The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1880-12-16


determination Il is ycry strange that HUI
dab holds out - against tscomins Mrs
smith and a0v the lads brought a spoon
aud tasted q he cooks pumph.n mixture,
which Wa almost ready 70 b. poured iaio
She ple plates, A little mere sugRr, Hul-
dAh. she continued. and then with another
Z laughing glance II shoawkward lover, who
stood With his back against the kitchen
door, added Why. Seth, | should have
been Obliged to give in With half rs much
coaxrng a. Huldah bias had.
Z There are some folks you know. Miss
Carnline. who are too proud 10 beg, said
Seth with quick look a the lady; but
am glad amt ashamed to hang on to
what want Hulaah has been telling me
THAT ma been obliged TO 60 on eruteh.
% a little whil6 longer sho'd had TO give
in. Miss Caroline edawAy and looked
out Of the window. but not bsfore Seth had
seen the color fade from her face. and q
little shiver crept over her supple figure.
/ was down 10 Boston yesterday. Miss
Caroline, Seth continued, cAreleSsly.
Well, / suppose Boston is as well as us
nal, the lady replied, with poor attempt
at faoetionsness.
Lively as ever, Seth responded. ] ran
up to the West End TO see how Colonel
Lowell was getting along / always like
to call on him whenever get chance.
II Miss Caroline imagined that Seth was
going to volunteer any more information
she was certainly disappointed. After a
pause OF few seconds she remarked, with
apparently very little interest in what she
was talking about: | suppose the Colonel
is still improving? AT least, I've been
told he was doing very we'll.
Oh, they are all fools, Seth replied, an
grily. The Colonel can walk around his
room little ON cruthes, and that is some
thing he never expected TO do. just think.
twelve years, Miss Caroline, without walk
ing a step. / tell you that last Bull Run
give him dose.
Isn't that better? the lady inquired,
the blood coming back TO her face in a
great surge. Some emotion must mani
fest itself, and as sometimes happens, in
cases where there has had to be q great
repression, anger is the first to come for
ward.
That's better as far as il goes, said Seth;
and the Colonel's general health is very
bad, and the doctor says if he don't have
something to rouse him from the awful fix
he's got into, he's goner. He looks fear
full, Miss Caroline His eyes are as big as
saucers. and he's pale as ghost
Well. we have all got 70 be ghosts some
time, the young lady replied, after a
pause, and with an assumption Of hear
lessness which was utterly foreign TO her
nature.
Ishall be obliged to you Seth, she con-
tinued moment after, il you will ask
John TO saddle Nero will he ieady in
ten minutes
You've done il, Seth Smith, said HUI
dab, in rage, as her mistress walked out
OF the kitched and closed the door Going
to ride Nero? don't believe the Old
Harry himself has got horse in his stable
that II come up to Nero for vieiousness. If
you'd only held your tongue she'd help
me make some cake, and been as peaceable
as you please. Now she's all worked up.
I'm glad Of it said Seth. It's time some
body was worked up, and il You could see
the colonel you'd think so too.
But amt the colonel as much to blame
as Miss Caroline? Huldah inquired; and
more too Didn't lie break the engage
ment himself?
Yes, said Seth, OF course he did. 1t
isn't likely an honest square.minded man
like Colonel Lowell, would expect wo-
man to stick to an engagement with q
cripple for life is it? But I'm just as sure
as if Id heard him say 10. that he never
thought Miss Caroline would take him at
his word. She thinks he wanted to get
rid of her, so thers is pair OF idiots to-
gether.
Seth went out to the stable, saddled Ne
70, and brought him round the front of
the house Miss Caroline had scarlet
spot on each cheek, as she walked down
the hawthorn hedged path to the gate
where Seth waited Joan wasn't any
where around. said Seth apologizing, quite
humbly, for doing the lady kindness.
and so brought the horse round myself
Shall | give you mount, Miss Caroline?
Yes; thank you, Seth, she replied,
springing at once to the saddle, and while
her companion held the snorting and i'm
patient animal, Miss Caroline drew on her
gauntlet gloves and buttoned them.
don't know but this beast will be the
death Of you sometime, Miss Carolinel
Seth remarked, as be stepped out Of the
way of the dangerous hoofs
Oh, well the lady replied, if he is there
is one good thing, there wont be anyone
TO care very much about it.
This was said with ehild's pctulauce,
but the tender look in the deep gray eyes,
and round the lips, which would tremble
in spite Of all her efierts, touched her com.
panion TO the heart
Seth, she broke out again. before he
could collect his wits to reply, yon are al
ways talking to me or at me. which means
the same thing, only it is vastly more dis
agreeable. about Colonel Lowell. aud as IL
we're 10 some way responsible for all that
has happened 70 him. Now. want 70
tell Jon oae thing, and hope you will re-
member il sufficiently 70 spare me ia the