy
prince or not, remains to be seen.
y "1've something to tell you, Belle,
she says, with certain sort of tende
!, outgoing of feeling toward her sister
: and her lips quiver and her eyes ficke
1 and fill with tears in way that make
d Phil wonder if "the child has broker
: anything or not
: But his wife has no such dread a
this on her mind as she takes the youn
d girl-a child no longer-back into tn
y drawingroom and asks lovingly;
II "Tell me, dear, is it Carew ?'
And, with choking sobs, Polly stut
n ters out ''No, Belle, no; it's Nj
Il Staunton."
), HAS he been here ?' Belle question
Indignantly.
% eyes, almost as soon as you left an
he has been so very, very kind, that
'e couldn't say no when he asked me to b.
come his wife,
E "Did you wish to say no ?" the ma
ried sister asks, IN an agony of spir
n which she dares not quite reveal.
ID "NO," Polly says, holding up tea
1T stained face to be kissed. Il didn't wal
N to say anything; l hadn't thought
him, even, till he came in and told n
D. that he loved me very much, and thi
N he'd like me to be his wife, that |
n might be able to take care of me; al
then | remembered Aunt Helen al
&c |