Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-02-17

dream of her turning Brown. Ill, Ned ! !
Good heavens the intelligent brute
heard that dreadful attempt at joke,
and tried to run away. 5000, old fell
low 1 won't do it again. And she
never spoke to me, Cora. And yet
when we were boy and girl together I've
stolen many a kiss from that sweet red,
mouth unreproved, and she used to call
me my Harold Let me see-that
must have been eight years ago. And
then, as she grew older, she grew more
shy; but 1 was Harold still, often
dear Harold, until her father, who
shows what an idiot he is, in spite of
his years, by encouraging that greater
idiot, Van Rensselaer,, made that lucky
hit in Wall street, and the whole family
went abroad to learn how to play the
aristocrat to humble friends at home.
ltsstrue didn't go near her tonight.
There were too many around her. The
rose that all are praising is not the rose
for me- And the dance 1 should have
liked to have danced with her, the dance
we danced together in the long ago.
she gave to Louis Vance, the very man
L came near knocking down one even
ing at her house for taking her picture
from her album and putting it in his
breast pocket, with some silly, spooney
remark about his heart How her moth
er glared at me as [ snatched it from
his hand and she said, with cool
drawl Pray, Mr. Brown, what is it to
youY Deuce take her lovely, exasperat-
ing, bewitching impudence She well
knew what it was to me, the golden
haired lily-white little hypocrite !! L
suppose she'll marry that Van Rensse-
laer and he muttered something which
didn't sound like blessing between his
teeth or some of his set, not one of
whom is worthy to hold her fan, the
bonnie wee thing as our old Scotch
nurse used to say breaking off with
what in woman we would call hysteri-
cal laugh. 81 say, sis, are you asleep :?
You needn't say word, my butterfly;
just shake your head"
The worsted things and wells that
formed the butterfy's cocoon moved
slowly and with difficulty from side to
side.
"All right, dear. 1 feel as though I
must talk of her tonight, and to whom
can I talk but you, my darling ?-my
little sister, who has never withheld her
love and sympathy from me, God bless
her But, Cora, if any poor fellow had
loved you all his life long, and you had
led him to believe for many years that
you returned his affection, and then
growing richer, as he, through no fault
Of his own, grew poorer-if you turned
away from him and smiled upon those
who were only his superiors in wealth
and position, I'd disown you. Mouse of
my life, would indeed !"
"But suppose the poor fellow never
told his love when we met after long
separation ?" whispers the "mouse of
his life"
"In words, you mean Pshaw there
are hundred ways in which a man tells
his love, and woman knows every one
of them by heart. -
"But suppose" i'll another faint whis-
per, that when she returned from
abroad, she found him q man so much
less manly than the youth she had left
that he could stoop to believe that be-
cause he had become poor, as the world
goes, she could forget the happy, happy
days they had spent together, and-and
cared for each other? Suppose that he
lent ready ear to silly reports about
her-one, for instance, that she was en-
gagged to be married to that idiot Van
Rensselaer, p"
"Cora !"
No reply.
"Cora, | say p
Perfect silence.
"You tormenting little thing" -sbak.
1
-" why don't you answer me? I won't
} give you kiss for week if you don't
There's something uncanny about you
Where's your lisp? You had one {
short time ago; you know you did
r Cora p
"My name is Alberta, please, SIR
and the veil that had hidden her face
flew aside, and long tress of COLDER
hair foated out and frightened the
, night.
The reins fell from Harold's hands
| Alberta caught them sBillfully.
"'Tis well" she said, I" that in those
by-gone days you taught me how tx
| drive"
For one moment her lover gazed a
) her in open-eyed wonder Then h,
3"
"Thank you, Mr.. Brown" said tn
fair one, with a smile.
| "Not you, Alberta - thunder anC
Mars no, but me, myself-to be SO nea
2 and yet so far. What consummate y
4 "Skip the hard words there isn't thu
s slightest need of them, interrupted Al
g berta, mischievously. "Cora though
(; she'd like ride in the big sleigh, and
e hadn't the heart to refuse the child
n Hope I haven't intruded, Mr.. Brown
y And now, as we're turning into our street
: you'd better take the reins again"
n "Alberta - BERTHE sweetheart, so,
J, something kind to me before we part,
: he pleads, grasping both the reins an
the little hands that hold them.
e "What shall I say, Mr. Brown 2"
o He bends his head and looks earnestl
k in her face. "Say Harold first.
/ "' Harold, ;" she repeats, with sauc
= smile, and then wrestling her hands away
l.. she sinks back and leans her head on hi
: shoulder, which droops to meet it, au
h goes on in O softened voice I'm nc
II engaged to Dan Van Rensselaer,, whor
IS you, with charming consistency call a
idiot for being in love with me and m
J. papa, who is the dearest and best pap
y in the whole world, in spite of your in
pertinent remarks about him, cares notl
T" ing for wealth and position, compared
l. my happiness and myself, 'lily-whit
IL little hypocrite to the contrary, haven
le the slightest objection to turning Brow,
81 my Harold"
Of "God bless you, dearest p
It :" Yes, yes, but don't kiss me just noy
le please. We're at our own door, and Il
ss light of the street lamp is falling fl
p, upon us, and there's dear old anxio,