Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-09-08
piece, whose piece Of romance was Ia

piece, whose piece Of romance was
come.
. Milly woke up, and after tea W,
moved out on the wide, breezy verandal
and while sitting idly, turning the leav,
OF n book, and wondering why she coul
not have handsome hero like ii
beauty therein, she was startled by I'll
latch OF the gate, and, looking up, b,
held "that man" walking coolly towar
her.
Milly smiled and murmured 90
dear !" to herself, and then stretche
out her dimpled hand, and had just sale
"Good evening, please let me than
You, when she beheld Aunt Barbara
stern face in the door, and Milly wa
frightened.
No need; lie walked over to Aun
Barbara and said:
Pardon me, madam, l called to in
quire for your"
"My niece" said Aunt Barbara.
"Whom found in the orchard thi
morning. I trust she is not seriousl
hurt" and after presenting his card
with polite "Allow me-" to Aunt Bar
bara, he turned to Milly.
Aunt Barbara's face softened visibl,
after reading the name, and turning i'm
mediately to Milly, she said /:
Millicent, This is DR.. Vanbourg
from New York thank him for hi
trouble and kindness"
GAS if I were an infant" though
Mi|ly, and was silent.
Then Aunt Barbara, finding Milly dis
posed to be grum, settled herself to tall
to the gentleman, and Milly watched.
"Oh what blue eyes he has and
such big ones, too! I am afraid OF
them," said she to herself. "I wonder
how big his wife is, for he must be mar
ried, he is forty Or fifty, ] guess, thinks
Milly.
Then the big blue eyes are turned on
her and the deep voice says:
care You fond of reading, Miss Mid
dleton have some of the latest novels
with me, to which you are welcome to
while away your invalid hours" then
adds: 81 hove also n copy of Pope.
Should you like it?"
Poor Milly! Again her face burned.
"Thero swims no goose, flashed into
her mind. He must have heard her |!
"The horrid old gander r. Then aloud: /:
Thanks, 1 have all the reading can
manage"
Then she contemplated the sunset.
Tho blue eyes smiled and turned to Aunt
Barbara.
Evening after evening passed and still
Milly was propped up with "that ever
lasting ankle" and every evening the
blue eyes of DR.. Vanbourg smiled Oh her
while he conversed with Aunt Barbara.
Milly fumed inwardly, but nevertheless
liked to watch the "great ugly gander,"
as she styled him. But when he spoke
to her, she only answered politely, then
contemplated the sunset.
At last, one evening, when Milly's
ankle was nearly well, Amt Barbara
was called away, and she was left alone
with DR.. Vanbourg. OF course she
must be polite and entertain him, SO she
said sweetly:
CDR. Vanbourg, won't You tell me
what your wife is like ?''
The doctor looked astonished, and
Milly blushed and felt very foolish, but
the doctor was equal to the occasion.
He rose from his chair and went toward
her.
"Milly," he said, "I have no wife,
but 1 want one very bad. Will you
come, dear 2" and he reached out his
great arms.
Poor little Milly! "The great, big,
ngly gander," she said to herself, then
turned to him with flashing eyes:
81 won't be made fun of I hate you'll
Go away and before either could speak,
but not before she saw the panied, sor-
rowful look in his big blue eyes, Aunt
Barb appeared, and all became serene.
In few moments the doctor rose to
'ay goodnight. He went to Milly, and
;aking her hand before she could refuse
t, said, SO low that even Aunt Barb's
sharp ears could not hear:
~ am very sorry, Milly, and hope |
ome day you will change your mind.
t is fate, dear, I suppose. Then aloud:
Goodbye, Miss Milly, I hope before
ong you will be able to climb all the
rees on the farm, and then in moment
le was gone.
The next morning Milly heard that
Dr.. Vanbourg had left for New York.
Did she laugh then? am sorry to say
dilly cried-all to herself, though, in
Ter cosy little white-curtained room.
After that life at the white farmhouse
vas the same as usual, until one after
loon, sitting in the great kitchen, Milly
Tas watching Aunt Barbara make pies
lot romantic employment, but the re-
ult was always good-and right in the
midst of it letter was brought in, post
marked New York.
Milly's heart gave a jump, and, woman
ike, she was dying with curiosity in a
Aunt Barbara eyed the letter, shrug-
ed her shoulders, and laid it aside.
lilly peeped.
"Could it be from DR.. Vanbourgh ?"
Then her face burned, and she pinched
erself under the table.
"No; its lady's writing evidently"
Then she thought of her Aunt Laura
her fashionable aunt who lived in New
,ork.
"What does she want?" she asked
erself.
By this time the pies were in the oven,
nd Aunt Barbara, after washing her
ands and hunting for the scissors, cut
pen the letter and read it deliberately.
hen she looked at Milly, and, smiling
-imly, handed it to her. Milly, de-
Oured it.
"Dear sister," it ran, "Milly is now