The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-09-01

~ HeaA Asf Ao uAt At io't1 lcF HsHft NV
e the end lof sll things. Deborah ha
'r thought Of his holiday drew near, III
'e very last Of these lovely days had CONS
,, and Clifford was climbing the hill. wit
n tho resolve in his mind 10 speak out tha
5 day, and little note In his pocket in cas-
q circumstances did not favor his spcakin
9 by word Of mouth, lie was whistling
: perhaps TO keep his courage up, and pou
!, dering on some words by that late Marqui
q Of Mon,rosc, abou. fearing his fate to-
a much. for indeed it has come TO this. ant
!. il this little country girl should reject hin
: his life would become What he scarcel,
I dared aud did not like to contemplate.
Q Some people are born to good luck, bu
Clifford was not one Of these. The de
pendent and thoughtful Achsa had takor
herself away. but Uncie Edward had ar
rived on one Of his periodical visits OF in
spection. to find out how much more hi,
, nieces had than they needed. He poked
and shifted at everything, said geraniums
were costly flower, girded at an old fad
! ed blue dress Deborah had put on( because
Clifford liked blue?aEd kept the poor girl
} at his heels till party Of sight.seers
claimed her. Then came her father and
J Achsa and supper time, and at last Clifford
had to go. trusting to his earnest and low
ing little note, in which he had begged for
a line to his inn in the village before train
time in the morning
\ But no word came. He waited over q
train-two trains ;he even rushed up TO the
old house. II WAS shut, bolted aud bar
red. Deborah had gone with her uncle
to purchase dress for Achsa, with hu.
initiation and embarrassment under q
shower Of sharp speeches. And after he
had been at home some months, Clifford
imagined he could think with tolerable
oquanimity Of some other of Montrose's
verses. though he could not bare as yet to
frame or exhibit certain picture OF rosy
pale girl in an old time blue gown, leaning
against the window full Of geraniums.
When Achsa returned that night it was
with merry look Of shy questioning; but
Deboralis face was unresponsive; she only
looked pale and tired. Days went on,
while she grew paler; her bright smile was
not SO ready; her gay voice so quick to
jest. All the lovely autumn went by and
the early winter, and Achsa seemed anx-
iously expecting some one or something,
which never came. When Christmas was
come and gone, however, with no sign,
Achsa, watching the hopeless look which
had grown in Deborsh's eyes, at last blurt-
cd out the question: Deborah, did-that
Mr.. Clifford never say anything before he
went away2
Never, answered Deborah, with little
sigh, quickly repressed.
Well. then he's mean snide, said Aeh
sa, which was her depth of reprobation
expressed in the strongest words her
SCHOOLGIRL vocabulary afforded
The winter dragged on and Deborah be-
stirred herself to contrive spring ''suit"
for Achsa. One cold, snowy day she sat
by the wood fire in the hall surrounded by |
paper patterns, pins, materials and con-
trivances. working soberly enough with
her deft little hands, when Achsa, who had
recovered her brightness after expressing
her opinion of Clifford, came merrily in
mass Of snow.
Please Achsa, go and drip in the kitch-
en-, said her sister, which Achsa unwilling
did, but could not resist popping her curly
head in the door and saying;
Oh, Dipsey, have such m idea!
Dry 1t last, she danced in to embrace
Deborah and develop her idea.
Dipsey dear, she said, you know grand
mothers reticule?
Deborah nodded.
Well, they're all the fashion; everybody
is to wear them. Ella Harrington has an
embroidered satin one that was her aunt's;
but ours is ever so much prettier, and was
our real grandmother's Now, you dear
old Dipsey, maynt wear it, and line it
with blue bits from my dress2 Those
marvellous flowers will go with anything,
you know.
The decoration of her pet was Deborah's
only thought, so she obediently laid down
the blue pale breadths, and fetched the
old bead bag.
II has been lined with cardinal almost
like your ribbons, said she, slipping her
hand down among tho rags which had
once been thick satin lining. / haven't
seen ii since last summer, when the keys
wore it out so, and had nothing to refine
it, Why
Deborah stopped. In a slip Of the rag
ged lining her fingers touched folded
paper.
Miss Deborah Estey. she read. What
can this be?
Achss spraLg up TO see, but Deborah
the careless scrawl, and turned
away from her curious eyes. But Achsa
read it after all, for with little cry Of pain
and Joy Deborah dropped it, to lay her
head down on the cold beads and burst
into tears
Yes, remember, she said, after while,
Trying her eyes; he stood near me and
was looking at that old bag the last day,
but didn't know he put anything in it;
md with sudden impulse she kissed the
reticule, blushed beautifully, though Ach-
~ was not looking.
Obi was that young woman's brief CON-
nent. So he wasn't snide after all. Arnt
you gladf