The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-08-27
AN ONLY OFFER.

' Aunt Phoebe, were you ever prettypr
"When was sixteen / was consid.
cred so. l was very like you then,
Julia. / am forty-three now, remem.
ber." qn
'fDid you ever have an offer-an offer
of marriage, mean, auntP"
"No. Well, that is not true; i did
have one Offer"
And you refused itp"
"No." '
mo" fHl
..Or deserted your" i
mo" %
Then y you deceived him, ! sup
AZ did not"
l"What ever happened. thenP Was
he poor;s or crippled or something
"He was rich and handsome.
Suppose you tell me about him."
~ ~ never talk about him to any
"Did it happen at the old placer"
eyes. Julia. l never left Ryelands
until l was thirty. This happened when
"Was he farmers son in the neigh
borhoodP" <Hta N
p "He was fine city gentleman"
"Oh, aunt, how interesting! Put
down your embroidery and tell me
about It; you cannot see to work
longer" Il n M Va
: Perhaps after SO many years of silence
a sudden longing for sympathy and con-
fidence seized the elder lady, for she let
her work fall from her hands, and smil-
ing sadly, said: ..af
"Twenty-seven years ago was stand
ing one afternoon by the gate at Rye
lands. All the work had been finished
early, and my mother and two elder
sisters had gone to the village to see a
friend. ! had watched them a little
way down the hillside, and was turning
to go into the house when l saw q
stranger on horseback coming up the
road He stopped and spoke to mother,
eered at the gate. He stopped when he
reached it, fastened his horse, and asked,
Is MIR. Wakefield imp 'tiit
al said father was in the barn, and
Icould fetch him. which l Immediately
did.
He was a dark, unpleasant-looking
man, and had a masterful way with
him, even to fither. that disliked; but
after short, business-like talk, appar-
emily satisfactory to both, he went away
without entering the house. Father
put his hands in his pockets and watched
him out of sight; then, looking at me,
he said: Put the spare rooms in order.
Ph9be.'
"'They are in order, father; but IN
that man to occupy themP" D lla
"Yes, he and his patient, a young
gentleman of fine family, who is in bad
HEALTH
"' Do you know the young gentleman,
fatherP'
"I know it is young Alfred Comp
ton-that is enough for me.
land the dark man who has Just
leftp don't like his looks, father
" Nobody wants thee to like his
looks. He is Mr.. Alfled's physician-a
DR.. Orman, of Boston Neither of
them are any of thy business, so ask no
more questions; and with that he weni
back to the barn. ..L
g Mother was not at all astonished.
She said there had been letters on the
subject already, and that she had been
rather expecting the company. But.
she added, they will pay well, and as
Melissa is to be married at Christmas,
ready money will be very necdful.'
About dark a carriage arrived. II
contained two gentlemen and several
large trunks. 1 had been watching for
1t behind the lilac-trees, and saw that
our afternoon visitor was now accom-
panied by a slight, very fair man,
dressed with extreme care in the very
highest fashion. i saw also that he was
handsome, and i was quite sure he
must be rich, or no doctor would wait
upon him so subsequently.
"This doctor had disliked at first
sight, and l soon began to imagine
that / had good cause to hate him.
His conduct to his patient believed to
be tyrannical and unkind. Some days
he insisted that Mr.. Compton was too
ill to go out, though the poor gentle
man begged for walk; and again,
mother said. he would take from Lin
all his books. though he pleaded ur
gently for them.
"One afternoon the postman brough
DIR. Orman letter, which seemed 70 b
important, for he asked father to driv
him to the next town, and requests
mother to see that Mr., Compton di
not leave the house. suppose II wa
not a right thingio do, but this hand
some sick stranger, SO hardly used, an
80 surrounded with mystery, had rouse
in me q sincere sympathy for his l0nel
ness and suffering, and walked throug
that part OF the garden into which hi
windows looked. We had been politel
requested to avoid 1t. because tn
sight OF strangers increased Mr.. Comp
toms nervous condition. did not DC
4 heve this. and determined to try tn
4 experiment. 49,
J. :. He was leaning out OF the window
and sadder face Inevsr saw. smile
. and courtesied. and he immedistel
leaped the low sill. and came toWar