The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-07-07
4 DARK DAY.

delicious dreaminess and her eyes wan
dering vistfully out beyond the shaded
village street, to the green fields and
budding willows bordering the sparkling
river. On a morning such as this who
could endure to stay in doors7 Who
could endure to sit quietly down and
mend stockingsl
a girlish voice aroused Hetty. Look
ing from the window she saw Susie Lake
leaning on the little front garden gate.
"Oh, Hetty, do come and walk with
me to Aunt ElIen's. The morning is
lovely and have something to tell you. :"
81 am afraid l can't Susie. It's Sat
urday, you know, and 7 am sewing and
watching baby asleep, while mother is
IN the kitchen"
''Then viii have to tell you now, 1
suppose"
She came close under the window and
said with a mischievous smile:
"Whom do you think I saw just now,
Hctty?"
Il don't know who. The new minis
ter?"
"No, indeed; somebody very different
from that fat, red-faced old codger, !"
returned Susie, irreverently.
ooh, Susie but who was it?"
''It was Mr.. Walter Hayes. Now amt
you surprised?"
a vivid blush dyed Hetty's fair face.
She made no reply and Susie continued:
Ellis employer, Mr.. Mitchell, sent him
on business from Philadelphia to c.,
aud IS this wasn't much ont of the way
of his home they gave him leave to stop
here for day or two, so he told me when
{ met him inst now. He arrived only an
hour ago, in the stage from Cox's station
. and that is how | came to see him before
you did, Hetty," she added laughingly.
She passed on, leaving Hetty with
flushed cheeks and frightened eye. No
wonder. For more than year past the
thought of Walter Hayes had been the
brightest spot Of her life. One year ago
he had stood at that same little garden
gate in the moonlight, bidding her good
bye before going away to the great city
to seek his fortune. She remembered
the warm, lingering clasp of his hand,
and how he had said to her, in voice
that was low and trembling:
''You must not forget me, Hetty. [
shall always think of you, and when L
come back"
And just then her mother had come
out on the porch and called her in out Of
the damp air, and SO he had left her re
/ luctantly. But now he had come back
and she would see him to-day.
II do declare, Hetty," exclaimed her
mother, busting into the room, flushed
! from her pie-balzing, ''you are the LATEST
! girl I ever saw. Here you have been up
ward of an hour darning one pair of
stockings! What have you been about
Dreaming away your time as usual, no
doubt, with all the children's Sunday
clothes to look over and lay out for to-
morrow, besides the Saturdays chores. -
Hetty penitently resumed her work
she was very glad when toward sunset,
it was all done, and she had leisure to
run up to her own little room, and never
in her life had she taken such pains with
her appearance as now.
How anxiousIy she listened for the
expected ring at the front door! How
unanimously her heart beat when al
length it came, and how heavy it sank
| when old Deacon Brown, stalked N tC
| discuss churchEmatters with her father
Then she began to look at the clock anG
her heart grew fainter and fainter as she
saw it travelling slowly round to eight
Iociock. In Riverside they kept early
hours, and when at a quarter of nine,
| Deacon Brown took leave, Hetty also
rose. and lighting her bedroom candle
went slowly and sadly up stairs.
| When next morning she came down
her mother remarked, as she busted her
self with the breakfast table:
"Hetty, Walter Hayes was here las
night"
"Oh, mother!"
There was something almost patheti,
in the look and tone, but Mrs. Lockwood
was too busy with the steaming coffee
pot to perceive it.
HE came just as you had gone W
stairs" she continued. "He asked fol
| you, but it was SO late l thought it hard
! " worth while to call you back again
| He had been seeing Miss Mitchell home
to her aunt nt's-that Philadelphia girl
you know, and didn't know, until ht
| mentioned it, that she was a niece of hi
employer, Mr.. Mitchell. He is certainl,
improved. To my mind there is nothing
in the world like city life for giving peo
| pie what they cali style now. Makt
Eddie's milk toast while l pour out til,
coffee"
| II think, observed MIR. Lockwood @!
he took his place at the table and Gu
into the cold corn beef: 81 think I hearC
Harry Tunstau say yesterday that youne
I Hayes was paying attention to Mis-
Mitchell. She's handsome girl, ant
her fathers got money. If Walter mar
ries her he will do well-don't bolt you
fool like that, cut it properly, sir, befor
eating"
Hetty turned suddenly sick at heart
She said nothing but she could not swal
low her breakfast and her mother pres
emily remarked upon her pale looks.
2 Don't you feel well, caildl l motto
! sd that you was lidgety last night. Your
teverlsh, doubt not, with the sprinl
weather."