Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-09-12
ONLY JOE.

!" Yes, if il is only Joe. " said Caroline,
"he may come in"
A boy of fifteen or sixteen years of age
shyly entered.
The entrance way was the white drop
curtain of white tent pitched on the
green lawn of Deersfeld. The interior,
with charmingly transparent white
ness of wall-veil effected by the noonday
rays of the August sun, contained three
pretty school girls, busy with boxes of
fnery. A negro nurse was opening upon
Turkish mat that carpeted the tent
ground carton of gayly colored rib
bons.
Now, Joe," said Caroline, "we have
let you in only on one condition, and
that is you don't tell, and you don't
| look"
"T-t-t-two conditions" stammered
Joe.
"Well, keep both," said Caroline,
Sin her shrill, authoritative voice.
Joe rested himself upon a camp-chair
in an angle of the awning, with water
color sketch book in hand. Occasionally,
AZ 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 ffinery
to observe the inobtrusive act.
" I'm going to Charlie Evans ball as
the encRantress," said Belle. "Never
mind if it is a child's ball!"
Dear me! wish / didn't have to
be only flower girl" sighed Jane.
I'm the Daughter of the Regiment ~
cried Caroline, striking a martial atti-
| AY,Ia Gba ,o,.oho1 nm To To- a,,I
quick motion tossed the cap from his
head. Rude boy, you are in the pres
ence of ladies'"
81 was for-for-b -bid-id-den to lo-look. u
"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 tue fatal stammer: "ForeveI
afterward shut"
The family at Deersfield was rather
singularly grouped. The children of the
house were of divided parentage. Belle
was the daughter of Deersfield's present
owner. Jane was his orphan niece
Caroline, the only daughter of a widowed
mother, was destined to be heiress O
Deersfeld after the lifetime of her cousir
Bellies father. Joe was the haf-brothel
of Belle by her mothers former mar.
riage. He was an orphan, possessed of {
substantial patrimony. The guardian
of the four children were the master o
Deersfield and the mother of Caroline
who very harmoniously ruled these in
congruous elements given into their car
by a strange fate. Belle and Jane wer
not difficult to manage. Joe, gentl
lad, gifted with wonderful talent 70
coloring to the life, and afflicted with
stammering speech that made him re
ticent of talk and shy of companionship
was devoted almost to the degree of soil
tude in his ceaseless application to hi
o art. Caroline was tease and a romI
forever in disgrace.
1t was no matter of surprise to Jo
ttat on the morning after Charlie Evan
fancy ball the Daughter of the Regimen
was in solitary confinement as punisf
ment OF some objectionable act. ST.
hailed Joe from her window as l
crossed the lawn, motioning to him thi
she wanted to let down basket for pr
visions, as she would not and could NJ
I. eat dry bread"
~ Joe had been her forager before; h