St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-09-12
Only Joe.
ii. T. FULLER.

age shyly entered.
The entranceway was the white drop
curtain of white tent pitched on the
green lawn of Deersfield. The interior,
with charmingly transparent white
ness of a wall veil effected by the noon
day rays of the August sun, contained
three pretty school girls, busy with
boxes of fnery. A negro nurse was
opening upon Turkish mat that car
peted the tent ground carton of gayly
colOred ribbons.
"Now, JOe," said Caroline, 1--WE have
let you in only on one condition, and
that is, yOu don't tell and you don't
lOok.n
"T-t-t-twO conditions" stammered
Joe.
"Well, keep both," said Caroline, in
her shrill, authoritative voice.
Joe rested himself upon camp-chair
in an angle of the awning, with wa
ter-color sketch book in hand. Occa-
sionally, as his pencil moved he glanced
critically at the girls, who had stretched
themselves in rapturous attitudes upon
the ribbon heaped rug, and who were
by this time too engrOssed with their
morsels of finery to observe the mob
trusive act.
'I'm going to Charlie Evans's ball as
the Enchantress," said Belle. "Never
mind if it is chld's ball!"
"Dear me )! l wish | didn't hare to be
only flower girl" sighed Jane.
''Fm the Daughter of the Regiment"
cried Caroline, striking martial atti-
tude. She marched up to Joe, and with
a quick motion tossed the cap from his
head. Crude boy, you are in the pres
ence of ladies'"
''I was for-for-b -bid-id- den to lo-look. !"
''Look now," said Caroline, "and
keep your eyes forever afterward
shut"
Joe lifted to the little termagant his
bright, distant, but inquisitive eyes.
Then he returned to his work and
Caroline, as she turned away, heard him
softly repeat her words, without any
trace of the fatal stammer: "Forever
afterward shut"
The family at Deersfield was rather
singularly grouped. The children of
the house We're of divided parentage.
Belle was the daughter of naersfield's
PrOs0Gt Jano was his orphan
niece. Caroline, the only child of a
widowed mother, was destined to be
heiress of Deersfield after the lifetime
of her cousin Bellies father. Joe was
the half-brother of Belle by her moth
er's former marriage. He was an or
phan, possessed of a substantial patri-
mony. The guardians Of the four chill
dren were the master of Deerstield and
the mother of Caroline, who very har-
moniously ruled these incOngruOus ele-
ments given into their care by strange
fate. Belle and Jane were not difficult
to manage. Joe, a gentle lad, gifted
with wonderful talent for colOring tC
the life, and afflicted with stammering
speech that made him reticent of talk
and shy of fcompaniOnship, was devoted
almost to the degree of solitude in his
ceaseless application to his art. Caro-
line was a tease and a romp, forever il
disgrace.
| 1t was no matter of surprise to JOt
that on the morning after Charlie
Evans's fancy ball the Daughter of the
Regiment was in solitary confinement
as punishment for some objectionable
act. She hailed Joe from her window
as he crossed the lawn, motioning t,
him that she wanted to let down a bas
could not eat "dry- bread"
Joe has been her fOrager before he
slave he always was. To say truth, h,
loved this wild, naughty, self-assertiv,
playmate of his with all the secret fer
vor of boys heart. Caroline wa
aware of the hidden sentiment, and i'm
posed upon the homage egregiOusly.
Joe having satisfied himself that tn
coast was clear, received the baske
which Caroline dropped from her win
, dow with cord. The basket containe
three-cOrnered note.
"DEAR JoE,-It's perfectly shamefr
that Pm locked up. | should starUe if
r were not for you. All did was to g
up in the cupola last night with Charli
Evaus to see his Gagged eagle. Poe
thing, it pines. And it was so nice u
S there, we staid an hour. Mamma wa
Y a,gfully angry. So was Ben, for VIZ
engaged two dances with him, an
> missed both. Oh, Joe, you ought I
have been there 1t was very pOky
I you not to come late as you promised.
e Tell Nan to send minced veal if 81
o has any think she muSt-and plent
of bread and butter (and some brow
. sugar to spread and some pickles, al
piece of cold chicken, and anythil
e else that is nice. CAROLINE"
h A quick, sharp flush crossed Joe
4 face as he read this note, not in DISCUS
as one might imagine, at the mandal
appetite of his fair goddess, but at Il
one sentence of the note not mark'
e emphatically with underline Cup
: the cupola last night with Charl
Evans
Joe smOthered his Jealous pan
p" bribed Nan the cook literally, and sc
3, the basket up to Caroline so heavi
s, loaded that one ounce more would ha
% broken the cord.
Mamma from a recess of the libra
~ window caught glimpse of this ira
ID sactiOn, but by the time she reach
s, the third story, unlocked the door, a
,e confronted her prisoner, basket a
&c contents had alike vanished. Carolin
y lips were extremely red, but otherw
', there was no sign that anything h
so been devoured. She sat in the W
ut dOw-space breaking bread into cruml
10 flock of wood birds lowered arou
her. .
III 81 cannot eat dry bread, mamm
in she said; "but my birds do they Sc
st to love it."
H. 'sCarrie, Carrie, what girl you arr
!, said mamma. She meant to be reprOa'
~ ful, but her voice was not stern;
to was viewing her daughter in one
he those winning traits that offset her