Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-06-02
The Ex-Bache!or's Story.

Never shall forget the day Wallace Haugh
ton first told me he loved Mary Vernon. Before
that | thought of her a sweet angelic
woman but in that hour | hated her.
Well, time wore away and brought me balm
became an intimate visitor at his house. and
soon came to regard Wallace and his wife Il,
one. They furnished mo Il beautiful room and
| went and clmo as l listed. BY and-lyc a
daughter was born to them. They called hel
Alice because it was my favorite name.
Little Alice Haushton She was fragile,
fairy thing, but exceedingly lovely 1t was a
grief to us-yes, at last even to me, that Mary
Hanghton dropped from the date of the birth
OF. Alice. Some hidden disease whose germs
had never showed themselves above the sur
face before, fastened upon her vitals. So
slowly she faded that Wallace would not be-
lieve her i'll till one day when Alice was three
years old.
One week from that time the hearse stood at
his door. From the moment Mary died. did
not see my friend shed tear. His face was
rigid. colorless-awful in its calm.
His little daughter was taken to his mother y
home, and after a while Wallace broke I'M
housekeeping and went there too. Once more
he was all mine. Day after day sat with him
read to him, nor could l believe that brilliant
compleXion-that fierce rapidity of movement.
OF utterancc, presaged fatal disease. But so
it proved. At the end of five sad vet happy
years, my dearest friend died, leaving me the
guardian of his little daughter.
Alice was more lovely than her childhood had
promised. Not strictly beautiful, but charm
ing, fascinating. She loved me verv much.
aud when in year from her fathers death she
left me for school, she wept on my neck, refus-
ing to be comforted.
Eight years from the very day that Alice
Hanshton left me for school, l received letter
from her edged with black 1t was not the first
letter my ward had sent, by any means-but
the first missive that bore tidings of death IT
was addressed to me as her fathers dearest
friend. Her grandmother. she said. had re-
Gently died her two aunts had gone to the far
West; she was about leaving school where
should she go? | was her guardian and had a
legal right to advise with her. She longel to
see some familiar face, etc, cite. The letter did
not give me any pleasure. l knew what my
duty was. for on his dying-bed Walter had con-
fded his daughter to my care.
looked around my comfortable rooms, l
did not want to have my quiet broken up.
No, said, resolutely; 1 will find her good
boarding place. SO wrote a letter. sealed it,
but did not send it. Her words, in one artless
line, haunted me. 81 do so long to see n fo-
miliar face that will remind nc of nv dear
home-Iny dear father and mother in heaven"
There is no use in being such savage" l
said, mentally, and then l tossed the letter into
the fire Git was in January and sent for Aunt
NIFTY. She was spare person, with not the
most pleasant face in the world-but the face
not always an index of the heart
"I think some of having young lady here,
Aunt NIFTY" said.
"Lor are you going to get married." and
her knitting needles fell as if paralyzed.
"Oh, no, not the least intention you need
never ask that question. / shsll be & bachelor
all my days, and you shall keep house for me.
Aunt NIFTY. But you know l have spoken
sometimes of my little ward. Miss Alice Haugh-
Ton she mas done going to school, and as she
has neither father nor mother. l must have
her here, 1 suppose"
was called ont of town on important b,,si
ness on the day of the expected arrival and
did not return till late in the evening. 7 was
cold, cheerless and weary, and had almost for
gotten that l was to meet anybody, when as ]
was taking off my cloak in the front hall. 7
heard light footstep, and looking round be-
held vision for which l was but little nre. /
pared. Dressed in black garments rrofusion
of dark hair falling in clustering curls from her
temples, there stood Alice her dark eyes, so
like her fathers, beaming, glowing with
warm welcome: her white hands outstretched
to greet me.
Why, Alice ~ 1 exclaimed, forgetting cold
fatigue, can tliis be you, so tail ! SO beauti-
ful?"
she bushed rosy red, smiled. returned my
salutatioil, and led the way into the tea-room.
Surely some magic had transformed it. had |