Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-02-28

WIN her Olu grandmother. lie was not Bu-
liant, and he wanted his supper.
He was, however, away quite long enough to
add to his mothers uneasincss, without alay-
ing it. She had never known Hope so far be-
hind time in all the years OF her long service;
the lass had been like q daughter TO hor and
unpunctuality in her mind portendcd evil.
As Georde came back down the village
street the light Of the lantern cleaned on the
white mutch, or long cared linen cap, of his
mother, AS her head was stretched over the
gate, andher anxious "Whoer's Hope y greet
ed him.
The question, and the short Jaw dinnct
KEN" with the longer assurance which fol-
lowed that she must be "stoyn' wiv aud
Betty, for sartin :" being asked and answered
from a distance, reached the cars of another
watcher across the road. From the copse-
gate. which he had already unfastcned, came
Amos lIedley, equipped for night duty, with
his gun over his shoulder.
From the tenor Of his questions it would
seem he was no better satisfied with Georlc's
excuse than was Dame Applcgarth or the
farmer, who had joined them at the gate and
but that the gamckeopor's duty tied him to
his masters woods all night he would himself
have set of to put anxiety to rest although
the farmer assured him il "wad be kittlc wark
for stranger to gan over tn fell after meet
IA an tn wcnch meet be syof cnoof cftcr
a."
In that might be" the good dame and
Amos were compelled to look for hope, for
Gcordie showed no disposition for another
march in search of his mothers dary-maid
But Amos watched that night with an impa-
tencc for the dawn he had rarely known be-
fore.
Instead of retiring to rest when the hour
came to report himself to the head keeper hc
swallowed in haste Il glass Of ale, thrust
hunch of bread and cheese IN his coat pocket
and was of on his sclf-appointcd crraud to
Burnheud
Gcordie's nouchalancc had allay,d his jonl-
ousy, bat not his fears or his love. and the
restlessness which had gathered force during
the night, gave speed to his flying feet, aud
made his possible reception "A matter Of small
moment.
disappointment awaited linn at Betty's
cottage, US it had awaited Hope. A pair Of
robins were bryakfasting on the crunbs left
from Hopes repast but doors and windows
were alike secured, and no hosptablc smoke
curled from the low chmney-iop
He stood hesitating; the crumbs were an
assurance that some one had been there but
recently Possibly Hope and her grandmoth-
er had together quilted the cottage that very
morning, and gone to make a neighbOrly call
before the former returned to the farm.
. - -,
So'l"ge Ior inquiry, oN'rIeaP'IB rocA anu
puIli III MS ILlPauent uesceht ~ chahceu 70
be the one Hope had gone out of her way to
visit.
aye nope hau pcn tmccr' Su'I enool' o",
ho~t "au gar her stoP theh oDSerHant OF
lIe BhaaNy cnnnge III HtI quehuonet iaoc,
lne woman aou'u the kihuiy c0hhoiA'ioh tha'
sue mIBht nave 'oPPcu SON" u, eIse i"Itn-
CT uo"h 'hs leh heh hhS iouhu tie Ios COM
ing on ana "ouIu most hAel! nave re"eheu
nome before thth:
Ai'erh"te'y hoPihS ana iearlnB' ne hurried
oach' Hltor .hahAlhS ms ihiornlanl' turning
"siue rom Tue uouuen patl' WIN 'lIeieSS ioo'
ana eApec'Hht voice. toward every shepheru
nut or pltH"h cottage %itlih range "here,
ever seemed iIaslnIe the sil ne no" ioneu
80 uSarly ul,sht nave sought h'Bh'h b siel''r
anu hoSIitliH! III emergency
bu' on no" Aas6aru was inc lAce amos
Ptes,h'Su "heii ne putht ihto iu.ineI AIlne-
Bhr'h mouse aoVut eleven 'hh' nlonu"y Io'c-
noon ana iouhu MS lAS' nope eA'ih6uisAeu oh
theIr he"rth.
not seeing hoPc OF sign Vi h''' III III,
h-!Hru OF III 'ho 'ini'y h',neii' ne t"S"'"
ON 10 'h' na'r!' Mh're Da'he APPl'e"lln wa
shiihinlHS 'i,e i'hA' 700 hiuoh contfrI'u H'
her i'aiu h"S'HcN 10 coillln'n Vi "'c ,Atl"