Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-02-13

ture Shrank from the conflicts which hlS
great soul urged him into. have seer
many brave charges many forlorn hopes
carried since that day, Howilh, but new
er saw Il Drawer charge or IL more forlorr
hope carried than this that led Melroe tc
his death. We mourned Dalzell, good fcl
low, but there was something in the loss o.
Nlelroe that went fur beyond every othel
loss. We loved him better than we knew
and when we buried him there every one
Of Us recalled that sentence of his, might
recoil from the encounter, but should re-
coil ten times more from the skulking
away from it.
A momentary silence fell upon us all as
the Colonel ceased. But as he closed his
memorandum. book, shutting in the striT
of blood stained faded silk, u voice broke
the silence:
James give it to mo-IIolland Mclroe's S
GORDON GleU!
You, Patty?
Yes, to me, james, Patty answered
quite steadily, though white as tile dead
Mechanically, perhaps instnctvely, the
Colonel held out the sacred memento with.
out II word. But the Colone's wife had
no such delicate instinct of the truth.
What do you mean, PattyP she eXclaim.
ed.
mean, returned Patty, with great dig
nifty, that | have better right to Holland
Melroe's Gordon 6leu than any one else!
o Patty! and all the time you were
But Mrs, Kings discretion at this point
came back to her; it was too late however
to serve hCr purpose.
Yes, Emily; all the time | WAS engag-
ed TO Morton Eames But you know who
brought. me into that. 1t was scarcely my
own doing. And Holland Melrose never
sought me after he discovered that my
word had passed to another. But before
ho discovered this | knew his heart was
mine. When got news of his death |
broke my engagement to Morton, but
could not 90 talking about Holland then.
had no right to tell the truth then who
could not tell it belore-'who had to be
told by death what the whole truth meant
even to myself.
BY this time we had nl been brought
up, as it were to PaLty's revelation-all
but Mrs. King. | noticed vaguely that
she looked disturbed, and glanced uneasily
at Mr.. Howith. But for that should have
forgotten his presence, yet even then he
did not seem an intruder, stranger though
he was. The Colonel always fond of his
little sister Patty, us he called her found
new cause for tenderness now. She had
been Melroe's sweetheart-M Melroe, whom
he had loved! And leaning forward, he
took her in his arms and kissed her.
The next morning | got the meaning of
Mrs. Kings disturbance. She come into
my room with the words; just think OF
Patty's making such mess Of it!
What do you mean? inquired, thor
oughly amazed.
Oh dear! what do | mean? Don't you
see that Major Howith was immensely
pleased with Patty? And now, Just for
that old sentimental nonsense being drag
ged up. it will fall through, for he is not
the man to play second-tiddle to any other
man, dead or alive. And it would have
been such match for Patty! wound ul
the fascinating but worldly Mrs. King.
turned upon her all the walls of my
wrath. Patty had come out most nobly,
and she ought 10 be ashamed if she
couldn't appreciate such nobility, de-
clare But | did no good; she only reitcr-
ated her regrets mt Patty's mess, not Il
whit disturbed by my vials of wrath Bu'
in this iteration she was cut short by hel
husbands voice rs he came in from the
little library which communicated with
the room we occupied.
Emily, you don't know men quite as
well as you think you do, my dear When
went into the smokingroom last night
M;Jor Howith joined me; and what do
you think he said to me?
Well. what? inquired Mrs. Emily, max
ing little impatient movement.
lie said that if Patty was to be won by
any living man he should try to win her.
You see, my dear, your way of looking
upon things doesn't fit the case and the
people. Howith is II man to appreciate
Just such silent endurance and faithfulness
us Patty revealed, and he doesn't believe
that her heart is forever buried in Melroe's S
grave any more than | do. 1t was my story
of Mel. that made everything fresh and
living to her again. And now, Mrs. Emily,
don't you talk this over to Patty-not IL
word, mind, or you may never have Major
Iowith for Il brotherin-Iaw!
Mrs. Emily laughed,
Oh, can keep secret us wei as Patty
and I'll keep this; and I'm glad your
sentiment has turned out better than my
sense this time, sir, she retored gayly.
Her husband laughed too; but he looked
at her | thought II little sadly, as he re-
piled:
All En- prehaps you'll see some time
that our sentiment, us you call it, is better
than your sense.
But she never will.
Seven years ago this conversation took
place, seven years ago this very day; and
this morning went down to the St. Denis
to call upon Mrs. Felix Lundy Howilh,
who has inst arrived from England on Il
three months visit Before | left her IL
swcet-flcod English girl came, bringing in
IL swect-flced half English and half Amer
lean baby Of two years, though he looked
for all the world rs much like II young
Castilian us his dark eyed mother.
And what is his name? asked,
IIolland-IIolland Melroe llowith. Felix
named him, and he would have it so.
Wasn't it superb of him? But Felix is su-
perb-you never saw such u m IN, dear,
rs Felix
told my cousin, the Colonel of this
conversation. He looked at his wife, that
pretty, light-natured fascinating little
Emily.
Here's our sentiment against your sense
Mrs. Emily. You see how well it works.
Yes, see, she answered; but laughing
in our faces-I was right in one thing |
told you the major wasn't the man to play
second fiddle, and he isn't. lie assigns
that part to his son, You see!
At u happy spot where a number Of ne
groes resided, IN old negro was heard
calling out to his wife, "Manda! is you
got dem chickens shut up in de smoke
house, like tole yer?
No; an Id like ter know what's lie
martcr wild you, dat yer SO 'tckler bout
dem chickens all ut oncst,' she replied
Nebber yer mind; | know what's de
marlcr, an dat's nutf Till dem chickens is
housed. When hcerd dat dem niggcrs
ober dare in de next yard is gwine to hab
party to-molrcr night, ants to be
sure my chickens doesn't tend to it. =
Chicago Pos.
Two Germans, fresh from Cincinnati,
visited New York, and one, well acquaint-
ed with the city, invited his friend to Del
monico :, where ii dinner for two and Il
bottle of wine were ordered. The place