The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-10-28
place under the naples, wistfully watch

1neyr re dead, praps," said Mrs.
D,aggett. "Or, p'r'aps they've got tired
OF him. Anyhow, it's three months since
we've heard o word, and me and Dag
gett have made up our minds we can't
stand it any longer. So we're going TO
put him on the town. Lawyer Boxall
says it's legal and right, and they can't
expect nothing else of us. Squire
Sodus is to send his covered carryall
next Saturday, and old Daddy Minlin IL
suppose he's going for ride. And so
things III go off all smooth and pleas
ant"
"Smooth and pleasant !" Helen
Hyde looked across the grassy lawn to
the little old man with his mild. alb
stracted face, his ruffled shirt front, the
silver hair that glistened in the sun-
shine. and the white, claw-like fingers
that slowly turned themselves backward
and forward as he sat there.
:" He owned the place once" said
Mrs. Daggett, "but his sons turned out
bad, and he indorsed for Squire Sodus'
cousin, and lost everything And here
he is, in his old age, without pennyl
What is it, BeckyP The oven ready for
the piesp Yes, I'm coming"
And she hustled away, leaving Helen
alone. A sort of inspiration had en-
tered into the girls heart as she sat
there with the briny smell of the ocean
fllinS her senses, the rustic of the
maple leaves murmuriDg softly over
head. She took Mrs. Dardanel's ten
dollar bill from her pocket and looked
long and earnestly at it. She thought
OF the little one-horse carryall, which
she and the girls from the Jxwood in
stitute were to have hired together to
drive over the hills and glens, all those
sweet, misty summer afternoons; of the
excursion to Twin Rock by steamer,
upon which she had counted; of the
new black bunting dress, which she had
decided to buy. She must abandon all
these little darling extravagances, il she
indulged this other fancy
GAS if there could be any choice"
she said to herself. And then she got
up and went softly across the grass and
clover blossoms to where Daddy bIif-
fin" sat.
"Do you like this place ?" she asked,
softly.
"It's home, my DEAR" he answered,
seeming to rouse himself out of a rev.
erie; "it's homel I've lived here for
eighty odd years. couldn't live any
where else"
"But there are other places pleas
anterr'
1T may be, my dear, it may be-" he
said, looking at her with troubled ewes
through the convex lenses of his glasses.
But they wouldn't seem the same to
mew
Helen went back to Mrs. Daggett,
who was baking pies and rolls and
strawberry shortcekcs all at oncel
Mrs. "Daggett," aaid she, here are
$40 which Mrs. Dardanel gave to me
to do as pleased with. And 1 please
to give it to you to keep old Mr.. Mihlin
here five woeks longer"
"Mercy sakes alive |" said Mrs. Dag
gett, he amt no kin to you. is he y"
mo" said Helen, "but he is SO old
and feeble and friendless, and-and-
please Mrs. Daggett take the money.
And perhaps by the time that is gone
shall be able to send little more. NY
employers are going to pay me gener-
ously in the city, and feel myself grow
ing better able to work every day."
So Helen Hyde adopted the cause of
one even poorer and more triendless
than herself, and for year she paid the
two dollars week steadily, and Mr..
Mifflin never knew what danger had
menaced him
At the end of that time the old gentle
mans grandson came from some wide,
wild region across the sea, tall, dark
eyed young man, with the mien of q
prince in disguise.
"My father has been dead for O YEAR"
he said. "And his papers have only
inst been thoroughly investigated, so
that have recently learned, for the
first time, that there is an arrearsge due
on my grandfather's allowance. Ihope
he has not been allowed to suffer-"
"Oh, he's all right" said Mrs. Dag
gett. "Wc've took excellent good care
of him."
"You are Q noble-hearted woman"
said the young man, fervently clasping
her hand, "and Twill see that you are
no loser by your generosity"
at amt me-" said Mrs. Daggett,
turning red and white, for Helen Hyde,
now spending her second summer at
the farmhouse, sat by quietly sewing
in the window reAess. "Im free to
allow that me and Daggett got out of
patience and was goin' to put him on
the town, but Miss Hyde here. one of
our boarders, she's paid for him ever
since"
81 beg your pardon if l have inter-
fered," said Helen, blushing scarlet as
the large dark eyes fell scrutinizingly
on her face, "but he seemed SO old and
SO helpless, that"
"God bless you for your noble deedr
said Ambrose Mililin, earnestly.
But there was something in Helen's
manner which prevented him from of
fering any pecuniary recompense to her,
"My grandfather will need your cares
no further" said he. eve have been
fortunate in our Australian investments,
and l am prepared to buy the old farm
back again and settle here permanent
ly."
And when Mrs. Dardanel began to
think about getting her winter ball
dresses made up, she received q note
from Miss Hyde, which ran as follows:
'DEAB Mis-. DARDANRL am sorry
to disappoint you, but l cannot under
take any more orders. For l am to be |
married next month to Mr.. Ambrose
Mifllin, and we are to live at the Dag
gett farm. And, oh how proud l |
should be il you would come here and
visit me next summer, when the roses
are in bloom and the strawhasries ripen.
Ambrose is all that is nice. .sIhd / shall |
have the dearest old grandhther-in-law
in the world. Aifectionately,
"HELEN HYDE"
And,all this life romance had grown
out OF Helen's month at the seaside.