Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-05-17

Wesson had been wont to sit for long
hours every evening, and play "Pati-
ence" with her general. Dear me
what energies of patience it required for
Erasmus to keep still, while Pastor
Lubke slowly plodded through his
fourthlies and fifthles, his predicates
and deductions, and Hilda never turned
her head But lover will endure much.
No trace of his inward impatience was
suffered to mar his outward quietude,
and he won golden opinions from the old
ladies of the congregation, who pro-
nounced him most sober and godly
young man. Erasmus hoped that the
echo of this fattering opinion might
reach Hilda's father and soften his heart;
but such did not seem the case. Even
when he sought out the pastor to con-
suit him on disputed point of theology,
it did no apparent good. Papa Lubke
listened, replied, confuted him on all
sides, and dismissed him grimly and tri-
umphantly, his cause not advanced one
inch. ALI his little ingratiating ways
seemed thrown away. The pastor, wise
as the serpent, however harmless he
might be, refused to be ingratiated, and
Erasmus felt himself foiled.
Grown desperate at last, he ventured
on bold step.
"I wish 1 could make your sisters
acquaintance, he said to Hilda over the
fence. "Do you think I might call up
on them some evening ?"
"Oh no please DON'T" responded
Hilda, frankly. Then coloring deeply,
she added: "Don't think me rude. You
are very kind to wish to come, but my
father would not like it. He does not
want us to make acquaintance with
strangers. We never visit any where,
and nobody ever visits us"
"But that is dreadful, broke in Eras-
mus. "Why shouldn't you know peo-
pie? You ought to know people, and
they ought to know you. You're too
sweet-all of you, mean, to be cooped
in so. It's outrageous It's cruel It's
doing the world an injustice never
heard of such thing"
"Oh, don't talk like that, please
don't" cried Hilda. "And I must say
od-hight-indeed I must;" and away
she ran. Erasmus watched her go with
rage in his heart.
81 DECLARE" he groaned, "she's like
girl in fairy tale, held fast by some
old witch so that no one can get at her. !"
He went to bed that night quite down
hearted. But next day, his courage re-
stored, he again attacked Hilda, as she
accidentally. strayed in the twilight to-
ward the spot where he stood leaning
over the fence.
"I say, Miss Hilda," audaciously,
GIVE been thinking over what you said
last night, and I'm certain you must be
mistaken. About your father, mean.
He's too wise man-I'm sure he is-to
want to shut you all up forever, and
keep you from making friends. Why,
how could you do anything if he did
get married, for instance2"
"Oh !' cried Hilda, with vivid
blush, "we don't think about that.
And father does feel just as told you"
"But-please-why not think about
that? It's exactly what 1 want you to
think about. It's what l am thinking
about all the time. Shall I tell you
why9 May [ tell you, Hilda?"
Hut Hilda had fed, in obedience to a
call from some upper window, and
Erasmus smote the fence wrathfully
with his fist.
"Confound it |" he muttered. "What
chance has fellow who has to make
love five feet off q? Inever can get near
enough to be heard, on account of this
old fence. I'll be hanged if I stand it
any longer9" And he strobe into the
house.
Next day brought exciting news. His
patent had been granted, and manu-
featuring firm in New York, with whom
he had been in treaty pending this re-
suit, wrote to offer handsome sum for
the control of it. But what were air
brakes, royalties" and ten per cents
to him just then, with Hilda evidently
avoiding him /? She had not once come
to that side of the garden during the
day. He felt melancholy in spite of the
realization of his hopes, and in melan-
choly mood strolled out to his customary
walk alongside the boundary fence,
though with little hopes of seeing Hilda,
for twilight had fallen, and she was
rarely in the garden at so late an hour.
Perplexed and unhappy, he fingered
and leaned, and presently, to his sur
prise a little sound, half sigh, half sob,
struck his ear. He bent over: dim,
crouching figure met his eyes. 1t was
Hilda, crying quietly, while pretending
to stake down a struggling verbena in
the flower bed below.
"Miss Hilda !" exclaimed Erasmus,
in amaze. "This is too good fortune
1 have so much to tell you |"
"Oh, you MUSTN'T mustn't-w
mustn't talk any more, " replied Hilda.
lifting tear-stained face. "It isn't
right. 1t will never do"
"Who says SO ?" with surprise.
"Sister. She says people will call
me Observation-Disclosures, and
father will be angry-and-oh, indeed,
L mustn't"
Light-minded Improper just
let me catch them |" thundered Erasmus
so far as one can be said to thunder
with voice lowered almost to a whisper.
"Now listen to me, dear-dearest Hilda.
have great news to tell. My patent is
granted, my fortune as good as made.
Day after tomorrow must go away"
A sob from below.
"Are you sorry to have me go?
Dearest Hilda, are you sorry? If you
are, even the least tiny bit, let me have
the comfort of hearing you say 30. Don't
you know that I love you, my darling.
loved you from the first moment, I
think-from the very day that you all
came to this old house. Gould you
care for me, dearest? Will you be my
wife ?"
Perhaps-I could care" faltered
Hilda. "But-my father doesn't"
"Now why should we talk of your
father ?" broke in the impetuous lover
from overhead. "If I love you, and
you-like me, all the fathers in the world