Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-09-05

hero of the coal-merchant's office, and
proud recipient of thirty shillings a week
income. No answer came, save that her
elapsed hands made one in their dumb
movement of contradiction. Not love
him! Why, every moment of the day
was devoted to thinking of him; her
work was neglected, her money spent,
her place in a fair way of being forfeited,
and poor Tom Dawlish nearly heart
broken, and yet she did not love him |
"Ah you don't care for mel" he re-
peated, artfully enough; for no avowal
Of his own feelings had ever escaped
his lips.
"Oh! I do, do" she said, and, COW
ering her face with her hands, let her
head droop down upon his shoulder.
H.-AFTER THE SUMMER.
81 hate school," Frankly Poole In.
formed her one morning, as he sat on the
table while she sewed button on his
trousers. =" should like to be a sailor"
"Goodnessl Master Frankly, what's
put that into your headP"
"Ohl nothing; only Tom Dawlish
was telling me about it; what they did
In wrecks, you know, and all that. |
should like to be on raft, l should;"
and he drew his naked toes up on to the
table and wriggled them about at the
thought OF the great things he would
Go. Toms coming to-day, | heard
mamma say so; and if he isn't gone when
! come back this afternoon, l shall ask
him more about it,"
"Id tell him not to go filling the
child's head with such nonsense, only |
don't want to get in his way" Mary
thought. But somehow Tom got into
her way that afternoon.
"Look here. Mary" he said "1 want
to speak to you. 1t isn't that want
you to look at me If you haven't mind
to, though goodness knows I'd do any
thing for you; but l don't want to see
nice girl like you a-lowering of herself
by walking out with chap like Alfred
Hill.
Whats it got to do with youP" she
asked, angrily.
"Why, Just this. that I've found out
a bit about him, and he's only a laughing
at you, and thinking you are nice-look-
ing girl when you are dressed up. to
walk about with; but as for marrying
you, he'll no more do it than that
and he snapped his fingers, though what
that action had to do with Mr.. Alfred
Hills intentions he did not explain.
"Why, he's going to marry the daughter
of Mr.. Brooks, what travels for The firm
that's what he's going to do. Ask
him, and see if he can deny it. Why,
it's coming off directly, only she's moth
ing to look at, so he isn't fond of show
ing her off; but she's got some money,
she has, and plays on the piano, and
looks lady"
"How do you know itP" Mary asked,
her very lips turning white, for her ex-
acting heart knew that he had fallen off
lately, that he was not what he had been
in the spring (the summer was over).
Not that for sing lie moment she believed
Toms words.
"Why, | work there, and the servant
told me. Besides, I've seen him go there
courting."
Il don't believe it. You ought to be
ashamed of YOURSELF" and she rushed
away to hide her gathering tears and
frightened face.
She wrote to him, asking him to meet
her that night; but he replied with an
excuse that made her heart sick He
would meet her tomorrow Saturday
afternoon in Kensington Gardens if she
liked, he said; and to this she consented,
and for the first time, and for his sake,
was false to her charge of Frankly.
You run about, Master Frankly,
DEAR" she said; Il want to talk to o
friend of mine-but don't go out of
sight," and then in her bewilderment
she forgot all about him. Alfred Hill
| looked rather bored than otherwise, but
he was smiling and shiny as ever. She
hardly greeted him when he appeared,
but she looked at him with all the ad-
miration she had ever felt for him in
tensified by her fear. He sat down be-
side her, and elegantly crossing his legs.
began tapping his highly-polished boots
with his bone-headed cane.
Alfred" she said, crossing her hands
and looking at him straight in the face,
is it true as you are going to get mar
ried directly?"
"Who 'stold you so?"
" 1t isn't any account who told; is it
true as you are going to marry Miss
Brooks because she plays on the piano,
and has money, and" The tears
came into her eyes, and her lips quivered
with anguish. "Oh, it isn't true! !
know it isn'tm and she touched his
hand in her dismay, and looked up into
his face with all her hearts story writ
ten in her eyes.
II don't see why it shouldn't be, and
so there's the long and short of it. It's
no use making fuss about it, my dear
girl" .-...
"But it isn'tp it isntp" she said, ap-
pealingly.
Well, yes, it is true, he said slowly
not daring to look her in the face; SO you
may as well know it at once"
She stood up before him. "True
Do you mean to say, Alfred, after al
that's passed between us, as you are
going to marry some one elsep"
g | really don't know what you mean
by what has passed between u.s. Yeu
really couldn't think l was going tc
marry y0u?"
"Why couldn't Ip"
"Well, | don't wish to hurt your feel
ings. but consider the difference in oul
positions. One walks out with pretty
servant girl, but one doesn't marry
Aer."
"You are not a gentleman, as yol
!. think yourself, Alfred Hill," she said
slowly. "You are dressed like one, bu
: you are just bit of clerk, not an,
better than a respectable girl like me
you are not gentleman. A gentleman
: doesn't try to take girls good name ant
| win her heart as you have done" Mar,
often wondered she fought her battle a
t she did, but she seemed to have no feel
} ing then, only to realize that whicl
would come hereafter.
I'm very sorry that you let yoursel
, fall in love with me-" he said, tapping
: his boot again. " | thought you woul'
: have had more pride, at any rate till yo
: were asked"
-"M More pride! What do you take m
3 forp' she asked, her cheeks flushing
"Do you think I'd go out with one, an