Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-05-11

the tuning of a violin was audible from
within, and the money-taker was already
there with his pipe in his mouth and his
hands in his pockets. had no courage to
address that luHctionary but fingered in
his sight and sighed audibly, and wander
ed round and round the canvas walls that
hejged my divinity. Presently be took
his pipe out of his mouth, and his hands
out of his pockets, surveyed me deiher-
atey from head TO foot and said;
"Hollo, there au't you the party that
brought a three. cornered letter here last
EVENING""
He ilIed a fold in the canvas, and gave
me a gentle shove between the shoulders.
"Then you are to go ia " said he shortly.
"She's there, somewhere. You're sure to
find her,"
The canvas dropped behind me, and /
found myself inside. My heart beat so fast
that could scarcely breathe. The booth
was almost dark, the curtain was down,
and a gentleman with striped legs was
lighting the fOotlamps. On the front pit
bench, next The orchestra, discussing
plate of bread and meat and the contents
Of brown jug, sat man in his shirt
sleeves and woman in a cotton gown.
The woman rose as made my appearance,
and asked, civilly enough, whom pleased
TO want.
stanimered the name of Miss Angelina
Lasceles.
"Miss Lsscelles," she repeated. ~ am
Miss Lasceles." Then looking at me
more narrowly, Il suppose" she added,
"you are The little boy that brought the let
ter?"
The little boy that brought the letter
Gracious heaveusl And this middle-aged
woman in a cotton gown-was she The An
gelius of my dreams? The booth went
round with me, and the lights danced be-
fore my eyes.
"If you have come for an answer" she
continued, you may just say 10 your Mr..
Pyramid that am a respectable married
woman, and he ought 10 be ashamed OF
himself; and as for the letter, never read
such heap Of nonsense in my life ! There,
you can go out by the way you came in;
and if you take my advice, you won't come
back again."
How l looked, what ! said, and how 1
made my exit, whether the doOrkeeper
spoke to me as / passed, l have no idea 10
this day. 1 only know that flung myself
on the dewy grass under a great tree in tue
first field came TO, and shed tears of such
shame, disappointment, and wounded
pride as my eyes had never known before.
She had called me a little boy, aud my
letter heap of nonsense She was elder
ly-she was ignorant-she was married! 1
had been a fool but the knowledge came
too late, and was not consolatory.
By-and-by, while 1 was yet sobbing aud
disconsolate, l heard the drumming and
fling which heralded the appearance OF the
corps drdmdtique on the outer platform. l
resolved to see her for the last time. pull
ed my hat over my eyes, went back 10 the
green, and mingled with the crowd outside
the booth. 1t was growing dusk. made
my way 10 the foot of the ladder and OBJ
served her narrowly. l saw that her an
kIes were thick and her elbows red. The
Illusion was all over. The spangles had
lost their lustre and the poppies their glow.
1 no longer hated the harlequin, or envied
the clown, or felt anything but morlifica-
ton at my own folly.
"Miss Angelina Lascelles, lndeedw 1
said to myself, as l sauntered moodily
home. "Pshaw! 1 shouldn't wonder if
her name was Snooksr'