Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-09-05
GOLD AND GILT.
I'm EARLY SPRING.

She was q very pretty girl, anu she
knew it. and cid her best, in an innocent
sort of way, to let other people know it; /;
and she could not help thinking as she
walked along Feltham road, that keep
ing company with Tom Dawlish-who
was just plain, honest, Woodworking
young fellow-was rather waste of time,
and that marrying him would be alto
gether throwing herself away.
Her reflections came to an end at the
door of Messrs. Bradbury's office, and
she walked in, wholly intent on the bill
she had to pay. A smart-looking young
man received the money; and when the
receipt was made out and she turned to
go, she found that the shower which had
threatened for some time was coming
down with a vengeance.
oh, dear!' she said, "and have no
umbrella"
"Wait here q few minutes, miss; it
will soon be over" said the smart young
man and then, having accepted his offer
of shelter, Mary found herself after a
minute or two thinking that he was ga
very nice looking young gentleman Gas
she afterward described him to the
cook), and that he had beautiful hair
it was so nicely curled- and he had
little dark mustache, and wore such a
pretty blue necktie; oh! he was very
nice-looking indeed.
"Are you Mrs. Poole's sister," he
asked after few minntes' conversation.
Mary flushed as she replied truthfully-
for sheewas far too good girl even to
distinguished individual, but only the
ho,,oo,1,oil ,-l 1,11rgnn,n,l l,iYo cd
And then he asked what her name was
and with another blush she told him
that it was Clara, but Mrs Poole said it
was too fine name for a servant, and
so called her Mary.
81 shall call you Clara" he said
"shall IP" he added, with an appeal
ing glance. Mary felt her heart beat
faster; something seemed to tell her that
her destiny had come; and she had nc
words to say, so he followed up his sue
cessful sally with another one: Dc
you ever get out of an evening for 6
walkP"
Sometimes" she said, softly.
"Will you go for a walk with me
next timep"
"It wouldn't be right; you are quite
strange, you see," she answered, slowly
"Oh! we'll soon get over that, yor
know. Perhaps you are engaged
thought"
Mary's inconvenient heart gave {
thump, for here was good practica
question, which showed that he mean
business-i. e., matrimony.
"No, I'm not; but I'm wanted to be.
Not a very lucid answer; but he under
stood it.
"Who TOP" he asked, coaxingly.
"Well, perhaps | oughtn't to say hi
name," she answered, slowly for in this
the most important moment of her life
as she felt it to be, words seemed alto
gether to fail her.
"What is hep"
He's-he's carpenter" Mary neve
felt the truth more difficult to tell in al
her life.
A carpentery' he said, in tcl,in
tone of injury, not unmixed with scorn
"Well, Of course, if ! am not bette
than carpenter"
"Oh! you are; you are, sir" sal
Mar V, in her excitement putting out he
hand, and resting it for moment O
his 81 eeve.
Mary lost her heart to the smar
Young man with the blue tie and th
well-oiled hair. He never said anything
more definite than he said that frs
day; but he was always ready to tax
her out, and most particular about he
dress, and the result was that all he
little hoard of savings went in more o
less i'll. chosen finery and Tom Dawlis
was forgotten. There was only on
thing she refused to do, and that wa
she would not give up her Saturday Al
ternoons to him. She had always ha
to take little Frankly Poole out for Ion
walk on that day, it being his half-hol
day, and she would never consent to h
being allowed to run about wild in KeI
sington Gardens, as Alfred Hill Qior s
the smart young man was called) SUI
vested, while she walked about wit
> her fine sweetheart.