Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-05-08
VOL. 73.-3734. NO. 80.
" But you will have wronged Anson."
Not if he-if he marries- another ~

Many would, perhaps approve Hitty
| lhornes conduct at this criss-more would
| condemn but she walked according TO her
light in those cruel days. 1t was no easy
task she had set herself
| Hitty had faded in the meantime. while
Anson Searle wore his years like garlands.
| lhe fortune OF which her " not impossible" "
| children might have robbed little Tom had
| dwinded TO the merest pittance through
the knavery of the man TO whose wisdom it
had been intrusted, while Anson Seare had
unexpectedly stepped into the possession of
the Searle estate, with its old stone mansion,
IT'S orchards and outlying meadow.lands, and
the income that had been rolling up since
the Searles first set foot upon Plymouth
| Rock. Twenty years before there had been
no shadow of such possibility, no dream
| OF it in Anson's mind or anothers. Two
| healthy lives had barred the way against
nm, but death had effected breach.
| "What mistake Hitty Thorne madel"
people had commented these half dozen
years. 3" She might have been mistress at
Searle Hill if she'd had a mind to risk mar
| rying poor man. Folks get their come-up
| once in this world sometimes" with the
| usual charity commentators bestow upon the
motives of Others. Nobody had known the
true cause of lIitty's refusal to marry Seare.
1t had been the town talk, to be sure-a
riddle which no one had solved. She had
not even coniided her reasons to her lover.
lie would overrule them, she feared. would
call them absurd, and only make her task
more difficult and perhaps grow to hate
little Tom--and sometime Tom might need
his goodwill; who could tell ? Anson
Seare had not borne his dismissal with the
fortitude of an early martyr, but he had
sworn he would never ask her twice 10
- him nd bo I,1 l;, u.
perhaps after his anger cooled, and he
watched her saddening year by year, some
surmise that her behaviour had not been
dictated by caprice or any petty motive
grew upon him, and obliged him to render
her the tardy justice of appreciation And
pretty return Tom had made her-specu-
lating with his employers money, and threat
ening the family pride with disgrace. I'm
less five thousand dollars were forthcoming
there was only fortnight between him and
ruin. Aud Tom was only twenty-five They
must save him Miss llitty was one to stand
by her guns where there was "a will there
was way, and she followed the only way
she knew. If Mr.. Searle, fumbling about
for the reasons of Ilitty's conduct toward
himself had at length stumbled upon the
clew-havng an intimate knowledge of her
fathers will aready-and if he had not been
quite heroic enough to forgive her for pre-
ferring Toms welfare to his own, he must
have found grim satisfaction in the turn
that fate had ordered in seeing the Thorne
property shrinking day by day, till there
was hardly enough TO butter their bread
till it was plain that Hittys sacrifice had
been for naught. But when did ever sacri-
flee prove futile Though it fail of its di-
rect purpose does it not enrich the soul not
only of the one who sacrifices, but of all
beholders
1t was near twilight of an autumn day
that Miss llitty put on her worn bonnet and
went slowly, with a certain reluctance up
the hill toward the Searle mansion; she
pulled the brazen knocker timidly, and step
ped into the house that might have been her
own like any beggar. The dead Seares
looked down from the walls of the oaken
hall with cold questionings in their pursuing
eyes in the great drawing-room the wood
fire snapped with a good will, and glinted
gayly upon bronze and ormolu, upon the
quaint mirrors set in garnets, upon the yell
low ivory keys of the old piano. Anson
Seare rose to receive his guest with flush
of surprise.
as it-you-TIitty 2" he cried. D." You"
"Yes You did not expect me ~
expect you No. Have had reason to
expect you ~
We sometimes expect without reason.
have come-expecting you to grant me a
favor"
"A favor 2"
"Yes. 1t strikes you oddly that should
be brought to beg favor of you, does it
not But there is no other friend upon
whom can make even so shadowy claim
as upon you. Do you think | would ask
anything of one whom have served $3.50
ill--if were not in extremity" ?"
al hope you will ask anything of me-
Miss lltty-anything you want"
81 have become mercenary, Mr. Searle.
| want money. Liddy and have made up
our minds to mortgage the place; re must
hare fce thousand dollars without delay; the
place is not worth so much, know, but |
i thought perhaps you would take it for
security, as far as it would go and then
liddy and are not too old to work and
there's Tom; and we would all strive to
make it up to you, sooner or later, interest
and principal. | am dreadfuly unbusiness-
like, perhaps but what can / do ? And |
must have the money. | can't live-I can't
die-without it. DO make it clear 7"
"You make it clear that the Thorne for
tude has all leaked away. | am glad of it.
Pardon, but ! hold grudge against that
same property it has cheated me out of
twenty years happiness Yes, Miss llitty,
| am rich in everything but the one thing
coveted But | can not take the mortgages
you shall have the money aud welcome, but
! can't accept mortgage on the old place,
Miss lIitty it is too sacred to me. Think
of mortgagng the old apple-trees where we
swung III the hammock together of bringing
the garden where we dreamed in the summer
evenings into business transaction But
all the same you shall have the money Miss
! llitty-"
But, oh you know | cannot take the
money unless-unless-"
"Unless you take the owner with it
| Was that what you meant to say ? I'm sure
it wasn't but for heavens sake, say it,
! Hitty. Don't you know vowed never to
ask you TO marry me twice Do you want
me to break my word, ell Now it is your
turn TO do the asking
:" should think had asked enough, said
lIitty, the great tears standing in her eyes.
You are not in earnest, Anson Searle. You
don't want to marry me, an old maid like
me See how faded and gray am"
"And if swear do want to marry you,
what will you say p
o. shall say, then, why don't you do so,
Mr.. Seare 2" She smiled through her tears.
"What will Liddy say when she hears that
I've asked you to marry me ?"
She viii say you have done your duty
like a man
"Well, Miss Hitty Thorne ai,cdyS had an
eve to the main chance" said her neighbors.
"She Tilted Searle when he was poor, and
now he is rich she marries him. What
fool woman can make of a sensible man
only it usually takes young one P'-Hdr-
psrs' Bazar.
Measure for Measure.