Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-05-30
A Dark Day.

SucKle growing against Ine WiHuoW'
The spring breeze breathed balmily into
the apartment, filling her senses with a
delicious dreaminess. and her eyes wan
dered wistfully out beyond the shaded
village street to the green fields and
budding willows bordering the spark
ling river. On a morning such as this,
who could endure to stay in doors ?
Who could endure to sit quietly down
and darn stockings?
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 down to Aunt Ellen's. The morn
ing is lovely and have something to
tell you"
81 am afraid I can't, Susie. It is
Saturday, you know, and am sewing
and watching baby asleep, while moth
er is in the kitchen
"Then I will have to tell you now, I
suppose"
She came close under the window,
and said. with mischievous smile:
81 don't know who. The new minis
ter?"
"No, indeed; somebody very differ
ent from that fat, red-faced old codger,"
returned Susie, irrevently.
''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 out of
the way of his home, they gave him
leave to stop here for day or two, SO
he told me when 1 met him just now.
He arrived only an hour ago, in the
stage from Cox's Station, and that is
how l 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 lit
tie garden gate, in the moonlight, bid
ding her goodbye before going away to
the city to seek his fortune. She re-
membered 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, Hetty, and
when | come back"
And just then her mother had come
on the porch and called her in out ot
the damp air, and so he had left hel
reluctantly. But now he had come
back and she would see him to-day.
T II do declare, Hetty, exclaimed hel
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 o.
stockings What have you been about
Dreaming away your time as usual, nj
, doubt, and with all the children's Sun
l day clothes to look over and lay ou
for tomorrow, besides the Saturday
chores"
Hetty penitently resumed her work
she was very glad when towards sunse
it was all done, and she had leisure t.
1 run up to her own little room, ant
!! never in her life had she taken sucl
pains with her appearance as now.
How anxiously she listened to th
expected ring of the door bell. How
tumultuously her heart beat when a
S length it came. and how heavily it sanl
n when old Deacon Brown stalked in t
h discuss some church matters with he
father. Then she began to look at th
clock, and her heart grew fainter an
= fainter as she saw it travelling slowl
around to eight o'clock. In Riversid
they kept early hours. and when at
l. quarter of nine, Deacon Brown tool
e leave, Hetty also arose, and lightin
e her bedroom candle, went slowly an
: sadly up stairs.
- When next morning. she came down
d her mother remarked, as she busted her
self about the breakfast table:
1t "Hetty, Walter Hayes was here las
t night"
:, .'Oh, mother %
There was something almost patheti
g in the look and tone, but Mrs. Loci
% wood was too busy with the steamin
% coffee pot to perceive it.
sr "He came in just as you had gone u
stairs" she continued. "He asked fc
,. you, but it was SO late I thought
r hardly worth while to call you bac
II again. He had been seeing Miss Mitcl
g ell home to her Aunt's-that Philade
!. !. phia girl, you know. and | know, unit
V. he mentioned it. that she was niece
, his employer, Mr.. Mitchell. He is ce
S, tainlY improved. To my mind thel