Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-02-10
Letting Down the Bars.

apple-tree on her side OF the fence that
shaded them both. She looked in every
respect the city girl Her muslin
dress was limp from the morning dew,
and showed wet border all around the
hem, from where the grass had brushed
it. She had on broad sundown and
silk kerchief knotted loosely about her
white throat to keep off the tan; and
her shapely hands were covered with
buckskin gloves.
She was on her way back to the farm
house just in sight he was starting out
for mornings angling, and had his
fishing-pole over his shoulder, when they
met at the fence. Instead of letting
down the bars for her, he planted his
elbows on the topmost one and rested
his cheeks in his hands.
"You are romantic miss, roaming
about in the damp grass before break
fast. Everything is eaten up, and
your aunt Louise is anxiously directing
Mr.. Thorndyke to what she supposes
are your probable whereabouts" he
said.
"Be so good as not to speak to me
either of my aunt Louise or Mr.. Thorn
dyke. l am disgusted with them both !''
she retorted, hotly.
He laughed.
"You are unkind. l thought 1 had
one friend. l shall hate you, too, if
you make fun of me p and her black
eyes first flashed, then were fastened on
the ground, because she was too proud
to brush away the hurt, angry tears
that were in them.
"From this time you shall find occa-
Sion to say of me, He never smiled
again." he said, and suddenly became
his usual grave self.
"Neil, if aunt Louise were man,
she would be knave but, being wo-
man, what of her isn't shrew is hypo-
critic !" and the tears dropped off the
raised lashes on the muslin dress, for
gotten.
There was just mere suggestion of
amusement about the corners of his fine
characteristic mouth. Perhaps her
words caused it; perhaps her tears, since
he had seen them.
She went on excitedly: "Why my
dear father left US girls to her when he
died is more than l can comprehend,
though | have been trying to make it
out ever since l was child"
There was a moments silence. He
broke it with an effort for self-control in
his voice, which would have been evil
dent to any but her own excited self.
"Well, what of Mr.. Thorndyke ? Has
he declared himself?"
Her cheeks grew crimson as she re-
piled.
"The brave, true knight went to my
charming aunt Louise, instead of seeking
headquarters, and she has made him
believe that l am just ready to fall into
his arms. And that is not all. She
has represented me as the greatest sort
of belle, and as having had score Of
lovers. when she knows as we'll as you
do that this is my very first offer.'
Just another faint suggestion of g
smile, and another question, with thai
covert eagerness which she never saw.
"Well, what do you intend to do with
him ?"
"Do with him That is pretty ques
tion from yom! You know we'll enough
that, like yourself, he is a cast-off love-
of Carols l have been taking the
girls old dresses, fixed over new, eve
since | was small enough to walk unde
thr bars of gate. If you think l viii
do the same by one of her lovers, VIII
comes to me to blow on the immorta
fame ere it becomes a blue taper, yot
are mistaken |"
That allusion to himself had onl,
called forth slight raising of the eye
brows, as if at some past folly.
"But Carroll is beauty, while yol
are only fine looking and bright" h
said tantalizingly; then watching. will
well-eoncealed admiration, her brillian
eyes and changing color continued
"You certainly ought to be content, fo
Thorndyke is desperately in love wit
you, whilst he was only bewitched wit
Carols pretty face
"Neil, you have said enough !'' sh
retorted, angrily. 81 wouldn't MARI
Thorndyke if he had never seen Caro-
l would as soon think of marrying you !
He WINGED, but she never noticed it.
"There is nothing OF earth woul
tempt me to marry. I'll be an oil
maid, if for nothing else than to spit
aunt Louise. l have heard of nothin
else since | was ten years old. She say
she has prayed every night for it sine
the girls grew up. How could she hay
the face to ?"
He laughed short, contemptuor
laugh, then answered sneeringly:
al always knew your aunt to be r,
markably pious, and she quite proves
by being honest enough to ask for VIII;