Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-06-14

ling that it took my breath. People
were coming and going purposeful and
businessful; everybody seemed to have
his eye on some goal ahead to bereached
in given time. only walked leisurely
along, enjoying the scene, and wonder
ing to myself if / should know Dick
should / meet him in the whirlpool. or
would he know me. ......
All these faces were strangers faces.
OF all these people not one had any in
terest for me. The gay scene dimmed
for q moment, and for moment l felt
the chill of isolation, as the crowd swept
by. wondered was Dick as lonely, as
wistful, as I. The question was answer
ed by sudden heart-thrill, for there,
lusty and ruddy, stood Dick before me.
1 fear 1 clasped his hand with un-
necessary fervor as | said. "Oh, Dick,
where did you come from?"
"Where did you come from?" re-
sponded Dick, sharply,
Ct Well, Richard, I can't stand
and I've left, Richard"
"Left p echoed Dick, thrusting his
hat back from his forehead, and plung-
ing his two hands deep down in his
trousers pockets. There was none of
that CHEEKY jingle of small change in
them with which Dick was won't to play
fully salute my ears. This silence was
ominous. "Where to go to?" added
Dick, after long, portentous pause.
"Going to look for business"
"Ahw
"Dick, how you talk Put your hat
on straight, and walk along. Every
body's looking at u.s."
"My dear," says Dick, facetiously,
and laughing now and showing his white
teeth, "that remark of mine to which
you take exception was prompted by the
fact that I'm out of job myself. Sup
pose l was in quarrelsome mood after
leaving the old lady's, for when Lawyer
Gudge set upon me about neglecting
the correspondence, copying, and the
like slavish business, I turned upon the
old brute, and we had a blow-up. I'm
out on the world, dear, with a capital of
twenty-five cents to begin on"
For two homeless waits that sum was
not extensive. I took my purse out of
my pocket, never a heavy one at any
time; but now-O fate o evil, careless
fate Ia hole revealed itself in the silken
tissue, through which had slipped noise
lessly a nursling of gold piece which I
had cherished there, wrapped in bit of
paper, for whole twelvemonth.
| l looked in my friends face blankly. |
was no princess, it seemed, coming to
his rescue with golden gifts, but an
added weight about his neck.
"Dick," I faltered, meekly, "I'm in
tending to work for living"
"Of course, was the answer. "Might
inquire what at p
"You know I can do most any thing
Dick
"Jenny, child" said my companion,
looking down upon me benignantly,
and stopping short in his walk dick
always awed me when he assumed this
elder brother aspect)-" Jenny, child,
it's hard. driven sort of q world you've
put your tiny self into-a place where
it's very hard matter to get footing,
and where, if your foot slips, you're sure
to be carried out into deep water.
Dicks face darkened as he looked at
the tide of people. Whatever's fel-
low to dor" Winding up his discourse
thus abruptly, my friend pulled his hat
down over his eyes, and glowered from
under it like highwayman.
l listened to this talk of Dicks, hui
inflated and i'll at ease. Was I, then,
mere aimless waif-a mere bit of drift
wood afoat in this human torrent? Even
Aunt Margery's chatting and chiding
were better than this nothingness. I
began to feel very weary. A remem-
brance of my quiet room and of the bios
soming apple bough that hung over the
window came to me vision.like.
"Dick, said I, abruptly, "I'm going
back"
"All right, little one," patting me
patronizingly on the shoulder: "the
very best thing you can do"
"Not to stay, Dick" said I, vexed at
the alacrity with which he accepted
the proposition. Ono; I've an idea in
my head.
"Look SO, responded Dick, senten-
tiously.
"Dick, listen to me- "-authoritatively.
81 shall sleep at Nurse Catterby's to-
night, and if you meet me there, I'll
have something to help YOU"
"My darling!" cried Dick: but I re-
PEELED this later exhibition of affection.
"Put me in the cars, my friend; I'm
hungry, you know, but there's no time
to lose."
In my feminine fertility of resource I
felt myself infinitely superior to this
helpless, good-hearted lump of Dick,
and I nodded my head to him gayly at
parting, without thought of failure.
In my room at Aunt Margery's there
hung grand old-fash;oned time-keeper
with gold coin attached to its heavy
chain, and big seal wherein glowed a
ruby. Secretly I regarded this as my
own, for it had once been my mothers,
an heirloom of the family, the source of
endless disputes, as I had heard, be.
tween the grasping elder sister and the
younger. Ny mother was of high
spirit, and finally, in fit of utter weari-
ness and vexation, flung the watch, with
all its -glittering appendages, at her
sisters feet. Aunt Margery had never
returned it-that was not her way-but
it had never been wound up since that
day, and long after my mothers death it
hung silent and shining in the room de-
voted to my use-perhaps supersti-
tious offering to the vexed spirit of the
departed. l had determined to go back
without being seen, if possible, and get
this watch, appropriating it, as I felt
sure my mother would approve, to aid
myself and my friend in our sore need.
The ride seemed long one; the road
wound about in a manner 1 had never
observed before, with persistent dodg-
ing at the end, that gave me ample time
for raunln lni1lcr and fnt.