Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-05-22

what s all this about fellow with board
Watkins home to-day, and says days
chivalry coming back again. Certai
lovely lady's progress impeded by mud
along comes knight with board on shouldt
throws it down-lady walks over, smile
swectly, says pretty words of gratitude
result, all fellows in Riverview huntin
for boards.
hate that Watkins, said Grace he
color leaping into her rounded cheek, he
blue eyes flashing Indignantly. If he kne,
how | despised him, he'd stop persecutin
me with his attentions. Nothing could
nicer, mamma, than the way Mr.. Perkin
helped me over the crossing; it was III
most natural thing in the world. 70
know how muddy it is on that corner b
the church. | didn't know how to ge
across; | was quite in despair. when l sa,
Mr.. Perkins with board on his shoulder
and in the twinkling of an eye he ha
thrown it down and made bridge of
for the passers by.
For yom. you mean, said Mrs. Pare
sternly. If it had been some poor oil,
lame beggar woman, he'd have Kept hi
board immaculate. What right has thi
person to offer you any civilityP Wha
right has he to know of your existence
to look at you at ALP
1t was at this juncture of the converse
tion that Mr.. Paret spoke. A cat ma,
look at a king, said Mr. Paret. And thes
few words of his had the effect Of boml
bursting in the enemy's camp. Mrs Pare
started and stared at her husband. Pere
grimes fork paused in mid-air, and ever
Oracle S eyes grew round in wonder Hi
opinion had not been asked. The littl,
group, in fact. believed him utterly obiv
ious and Indifferent to the Perkins ques-
ton, and this singular and trite remarl
threw CONSERVATION in their midst.
But Mrs. Paret rallied sufficiently tc
stammer out, A king is not supposed tC
look at a cat.
finished his meal and reached the door o
the dining-room, turned upon the threshold
and said, that depends upon the taste and
policy of the king and the character of the
cat. With this Parthian arrow he wen
out and shut the door.
The next day Miss Grace went into the
parlor to practice the opening piece for the
following Sunday. Miss Grace was the
soprano in the aristocratic church of the
muddy corner below, and it was generally
conceded that for sweetness and compass
the voice of Miss Paret had no peer in
Riverview. Mr.. Perkins himself in pass.
ing the church the day before had paused
with the board on his shoulder, and listen.
ed with his heart in his mouth, to the
clear, sweet, ringing notes that fell upon
the balmy air of that delicious morning
And very thankful he was that he had
waited long enough to be of service to
her in any way. No thanks to me, he had
said, while sacrificing his board l should
have been half a mile ahead if your voice
hadn't rooted me TO the spot.
thought l could get my part better if
tried it in the church, said Grace; but il
was so big and gloomy there, and its SO
hard TO practice alone; the tenor ought to
be there ut least.
These words of hers-as, indeed. all her
words-remained in the memory of MIR.
Perkins and on the following morning,
while he was uperntending the papering
of The reception-room on the other side of
the hall, and listening 10 Miss Paret's
voice from the parlor, he became more and
more convinced that she really did need
the assistance of the tenor: the rest could
be got along without, but the tenor was
indispensable. He'd been humming to
himself all the time, but of what service
WAS this to Miss Paret? On the spur of
the moment he walked across the hall and
through the open door into the parlor He
saw that her color rose, and that she turn
ed upon the piano stool and quickly con-
fronled him, and for moment he wished
that he had never learned to sing If this
impulse of his should cost this lovliest and
best of Gods creatures the least disap-
pointment Or even surprise, his epiglottis
might us we'll be the most ordinary in the
world-he would never sing again. But
her voice held no indignation in it, nor her
face, which was the purest, the gentlest.
the most winning, of faces.
Shall | call mamma? she said.
Oh no, he replied; the papering is going
on nicely; but thought, if you'd allow
me, Id just supply the tenor for you. |
can see that the absence of it is great
impediment. Ifyou wouldn't mind, Miss
Paret, | think you could make out with
my voice for the time.
And he began without further premble
to sing the solo. Miss Paret followed him
with the piano accompaniment, her music
al soul in her ears. Oh, how vastly, I'M
measurably superior was his voice to the
tenor, she had been accustomed to- to any
tenor, any voice! Presently he ceased, and
tremblngly, but sweet, She took up the
refrain. Then he joined in with her, and
for about ten minutes OF 50 the paper
hangers on the other side of the corridor,
the maid servant in the kitchen, and the
man servant in the hall, listened open
mouthed, to these seraphc strains that
seemed straight from paradise. Unfor-
tunately they scared up into the sitting
room above, where Mrs Paret was max
ing up her domestic accounts, and so en-
crossed was she that she did not at first
realize that Il man voice was mingling
with that of her daughter, When she did,
she made up her mind it was Mr.. Barnes,
the church tenor. But Mrs PareL was a
musical critic, and very soon concluded
those full rich notes did not belong to Mr..
Barnes Besides, le had gone to the city;
she saw him 90 to the tram half an hour
before. Who could it beP The voice was
a strange one-wonderfully fine, but
strange. Mrs. Paret dropped her book,
put her pencil behind her car, and went
down into the parlor. Imagine her horror,
her dismay, her Indignation, to find that
wonderfully fine but strange voice in the
possession of Mr.. Perkins! And to find
her daughter, the acknowledged queen of
Riverview society, deigning 10 mingle her
voice with his and accompany him while
he sang!
The poor girl hung her head when she
saw her mamma. She knew there wasn't
II bit of harm in the situations it was only
the impulsive Kindness of Mr.. Perkins,
and the yearning for harmony which be-
sets musical soul If she could only tell
her mamma explain to her Mr.. Perkins
motive and her own! But she could see
that Mrs. Paret was growing redder and
redder; that her usually rubicund com
plexion was deepening to II rich mahogo-
ny, that she was swelling up, SD to speak,
with rage and indignation.
Mr.. Perkins could see this for himself, |
and FASTENED to apologize.
1t was merely II musical intrusion. mad
am, he said. saw that your daughter
needed tenor, and, without pausing to
think, offered it TO her
I'm sure Mr.. Perkins is always very
kind. faltered Grace.
Al. 4