St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-03-23

| AT any rate, | will let you know as
soon as | get an answer
"With that he seemed to consider the
conference over, and that he was at
| liberty to leave the room. | was glad
when he was gone. l puzzled myself
very much as to how Dorothy would
act-not as to whether she would ac-
cept Charles-it never occurred to me
to discuss that with myself. Would she
tell her mother Undoubtedly she
would wish to do so, for she was open
ness itself; but she would be unwilling
to annoy Charles, because he was my
son, if for no other reason. Would she
write to me ? or would her father or
mother writeP Unless they sent a spe-
cial messenger-and they guarded con-
scientiOusly against needless small ex-
penses-there could be no letter till the
third day. In the interval, there was
no perceptible change in Charless ways,
except that he was constrained when
we were alone. l imagined that he
feared should renew the subject, but
| was not at all inclined to do that. |
had discovered a great gulf, unsuspect-
ed before, between my tirst-bOrn and
myself. Ny life was placed in new
groove, and did nOt-perhaps never
would-run easily in it, and that OdiOus
gossip had given the first impetus. |
believe my hands trembled little when
l unlocked the post-bag on that third
morning. There was no letter for Charles
but note from Mrs. Dalton, asking me
to call as soon as | could. | gave it to
him without remark. He put it in
his pocket, and did not read it in the
room. Soon after breakfast | walked
to Furzeham. Dora came to me in the
little study, and again felt how chang
ed | was. Up to to that time, we had
held out both hands mutually and sim
ultaneOusly, and | had kissed her as
heartily and naturally as if she had been
Anna; now, my own secret conscious
ness made that impossible, and the
something unexpressed by me, or some
thing which | did not fathOm in her,
held her back.
"Coloring, and looking distressed, she
gave me one hand, saying: 1T was very
good of you to come so soon, but L
thought you would
81 made an effort to be playful, and
rejoined: You know | have utterly
spoiled you, kittenr
'.The smile this evoked was poor
pitiful spectre.
; "'Come,' | went on; Il know why
YOU sent for me, so you need not worry
yourself about how to begin. Charles
!; has told me-
. "EOh am so glad. But why did
he not do so before he wrote to me 1t
: would have saved me great unhappiness.
5 | did not know if | ought not to have
, kept his secret, though l should have
; felt quite guilty hiding anything, espe-
cially such thing, from mamma; but
r | could not The letter was taken to
her, and, of course, she has always open
} ed and read my letters as if they were
, her own
1 "'Quite right: the longer she does so
r the better. Charles had no right to
make such a request. | am surprised
t that he did not know better
"But | am sorry to have done any
thing disagreeable to any of you. am
so fond of Anna and you have always,
alUays been so kind to me-
= "'There is no harm whatever done,
t Dorothy circumstances helped you out
of difficulty, as they often do help the
Innocent
''Then we were both silent. l saw
she wanted to 90 on. but did not know
. how and, for myself, | had sort of
7 fear of what | should hear-but helped
] her.
+ "'Well, Pussy asked, what are
b you going to say to Charles
e 81 do not know and she looked
a miserable.
S ':'I have always thought you were
f very clear in your views, and distinct
e in stating Them
"'Ges; | know my own mind quite
i well but'-She stopped, and seemed
/ l,l, 20 { Il wi N
Y do she went on.
'''Do you mean that you do not know
whether you like Charles well enough
t to accept him or not ?
40 no but there are so many diff
# culties.' This was said hardly above
V her breath.
V "'Do you mean the long engagement,
and so Onn
r ''She blushed with vexatiOn, and
answered: % dear! no. But | am Sc
O afraid of hurting your feelings, or dis
6 pleasing YOU. do so wish it had never
happened.'
"'But, my dear child, what could
= there be displeasing to me or injurious
. to my feelings, in your being attached
y y to my son | think it would he an in
= direct compliment to me-
- ''She hardly let me finish, but spoke
~ very earnestly.
i "'Did you ever think that NO
! you never can have supposed that you
" must have been as much surprised as
y twas. If anything of that kind had
n been going on, | must have been
the most deceitful creature possible
- but / am afraid of your thinking that
u Charles would not have asked me, if
had not encouraged him. | am sure
> should say SO of any one in my circum-
stances. hope the lesson will make
. me very charitable. l have really never
:, thought about Charles at all. 1t nc
:, more entered my head that he thought
u about me in that way, than that you
u did,
'I WINGED. She had been speaking
so fast that could not get in a word
- l was sitting in what they called hui
morously her fathers easy-chair; she
II was opposite, on low seat, leaning
II forward, with her little hands claspeG
D in herlap, her pretty warm brunette com
. plexion heightened, her eyes sparkling
!, her cOuntenance expressing what she
:, - was trying to put in words.
IL "'DOrothy,' said, you will grievt
me very much if you imagine for one
20 moment that it would be possible fol
eer me to doubt your candOr. l am sure
L you we're as much surprised as | was
y To tell you the truth, my dear little
a girl, never gave Charles the credit fol
4: so much good taste, aud it had never
a entered my head to think of his marIV.