Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-05-23

ntNtI IT.
Ladiesl God bless you, Prue, they're
will be administered by the fair sex one
of these days, and quite right, too. Now
don't you worry about Daisy. I'll take
care of her."
But | did worry, nevertheless. NV
days were passed in tormenting, doubt
full reverie; my nights were haunted by
melancholy dreams, so that started up
in bed, and was never satisfied until /
had gone to look at Daisy, and bending
over the child, was only content to find
her sleeping innocently, with her
rounded cheek upon her arm.
Inever could get to sleep till Tom and
Daisy were home, and everything settled
for the night; and used to lie awake
| listening for the rumble of the cab
wheels; for it seemed their united efforts
could now afford q cab. Daisy always
came straight to me, and kissed me good
night; and cannot tell what it was made
me more and more wretched as the bril-
| liant, beautiful creature bent over me
with all and more of her old tenderness.
| On one of these nights lay awake for
| long time after she had gone, and finally
] went wandering, as usual, to Daisy's
bedside. She slumbered easily, like
little child, with her hand buried in the
| fluffy waves of her hair, and gazing thus,
L fancied L saw deep red bar of crimson
upon her cheek, and scarcely knowing
what | was about, | held the lamp still
closer, and taking the fine cambric frill
of her night-gown, l rubbed it lightly
upon the stain, and, yes-ah the bitter
ness of having a damning doubt con-
| firmed !-ah! been painted! 1t was a
mercy to God | did not drop the lamp
upon the floor. / dropped there myself
shortly after, and knew no more until
morning. | remember the cold gray
| light of day stealing into my room, and
then dropped off again into an exhausted
sleep till noon. l heard Daisy's soft
| football at the door, and closed my eyes,
for | couldn't bear to look upon her. She
went softly away again, only to come
shortly after and look at me again. The
next footstep l heard was Toms. Com
| ing on tiptoe in my room, which made
his boots squeak all the more, he found
my eyes wide open and staring upon him.
He started back in alarm, for l suppose
he saw something wild and strained
about them.
"Why, my dear old Prudy"-he be-
gan.
But l drew him closer to me, and
whispered, fiercely: mo more night
work for Daisy. l won't have it. Do
you understand? Pray God it NAV not
betoo late to save the child now!" ..
His face took a serious expression,
and he pulled at his mustache "Now,
see here, Prue," he said, "don't, for
Heavens sake, get any nonsense of that
kind into your head. She couldn't drop
out now, you know ). the very deuce
would be to pay" en
| replied, bitterly, "God help mel!
what am | to dop" And seeing Daisy
trembling in the doorway, hold out my
arms toher; her sweet eyes filled, and
she threw herself, sobbing, upon my
breast. - ...
Ihated to hurt my child, I hated to
shock Tom, but something must be done
at once to check these evil ways; and
while | strove for word to begin with,
Tom said that some old woman had
been meddling, he supposed #.
ooh, Tom, | was the witness to my
own misery" And then, keeping
Daisy's face hidden near my heart, |
told them of all my fears for Daisy's in
creasing vanity, my awful doubts about
the glitter of her beauty, and at last the
discovery of the dreadful stain upon her
cheek.
1 expected to see Tom fall back aghast.
| thought that Daisy would sob the
more and hide her face the closer. To
my surprise, Tom blew a long, low
| whistle, and Daisy raised her head and
looked at him.
"There's no use talking, Tom, won't
go on with it if it makes Prue feel so
badly. couldn't, Tom if l made a
thousand dollars a night" This was
what Daisy said, and began stroking my
hair and fondling me again as if were
the diseased and pitiable one. thought
should go mad with bewilderment,
when Tom spoke up again.
"Now, see here, girls" he said, "no
more melancholy pumping, please
there's misery enough in the world with
out going out of ones way to find it.
The best way to convince Prue that
everything is right is to let her see fol
herself. | propose to take Prue down
with us tG night"
"To the-the-" faltered Daisy.
"To the insurance Office" said Tom
She can remain there and watch us nj
our work; and if, taking into considera-
ton the fact that we must earn an honest
living in some way, she finds this one
, altogether Objectionable, we'll let il
, slide. Now dry your. tears and call it 8
bargain"
He went out, and | heard him whistle
as he went. 1t was very bewildering
, that he should take so grave matter il
that way.
! "Is this the little girl, Daisy" 1 said
solemnly, "that has lain so many years
at my heart-my pure, innocent LITTLE
sisterp"
) Eyes, yes, Prudy, thousand times
{ yes" she cried. I'm great deal bet
ter and happier than ever was, becaus,
| can help along with the rest"
! Then kissed her, and turned my tire(
head to the pillow. l was only too glaC
! to take brief and troubled respite. AnC
t shortly after | arose and dressed, ant
s toward evening Mrs. Balbriggan callet
! to tell me that Tom had asked her to g,
with me in the evening.
V I did not like this foolish and fuss,
5 woman as witness to probable sham
a or discontinue, but hadn't much tim
for any further worry. Mrs. Balbrig
S gan, finding it impossible to induce m
h to fix what she called my front hail
devoted her attention to her own, an
Y gave way at times to an unseemliness o
I, mirth which / thought sadly out c
= place; but she had always been
+ ridiculous old woman. We got into th
Y cab that Tom had provided, and shortl
; went into what Tom called the sid
entrance to the insurance office, an
n made our way into gaudy little cul
tanned stall, with a lot of fiddler
twanging away within hands, breadth
a Ol, the bitterness of that moment
IS Tom, the lad that l had loved and trus
3 ed, had tricked me into coming to tn
= theater to assuage misery that he coul
not understand or comfort, and ha