The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-01-04
sTREwING HEMP SEEDS.

les, hOsle, ne III ne mere 1Of the New
Year, if nothing happens"
Rosie tossed her yellow ringlets, and
put up her red lips in childish pout.
81 shall hate him, Aunt Eunice. I'm
sure shall. The simple fact that am
betrothed to him, willy-nilly, would set
my heart against him ifhc were prince
among men,"
"He is prince among men, my dear,
and you'll be sure to like him when you
see him." replied Aunt Eunice, quietly.
81 tell you Pm sure not to like him"
insisted Rosie. "Poor papa made a
great mistake; he should have left me
free"
at would have been wiser, perhaps !;
but your father had looked upon Ben as
a son SO many years, and felt so sure of
his making good husband"
can old poke, twice my age," pouted
Rosie.
ooh, no, not quite so old as that.
But wait until you have seen him. New
er cross a bridge till you come to it,
Rosie. Ben won't be here for O week
yet. When he is here, and you have
seen him, if you really dislike him dare
say he'll not compel you to become his
wife,"
"But | promised poor papa on his
death bed, too, and a promise to the dy-
ing is sacred"
Pretty Rosie was no kith or kin to
Aunt Eunice, only an adopted child,
cherished and loved for her dead fa-
theirs sake, and Ben was Aunt Eunice' s
only son, Calcutta agent, who had not
seen his native land for years, and who
had last parted from his promised bride
when she was little miss in pinafores.
But after his old friends death, and
Rosie's promise to become his wife
whenever he saw fit to come home and
claim her, Ben had sent home hand
some ring, and Rosie wore it on her
pretty finger. And now he was COM
ing in week.
''Don't fret, Rosie. Wait until Ben
is here, and you have seen him."
"Seeing him won't make me change
my mind" retorted the willful girl. II
have him in my minds eye now a
poky old fogy, just like Mr.. Sykes, the
parson. Oh, dear"
81 trust the case will not be quite so
bad as that, Rosie. But what are you
going to do with all those hemp seeds,
my dear-feed the pigeonsr
'Feed the pigeons, indeedl" cried
Rosie, transferring the seeds to her
pocket. "Why, auntie, I'm going down
to Hazel Hollow to try my fortune. All
the girls are doing it. Jennie Burr
strewed hemp one dark evening, month
or SO ago, and the handsomest Young
man came following her, and now she's
engaged to him."
Aunt Eunice laughed, and crossing
the room, drew the girls head to her
breast and kissed her tenderly.
"You're a good child, Rosie, only a
bit wayward, and l trust you may be
very happy, dear, whether you ever
marry Ben or not. There, run along,
and strew your hemp seeds, if you must,
and hurry back to supper"
Rosie threw OH her shawl and scar
let hood, and ran away, like the silly
child she was.
The sun was quite down when she
reached Hazel Hollow, and the shadows
lay dark and thick in the wild glen.
Rosie was not the bravest little woman
in the world, and her heart gave a great
throb of fear as she walked under the
whispering willows.
AT the edge of the Hollow she felt
oOiSiN tChiPtCu W tul u lOuUu anu run
back to Aunt Eunice's CHEEKY fireside
but thought of Jennie Burr's success
urged her on. She drew out handful
of the magic seed and started across the
glen.
"Hemp seeds strew hemp seeds SOW;
Let my true love follow me and mow"
She repeated the charmed couplet in {
little, quavering voice, strewing hei
seeds right and left She was half across
the gloomy hollow before she coult
muster up courage to look back
When she did glance over her should
er, a sharp cry burst from her lips. No
far behind her came tall, manly figure
with something which looked like YER
liable scythc in his hand. Rosie
shriekcd, stared an instant, and thcI
sank down upon the damp ground
scattered her precious seeds as She fell
She awOke to consciousness som,
time after, with the full moon shining il
her eyes, and pair of masculine arm
supporting her head.
"Oh, where rim l? What has hap
pened" she cried out in dismay, as sh,
struggled to her feet
Nothing has happened" replied
deep voice; "only you were strewin!
hemp, and followed YOU"
Rosie ventured one wild glance. /
handsome, bronzed, bearded face ben
above her.
'Let Inc go home," she faltered
trembling like frightened bird, "hom
to Aunt Eunice."
Gas soon as you please, my dear Ro
81; but don't you forget you belong +
me now. The fates willed it, you see.
"Oh, let me go home," cried Rosie, il
sore alright.
"Come along; will escort you to tn
gate"
And her strange companion drew he
hand within his arm and led her alon
the moonlit path.
. Rosie's heart beat so she could not ge
her breath. The instant they reaehe
the gate, she broke away from him.
"What! you won't even stop to sa
goodbye? No matter, we shall 500
meet again. You belong to me, remem
ber. No man alive can ever take yo
from me; and in token of my claim yo
shall wear this"
A heavy gold chain flashed over he
her head, and quaint, carved locke
hung upon her bosom.
Through the gate, across the law
never pausing once to look back, wei
Rosie, sobbing like child in her e.
element.
Aunt Eunice stood OH the steps of Il
i old farm house awaiting her.
"Why, my dear, how long you ha,
been. l was just on the point of star
, ing to hunt you"
"Oh, Aunt Eunice!" cried the Gil
rushing into her arms and beginning
sob outright. 81 am frightened to deaf
Some one did follow me and speak
me, and oh, look at this on my neck ?
Aunt Eunice led her into the old-fasl
u ioned sitting-room, and by the light
the blazing wood fire she examined Il
y locket that hung from the heavy chai