Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-05-31

! preached TO Nellie that she was not to talk to
people on the cars, no matter how nice they
looked. 10 be sure, | am great deal older
than she is, but any thing for consistency.
Besides, I don't believe he is DR.. Ritchie." 4"
Finally, as a last conclusion: Mrs Wallace is
friend of the genuine DIR. Ritchie; will
| get her to give Inc n minute description Of
| that gentemans countonance, dress and man
ners. That will settle the question whether l
have been cheated or not" Then the door
of her own home opened to receive her, and
| the boisterous welcome of her younger sister
and the more quiet one Of her father speedily
put all strangers pleasant or otherwise, out
of her head.
The next evening she walked over to see
her friend, cogitating how she could best get
the required information without letting her
know why it was wanted.
Mrs. Wallace met her Mt the door The
| rooms behind her were brilliantly lighted.
My dear, the very ono l most wanted to see (!
You must help me entertain some of these
| people. A dozen or more dropped in unex-
pectedly, you know-a kind Of surprise par
ty was just going to send over for you"
"a surprise party without any surprised
! party" queried Margaret laughingly.
No, really, did not know there would be
a single caller tonight Why don't YOU come
| in Z"
But dear me- l am not dressed for a
party"
"What difference does that make Z"
| Well, 1t did not seem to make much, Miss
| Rowe thought, as she was meekly led in like
lamb to the slaughter, after being divested
of her outer wraps
Margaret, let me present DIR. Richie
| Doctor-Aliss Rowe one of my best friends
as you know; you have often heard me speak
| OF her"
Giving them barely time to acknowledge
the introduction, she hurried Margaret off to
| present half a dozen more dear friends In
| deed every body in the room appeared to be
| Mrs. Wnllace's very dear friend She was a
| sunny-henrted little creature, who saw no
| faults in any body, and consequently drew
every body to her AS honey draws bees
Margaret, who was full of antipathies, regard
| ed this evenneSs Of sympathy one of the
wonders of the world. The two had been
schoolgirls together; in spite of great UNI
| likeness, that bond had held them through the
marriage of the one and the increasing matu-
rity of the other.
Margaret was not in the least astonished at
DIR. Ritchie's appearance she had felt sure
| he would find some means TO make her ac-
| knowledge herself mistaken Still. when
| somewhat later in the evening he congratu-
lated her with the gravest of faces on their
accidental meeting, she did wax indignant
He looked down into her skeptical eyes.
II see you don't believe it was accidental at
all. Yet l told you the truth about my
name"
No answer at an
Miss Rowe, suppose we should both s,be
unconventional enough to say what we
think z"
Well then" said Margaret, snatching
recklessly at this license, Il think you tell the
truth in form, but always with another kind
of truth behind that would change its effect
if known. think you play with facts as -
boy plays with marbles"
And as to this pleasant encounter tonight
you think "
Il think. DIR. Richie, that if YOU tried to
convince child that the moon was made of
green cheese, and the child would not believe
you, you would never cease trying till you
succeeded"
After which would lose all interest in
the hypothetical childg'
After which you would lose all interest of
course"
My mission in life is, then, in fact, cru
sade against skepticism-or against common
sense, you would say . Well, modern opin-
ion pronounces them one and the same.
Miss Rowe. your judgment concerning me
has the merit of coinciding with every body
else's"
Was there n ring of pain in his voice She
could not detect any it only sounded smooth.
calm, semi-satrical. Yet something surely
made her feel like apo!ogizipg for her words
II do not like to coincide with every body
else she answered decidedly"
You would rather stand alone: ?"
NO | would rather be with the minority
it is nearest truth"
Granted but each minority with truth in
its hands gradually draws to itself major
ity."
Then the ever-advancing truth passes over
into the hands of the new minority which is
instantly formed"
This is rather n seeSaw operation" said
DR.. Ritchie laughing In the case we have
been speaking Of, the minority would be too
small TO please even you. In fact, it would
consist of only one person"
She looked up inquiringly.
The only person who ever thought differ
emily of me from yourself was my mother"
The tone, though grave, was natter- of fact
enough, but it touched her greatly.
His quick eye quickly detected her peni-
tence, and just rs quickly took advantage of
it,
Miss Rowe. Mrs Wallace tells me that
your father likes to see company. and needs
to be amused Will you and he kindly admit
me to the standing of a neighbOr? l live
near you, and being quite alone in my own
I IL
admitted to yours"
I'VE shall both of us be very glad to see
you, replied Margaret cordially.
The minute she had spoken something in
describable crossing his face-a light or a
shadow, at any rate the expression of a man
who is getting his own way-revived all her
first distrust of him with double force. Per-
haps he had alluded to his mother only to
touch her feelings and was still bent on for re-
ing her to believe in him whether she would
or not, or, as she had put it, ''to convince the
child that the moon was made of green
cheese"
did not exactly dislike him, but she made up
her mind that he should never have her
confidence. And in that same minute he had
made up his mind that he would have it,
Nevertheless she was unjust; his feeling
had been genuine. The penalty of his ma
ture, always following him, was that he should
make such use of real things as to persuade
every body else that they were unreal
One can get used TO almost any thing. 1t
seemed to her at first that it would be intoler-
able to have DIR. Richie n guest in their
house, friend of the family, if he really was
going TO persist in treating them all as so
many subjects for dissection.
She was mistaken. The uneasiness soon
wore OF, though there was no better guaran-
tee of his sincerity ut the last than at the first
From an occasional visitor he slipped into n
regular one. By-and-by he was going in and
out Of the house like tame cat especially
evenings, when his professional duties were
over. Yet she never believed that he had any
genuine warm-hearted interest in them; it
was only device to make her believe it, and
sometimes she smiled to think how impossi-
BILE that was. He amused and interested her
old fathers that was a great thing in his ia
vor. Yes and she was perfectly willing to
acknowledge that he amused and interested
her too. About once a month he would skill
fully weave an Rrgumentatve net to entrap
her into saying that she trusted him. She al
ways broke through it with an emphatic neg
atiye. Yet at such times she would think
with much quiet amusement, how easily she
could put an end to the acquaintance, if only
she could bring herself to equivocate little