The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-05-19
A DARK Day

sias on the table close by. while With
reach bright butierfy hoyered about
newly opened honeysuekle growing again
the window The spring breeze breathe
halmily into the apartment. filing her sci
sos with delicious dreAminess. and hs
eyes wandered ~i.iiully ont beyond th
shaded village street 10 the green field
and budding willows bordering the spark
4 ling river. On a morning such as this
Who could endure To stay in doon2 VIII
could endure to sit quietly down and darl
stockings?
girlish voice aroused Hetty. Looking
4 from the window she saw Snsie Lake lean
ing on the little front garden gate.
Oh, Hetty, do come and walk with IN,
down TO Aunt Ellen's The morning il
lovely and have something 10 tell you
am afraid | can't, Susie. II is Satur
day. you know. and am sewing and watch
ing baby asleep, While mother is in th'
kitchen
Then will have to tell you now, ! sup
pose.
She came close under the window, and
said, with mischieyous smile:
Whom do you think ] saw just now,
Hctty?
don't know who The new minister?
No, indeed somebody very different
from that fat, red faced old codger return.
ed Susie, rreyerently.
Oh Susie. but who was it,
Now, it was Mr.. Walter Hayes Now,
amt you surprised
A vivid blush dyed Hetty's fair face.
She made no reply, and Susie continued
His employer, Mr.. Mitchell, sent him on
business from Philadelphia to c., and
as this wasn't much ont Of the way of his
home, they gave him leave to stop here
for a day or two, so he told me when ! me.
him just 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 flush
ed checks and frightened eye No won
der. For more than year past the
thought OF Walter Hayes had been tho
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 city to seek
bis fortune. She remembered the warm
lingering clasp OF his hand, and how he
had said to her in voice that was low and
You must not forget me, Hetty. / shall
always think of you, Hetty, and when !
come Back
And just then her mother had come on
the porch and called her in out of the
damp air, and so ho had left her reluctant
". But now he had come back and she
would see him to-day.
] do declare, Hetty, exclaimed her
mother, bustling into the room, flushed
with her pie-baking, you are the LATEST
girl ever saw Here you've been up
wards of an hour darning one pair OF
stockings What have you been about?
Dreaming away your time as usual, no
doubt aud with all the children's Sunday
clothes ia look over and lay out for to-
besides the Saturdays chores.
Hetty peniteutly resumed her work; but
she was very glad when towards 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 anxiously she listened to the ex-
pected ring OF the door bell. How tumul-
Luously her heart beat when at lenght it
came, and how heavily it sank when old
Deacon Brown stalked in to discuss some
church matters with her father. Then she
began to look at the clock and her heart
grew fainter and fainter as she saw it trav-
cling slowly around to eight o'clock. In
Riverside they kept early hours, and when
It quarter OF nine, Deacon Brown took
cave. Hetty also arose, and lighting her
bedroom ancdle went slowly and sadly mp
itlirs.
When, next morning, she came down,
Ter mother remarked, as she busted her
elf about the breakfast table:
Hetty, Walter Hayes was here last night
Oh, mother
There was something almost pathetic in
he look and tone, but Mrs. Lockwood was
90 busy with the steaming coffee pet to
perceive it.
He came in just as you had gone up
tairs, she continued He asked for you,
,ut il was so late thought it hardly worth |
While to call you back again. He had been
eeing Miss Mitchell home to her Aunt's--
hat Philadelphia girl, you know, and
now, until he mentioned it, that she was
niece Of his employer, Mr.. Mitchell,
Ie is certainly improved, 70 my mind
here is nothing like city life for giving
,eople what they call style now. Make
,ddies milk toast whilst pour out the
Office
think. observed Mr. Lockwood, as be
ook his place at the table and cut into the
old corn beef; think heard Harry Tun-
tall say yesterday. that young Hayes was
,aying attention to Miss Mitchell She's
handsome girl, and her fathers got mon
y. II Walter marries her he will do well
don't bolt your food like that, cut it 4
properly sir, before eating.
Hetty turned suddenly sick at heart.
,he said nothing. but she could not swal- /
ow her food and her mother presently re-
marked upon her pale looks:
Don't you feel well, child? noticed |