Litchfield enquirer., 1879-10-23
The Cranberry Swamp.

ling" ia man has his own fortune to look to-"
 "Of course," said Judith Grey; and as she spoke the words a cold chill seemed to creep, like slowly congealing ice, around her whole heart. 'If you had consulted me as to your af- fairs, <" went on the young man, "instead of taking this very extraordinary step, entirely without advice or counsel"
 "Yes, I know" hurriedly interposed Judith; "but it's over and past now, so perhaps we had better not talk about it."
 The red winter sunset was blazing with sullen fire above the cedar copse in the west; the leadess woods held up their black arms, in sort of wrestling agony, toward the sky, as the bleak wind tossed tered his ominous croak, in the woods at the back of the house. e
 Doctor Dealing shuddered as he looked around him, and glanced out toward the dreary swamp that extended toward the east.
 "such place." said he, "for woman to elect to live in!"
 Ut isn't very cheerful" said Judith i; "but I've lived here all my life, you know. :"
 The more reason for wantingto get out of it now," said the doctor impatiently.
 Judith was silent. She looked at the blazing logs on the old-fashioned hearth, and tried to keep back the fast-rising tears
 Doctor Dealing rose and took up his hat
 "Then I am to consider that our engage ment is quite at an end?" said the doctor.
 "Yes," said Judith, in a low tone.
 II shall always wish you we'll" said the doctor, affably.
 ''I thank you," said Judith.
 "Good-by!" said Doctor Dealing.
 "Good-by!" responded Judith.
 The next moment, she was alone with the blazing logs. and the cricket chirping on the hearth, and the strange, ~sird shadows that came and went on the wains- coted walls
 It was just a month tonight since they buried old Miles Grey out of sight Little Judith, who had worn herself out in taking care of him, had dropped few sincere tears on the cheap coffin that incased his remains, but olso Iaad seemed par- ticularly to grieve.
 Mrs. Pytchley, her elder sister, who was married to New York grocer, had boldly declared that it was high time the old man took himself off the stage of this world, and had no secret of her disa .pointment when it was discovered that thousand dol- lars in gold-pieces represented all his hoarded wealth. with the exception of the cranberry ry-swamp, upon whose dreary verge stood the house; and this dreary property, by the terms of the will, was to be divided between his two nieces, Judith Grey and Maria Pytchley, as they themselves might agree.
 ''Pn take the ready money" said Mrs. Pytchley, hastily. ''What could I do with three or four miles of cranberry swamp"
 ''Or what could Judith do with it, either2" said Hobart Pytchley, who was whittling pine stick beside the fire.
 1T dare say she could manage very nicely" said Maria. ''rve heard uncle Miles say that he sold sixty dollars' worth of cranberries, one year out of the swamp"
 "Humph! grunted Mir. Pytchley
 "And that's legal interest on thousand dollars, you know" added his wife, What do you say, Judith"
 s'It makes no difference to me-" sad Judith, quietly.
 'It does to me, then " said Mrs. Pytch- ley. Because, as you know very we'll, Hobart's business is in the city, and we could do nothing at all with lot of swampy land down here in the backwoods."
 So Mrs. Pytchley had taken the lions share of the old mans bequest, and gone back to her city home over Hobart's grocery store and young Doctor Dealing, who had confidently calculated on at least five hun dred dollars, to buy surgical instruments and fit up an office in the village adjoining -fve-hundred dollars as the dowry of his bride-elect-broke his engagement in fit of pique that Judith should have so delib- CAoSCAy AuAS HUI AoAeuAO away.
 "A set of harpies!" cried he, with dis gust.
 'Stop, Doctor Dealing n -~id judith. oosoring up. You forget that you are speaking of my sister and her husband"
 ''But they had no business to impose on you thus!" exclaimed the doctor.
 "I agreed to the plan, without remon- strance." r"o
 Doctor Dealing shrugged his shoulders.
 "In that" said he, sharply, 'you showed your lack of common sense! If you had no good regard for yourself, you might have had some for mel" a U
 "Was it for money you wanted me ?" de- handed Judith. stung to the quick.
 Doctor Dealing colored and hesitated. "A man must take monetary matters Into consideration" said he.
 And so it came about that the engage ment was cancelled, and Judith Grey was aitting there, alone in the wintry twilight with clasped hands and head dropped low. upon her breast
 Doctor Dealing plodded home to the vil- lage, and as he passed the brilliant windows of the little hostelry, he paused, remember ing the bitter cold of the winter air, the frosty influence of the breeze.
 "I may as well go in and warm myself, he thought
 Mine host met him with a cheery air. Walk in, doctor-walk in." said he. ts" Not that room, as Dealing mechanically laid his hand upon the door-knob of the apartment he usually entered. "The Rail- way Committee is a-settin' there. This way, pleasei @ %
 The Railway Committee! echoed Ded- ling. "What Railway sCommitteea You don't mean that they are actually taking any