Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-06-11
Saved by a Look.

Horace Manning stood in the bar-room of
The Wanderers Rest" cigar between
his lips, and glass of ale in his hand
bright fire was burning in the stove round
which group of men were sitting. Each
had his glass, and nearly every one had his
pipe or his cigar. Curls of smoke mounted
lazily to the ceiling, and the air was begin
ming TO take faint blue tint IL was early
in the evening, and the men in the bar-room
had not yet drunk so much as to lose their
sense or their temper. The night was dark
and cold. and the brilliant lights and gaudy
ornaments of "The Wanderers Rest" looked
cheerful and attractive to the shivering ones
without.
Horace Manning had lately fallen into the
habit of going into the bar-room as he went
home from his work, and of standing there
long enough to drink a glass of ale aud smoke
cigar. He was tired with being behind
desk all day; and he thought it rested him
| to look at the contented faces, and listen to
the conversation and laughter in "The
| Wanderers Rest" True, the flush on some
of the faces was too deep to be the flush of
health, and the laughter was sometimes
hoarse but Horace did not think of that.
He was in no danger, he thought, of ever
caring to spend his evenings by that fire, or
of exchanging his pure complexion for such
a one as some of his companions had.
Tonight he was unusually tired. A mis-
take made some days ago by the assistant
bookkeeper had been discovered, and it had
taken Horace some hours to look over the
books and correct it,
He had not intended to enter " The Wan
derers Rest" for he had promised to take
pretty Mily White to lecture that even
ing, and he knew she disliked the odor of
tobacco. He would not have been quite
easy had he known that Milly's soft eyes
had seen him enter The Wanderers Rest, "
and that even now she was standing at the
corner of the street waiting anxiously to see
him reappear.
At the tea-table, Horace noticed that Mily
looked sad. Since her childhood she had
lived with his mother, and he knew every
shade of feeling that fitted over the gentle
face. He could not imagine what had made
her sad, and felt puzzled and almost rritated
at her silence during their walk to the town
hail. and her apparent indifference to the lee
ture. He was very much interested, and
when, at the close of the lecture, the speaker
grew more eloquent over the poetry of a
happy household, he turned in a glow of adj
miration TO Milly, and smiled. The look
that answered him was not such as he was
accustomed to receive from her; its sadness
chilled him.
During their walk home neither of them
spoke. After their return, Mrs. Manning
said q" How did you like the lecture, Milly?''
Very well, said the girl, but said no
more. Horace, TO put an end to his uncom-
Portable feelings began a description OF the
lecture. lie grew almost as eloquent as the
lecturer, until, stealing a glance at Milly as
she sat opposite, he saw tear fall upon her
hand. lie could not understand it, and ris-
ing abruptly, said Goodnight" aud left
the room.
The next evening, Milly had an Grand to
do in the street through which she had
passed the previous night. The house to
which she was going was past "Ihe Wan
derer's Rest and as she stood on the step,
waiting for the door to open, she saw lIor-
ace again enter the drinking.saloon.
Two men standing on the sidewalk saw
him and began to comment on him.
A pity p said one.
Yes" said the other, he's a fine young
man. I'm sorry to see him take the first
step"
lit isn't the first step was the reply
ave seen him 90 there good many times
lately. I'm afraid the habit is fully formed.
Yes; and he's her only SON."
The door was opened. 1t was all that
NIilly could do TO ask intelligibly for the
person she wished to see, and aiterward to
control herself sufficiently to say what she
had come to say. During her stay, she sat
by window whence she could see the place
into which Horace had gone. He did not
come out while she sat there nor while, un-
der the pretext of gathering up her dress
she stood on the step and waited. Slowly
she walked to the corner, hoping every in'
slant to hear his quick step behind her, but
hoping in vain.
What could she do? The words she had
heard rung in her ears. She saw him ruined
for life, and with him her own and his own
happiness. 1t seemed more than she could
bear. She stopped at the corner, and with
a prayer for help went rapidly back toward
The Wanderers Rest"
Horace Manning, distressed by Milly's
strange behavior the night before, aud tor
menting himself as to its cause, had spent
an unhappy day, and had determined to g
directly home, and ask her to tell him what
had distressed her. lie did not think Of
going into "The Wanderers Rest" but
habit had grown stronger than he was aware
of, and almost before he thought he fount
himself in the barroom.
"No, won't take ale tonight" he said
to the landlord, amor cigar. Give me
glass of dy-and-water."
Several customers were waiting, and SOM
time elapsed before his turn came. As h
looked round the room, he saw an unoccu
pied chair, and sat down in it.. A strang,
feeling came over him as he did so-a kline
of shrinking from the closer companionshil
with those around him. But he shook of
the feeling half angrily.
"Pshaw !" he thought how foolish
am | shall probably never sit here again,
At length the landlord brought him hi
glass. lie sat looking at it in an absen
manner, and did not taste it.
Sick Z" asked the red-faced man at hi
side as he saw the untasted glass.
Horace shook his head.
"In debt 7"
"No."
ain love 2" At this a loud laugh ran,
through the room.
"No," said Horace, shortly. al am tired
aud came here to drink my brandy-and
water in peace"
"Oh she won't let you drink it at home,
was the rejoinder.
Another laugh went round.
Horace disdained to reply. lie raised tn
glass 10 MS lips, ana, AT the same time
raised his eyes. His glass went down III
tasted and he sprang TO his feet. Every on
in the room looked toward the door. There
pale aud trembling, stood Milly White Sh
did not speak she only looked at lIorac
earnestly for a moment, and turned away
lie threw down the payment for his liquol
: and rushed after her. On the pavement h
found her sobbng. lie drew her arr
= through his, and said, as they took thei
way home, "God bless you, Milly Yo
have saved me-" And so she had.-.Selecte,