Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-04-19
Redolette's Escape.

eft is farther than it looks" said
Redolette.
"Not too far for us to climb" answer
ed the sunny-faced boy who held Redo
lette's hand while he gazed resolutely
up at the mountains greenwood height.
we can be there by sundown, and
run back before it is dark"
"Well, then, I'll ask leave"
Ask leaveP Are you not your own
mistress, Redelotte ?"
"No; I must obey my husband, !"
gravely the little maid replied.
"Your husband !" cried Willie Locke.
eyes, he is here, in the house. l
always ask his leave when he is at home.
I do it in the beginning, because it will
be so all the rest Of my life. I am learn
ing, he says, to be his wife"
"What do you mean, Redolette ?"
asked the boy, dropping her hand and
turning to her with great earnestness,
his eyes ablaze, his cheeks flushed.
"You do not-you surely do not mean
Judge Hunt wien you say my hus-
band ? Oh, you are notin earnest; you
are teasing, you are joking; you are not
in earnest, Redolette ?"
In earnest, Willie," the girl replied.
"Do not look so fierce. Are you a
wolf? Are you going to eat me up?"
"No, he is the wolf," eaid Willie, in
dignantly.
"I have always been his little wife, "
said Redolette. ~ was born so. Ever
since Redolette was a baby he says,
she has been mine He is my guar
dian. Ny dying father left me in his
hands, and he takes care of me, and
takes care of the money am to have
when 1 am of age; but before that, at
least so Aunt Rhoda declares, although
I don't say so quite-before that we shall
probably be married. There Now,
Willie, I'll go and ask leave"
Without another word she ran up the
path at whose outer terminus, the gar.
den gate, they had been standing while
they talked, and disappeared in the
house.
She returned all smiles. "Judge
Hunt has gone down to the village for
the evening letters, and auntie says we
may go to the Block Height, if we will
hurry home" She offered to take his
hand again as they went through the
gate, but Willie drew proudly back.
She started inquiringly, but still smil-
ing. "Now, Willie," she said, "don't
spoil our dear little time. Please don't
be cross"
81 am not cross" said Willie; "I was
never less SO in my life. But 1 certainly
shall not take the hand of another man,
wife. You do not understand me, Red
olette," said this man of eighteen to the
baby woman at his side, in a voice
thrilling with emotion and stinging with
reproach.
"Oh, do" said Redolette, deeply
shocked at his vehemence. "Indeed
do, Willie. I understand you with all
my heart" They had gone some PAGES
down the maple-arched road before she
spoke again, and during that tie Will.
lie had taken the hand he had rejected,
and not only that, but he had tran pi erred
it from his right hand to his left,s that
he might encircle with his firm arn- hel
little waist. She turned to him fully
her innocent, sweet face-was there evel
face more sweet and more innocent p
and said, "You are the only thing, Will
lie, in all the world that I do under.
stand"
"Oh, Redolette2" sighed Willie, and
he kissed her cheek.
She broke away from him then, and
they had a race. They raced down the
road to the lane; raced up the lane tc
the pasture fence; leaped over the fence
and this without any appeal for assist
auce from Redolette, for she was
mountain maid, and free and agile as
bird; raced across the upland meadow
and then Willie caught up. The ascen
began; it became sleeper and NOR,
steep; they went slowly and more slow
Rugged toe way that looked so smooth
viewed from below. They climbed wea
rily the steep stones, stopping occasion
ally to take breath, and to look bacl
with delicious little lingerings at th,
pictured field and wood stretched q
their feet, and the zigzag village cling
ing to the rivers brink as for dear life
Before sundown they reached tn,
height. They found seat just wild,
enough for two in the crevice of the grea
square rock that gave to this accessible,
hill-summit, perched amid proude
mountain heights, its familiar name
"Block Height" Flushed and excited
and again cooled and calmed, they rested
while behind them the sun went down
its orb quite hidden by interlocking hills
and known only in its final departure b,
the uplifting from the valley of the skir
of sumptuous light.
"Now, Redolette, we must have
solemn talk"
Generally" said Redolette, th
demure yet coquettish accent, 81 do no
like solemn talks"
"Never mind, Willie insisted, author
itatively, "whether you like them o
not. Redolette-" He paused; he VIC
going to say, Redolette darling" bu
he restrained, for the sake of solemnity
his boyish warmth. Redolette, no,
old are you ?"
She folded her hands in her lap, en-
looked down like child at school eslle