Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-04-17

ence' MahSHelu sllllS cllngS to his faith il
,r heater. though | am sure lie was neve
N happier than in the old days when W
d used to gather around the old-flshone
CRATE. Mary was young enough then t
It throw herself down upon the rug. and
e don want you TO think that because he
curly head Graded itself Innocent,
o against my knee once in while that wa
e old enough to be her grandfather; my low,
/ Tor her increased with the years that wen
# by, but can't remember the time when /
}. wasn't almost strong enough for me to di,
if ior her. But her father inherited a little
money, and MarY's mother persuaded him
S to furblsh up their snug little tw0-story
Y house in Twelfth street; and what witt
velvet carpets upon the floors, lace finery
u at the windows, line pictures upon The
s walls, and new furniture throughout, the
dear old crate was ut last put aside, and n
1 ofan new patent heater was introduced
t INTO the front basement, which was war.
ranted TO heat all the parlor floor When
all was done we found the rooms too expen.
slve for every day wear. and II sort oI
hankering after the bit of fire that shone
through the little windows of the big black
monster in the front basement together
| with the familiar look Of everything there
led US to make the room our home; but
there was no rug for Il lounging place for
Mary, who had suddenly, somehow grown
out of lounging, and, indeed, before |
, could fully realize the extent of such a
calamity, she was engaged to be married
to young fellow in our notion department
by the name of MacMurray. We were all
employed in the old jobbing house down
town, and MacMurray fell in love with
her that day she came to the store. In
fact, she was the cynosure for many IA
clerky eye, and as | saw some score of
them boldly taking an inventory of her
charms, | went over to Mansfield, with
the blood getting hot in my veins. He
was only second man in the white goods.
and as the head of the department was
away, he was trolling one of his customers
upon the hook of fall in domestics. II
was big western trader, and Mansfield
had forgotten lie owned such II winsome
bit of property as Mary. lie waved me
away impatiently.
wouldn't leave him, said Mansfield,
with significant gesture to the western
merchant, for quarter Of II second. IN
tell you what, Bruce, he added, if YOU
were not busy, l wish you'd take Mary
down to the notion department, and intro
duce her to MacMurray. promised her
look at some gimcracks there Tell him
to let Mary have what she wants, and
charge it to me.
Now MacMurray was the last man in
the store cared for Mary to know. l had
no open objection to make, save that he
was handsome, fascinating fellow, who
had the reputation of being successful in
winning the regard of women. | reluc-
family led Mary down the metal-clad
stairs, followed by the hungry gaze of my
fellow-laborers, some of whom made pre-
lenses to follow us, but were deferred by
my unusual severity of mien and manner
and | was sorry to see that, Mary's modes
ty taking fire at all this open admiration,
her very vexaton was making her all the
handsomer with every step she took
toward MacMurray. Her long lashes
swept her cheeks, upon which an unwont-
ed flush burned and when she raised
these lashes to look upon MacMurrav, |
was not surprised that his cold pale face
warmed up with sudden interest. The
Havershaw & Co. MacMurray used to
excellent advantage, even leading the in
genuous child to chat about her first
TO tell him, in her sweet w0manly wav of
how glad she would have been to have
smuggled a cranberry tart home to Jamie.
Homemade crust, you know, she said to
MacMur ray, is so different; it's quite
impossible to make it 50 nice and haky.
All this while there was II minor note of
ecstasy over the beads and ribbons and va
rious gew-gaws, which MacMurrv took
iteIV mn TO tJ !, Al:
sale was to determine his salary for the
ensuing year. Ills slender white hands
fitted from one bauble to another, and he
managed to make that half hour one of
the happiest of Mary's life. | was like Il
bull in china shop, and served us an ex-
cellent contrast to this fine lady killer, for
could feel my blood beginning to boil in
my veins, and my manner was no doubt :
as hustered as my face. | put Mary at
last in an uptown stage; and rs | went :
through the store again, MacMurray made ,
some frivolous excuse to call me, but soon =
plunged into the subject nearest his heart. :
She's simply enchanting, he said-a /
1.-THE, vigorous, graceful bit of humanity a
Then what magnificent eyes! What
sweet, tremulous mouth! How natural II
and naive she is! Her voice is so low and t.
sweet, with that little musical ripple of |
laugh! How prettilv she told of the tart \
that she envied for Jamie-dear generous
girl! had no idea that Mansfield had "
such Il daughter. n
Groaning in spirit turned upon my
leel. No sooner had reached my own D
department. than l was pestered with Il
hundred remarks about Mansfeld's bcauti- Y
ul daughter. For years she had lain in
ny heart like pearl in its hiding place, ii
lud suddenly she was dragged about by ~
he many stupid mouths of IIavershaw &
20. | resolved to speak to Mansfield o.
bout it that very night But he was not
It home at his usual hour, and when he W
lid come he brought MacMurray with him tc
They had been detained, he said. at the
tore. and he had accepted MacMurray's D,
invitation to dine, as he knew the meal
would be over ut home. MacMurray had til
'retty little basket in his hand. which in
eld IL huge cranberry tart for Jamie, and Dc
big box of bon-bons that Mary nibbled So
pom for the rest of the evening. What a
Dol II man is not to think of these things of
ugar plums of that sort; punches of pr
iolets that he got for ten cents upon the ca
orner; an insidious rigmarole of poetry, re
nth IL neat binding, that he picked up at de
book stand and read with Mary close by WI
is side the whole of the evenins-they AN
)st nothing, these little bribes to an al so
sady proptious fortune, and they go so to
If to further destiny. From that night
'rward MacMurray was one of us, and NJ
ou may imagine how bitterly hard it was wi
II me. who had for years listened to his
anstield's interminable stories. smoked cla
IS rank tobacco, breathed the hot air in gi,
is basement, lent IL lenient ear to the
whining of his invalid wife, II
pped his boys with countless bits of | a
liver, and even put my name to Il couple tin
moderate liabilities in behalf of the WI
all for the sake of that dear tai
ce, to have MacMurray come in and Nj
oat upon 1t night after night to sec the a ,
int color deepen in the cheek, and the
nder light take birth in her eyes, and at wi
st to have this marauder openly pro-
aim to me his undivided interest in that pa,
ir estate upon which had been afraid to vii
espass even in thought. bu