Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-10-03

ming away and hiding myself forever
crossed my mind, when / heard Will
calling me.
.sHe and two or three of the others
were standing at the front door-a ter
rible of council of three like that
which used to sentence the victims in
the Prigioni which we saw last month
at Venice. felt not unlike a con-
demned prisoner-one who had been
shut up so long that death came almost
as relief-whlch it must often have
been to these poor souls. The three
big boys stood beside them. looking
very sad.
(" Little GIRL said Will, in quite
judicial tone, 1--WE think you have been
punished enough to make you thorough
ly ashamed of yourself. We wish you
to 60 and play with Tommy as usual ;;
but Tommy could not possibly have you
unless you were out of Coventry. We
will give you one chance more. Con-
fess that you pulled up the jessamine,
and we'll forgive you, and tell nobody
about you; and you shall 60 and have
tea with Tommy just as if nothing had
happened. Think-you have only to
say one word
"'And if | don't say it?'
"'Then, answered Will, with SOL
emn and awful expression, i shall be
obliged Immediately to tell everybody
everything
"That terrible threat-all the more
formidable because of its Vagueness-
quite overcame me. To be set down as
a liar or to become one; to be punished
as knew my aunt would punish me on
her sons mere statement for a wrong
thing l had never done, or to do wrong
thing, and, escaping punishment go
back to my old happy life with my dear
Tommy, who stood. the tears in his eyes
waiting my decision.
sit was a hard strait-too hard for
one SO young, And Will stood glaring
at me with his remorseless eyes.
well. now-say, once for all, did
you pull up my jessamine 2
cit was too much. Sullenly. slow
ly, l made up my mind to the inevita-
bic, and answered. Since you will have
it so-yes.' But the instant l had
said it l fell into such fit of sobbing
almost hysterical screaming-that my
cousins were all frightened and ran
away. 4
Tommy stayed, however. He got
me into the quiet arbor as fast as he
could. felt his arms around my neck,
and his comforting was very tender,
very sweet. But it was long before L
stopped crying, and still longer before
anything like cheerfulness came into my
poor little heart. We played together
all the afternoon very afectionately,
but in a rather melancholy sort of way,
as if we had something on our minds to
which we never made the smallest refer
ence. Tommy was timid boy. and
Will had cowed him into unkindness /;
but he loved mel knew he did. Only
as is often the case, if his love had had
little more courage it would have been
all the better for me-perhaps for him
too.
1--WE spent peaceful. but rather dull
afternoon, and then were summoned In
doors to tea.
"Now tea at Tommy's house was a
serious thing. Tommy's grandmother
always sat at the table. and looked at
us through her spectacles, and talked to
us in formal and digni6ed manner,
asking if we had been good children,
had learnt our lessons we'll, had played
together without quarreling, etc., etc,
She was kind old lady, but she al
ways made US feel that she was an old
lady, years upon years older than We
and quite unable to understand US a
all. Consequently, we never did more
than answer her questions and hold oul
tongues. AS for telling her anything
our troubles especially-we would al
soon thought of confding in the Queen
or the Emperor Of all the Russias.
81 never opened my lips all tea-time
and at last she noticed it. Also tha
my eyes were rather red.
This little girl looks as if she ha(
been crying. | hope you have not made
her cry, Tommy, my dear
Tommy was silent. But l eagerl.
declared that Tom had not made me cry
Tommy was never unkind to me.
al am glad to hear it; Evangeline
[she always gave me my full name)
and | hope you are good child. VIII
is never in mischief, and above all
never tell lies. If | were not quit
sure of that, | could not allow Tomm,
to play with you
"She looked US full in the face as
she saw through and through us-whic
she did not, being very short-sighted-
yet felt myself tremble in every limt
As for Tommy, he just glanced at m