Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-11-11
BRATTLEBORo, VT, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER II, 1881.

same, fur's he could see, but mebbe her own
folks could tell better. The hint passed un-
noticed till one evening in early April, when
a messenger rode swiftly up Breakneok, and
burst into the house where the three sat by
the dim lamp, Lucinda keeping up her mon
otonous flow Of words, the two sisters silent.
"She's dyin'," he said. "The doctor said
she might live till you got there"
"Who F
Miss Althea had risen, and stood now, fierce
and rigid clutching the frightened boy as she
spoke.
miss Templeton, he said, strugglingaway.
"Hiram told me to get you team"
run, then," Miss Althea screamed "The
fastest Wallis got. Tell him to be quick"
Lucinda burst into loud crying
'Be still, you fool" rang out Miss Dian
tha's voice, with its old sharp command. 'Im
goin' on tue hoss," and snatchng her hood
she rau to the gate, climbed from the long
disused horseblock TO the horses back, and
with dangling stirrups and tapping rein she
held her place by sheer will, as the frightened
animal tore down the hill and through the viii
age street, still, as speed slackened, urging
him on over the four miles between her and
the chance Of speech. Up hill and down,
through thick wood and between low mead
ows, the rush of the swollen river drowned in
the clatter Of hoofs, and at last the faint,
twinkling Sights Of the farm. The horse stood
with dropping head and steaming fanks as
she slid from his back, and, pushing aside the
curious and startled group about the door,
went up the stairs and toward the room to
which Hiram pointed. She passed swiftly in,
the doctor and attendant were motioned out
by hand so imperative that none could gain
say it, and Diantha, boiling the door, turned
to the bed, and, after one look at the motion
less form upon it, fell on her knees and bur
led her face in the coverlet.
81 thought you'd feel bad, Dianthy," Miss
Chloe said, the words coming family and as if
from some remote distance. 81 thought you'd
come, an held out an waited There isn't
any time now, but, Dianthy, you must prom
Use me one thing You must go home and let
by-gones be by-gones. Iwant you to be good
to Althea."
Miss Diantha raised her face white and set
as if death had touched her too. She lifted
her hand as she knet.
Don't, Dianthy-don't !" Chloe cried, try
ing to rise.
Before you that I've killed, l solemnly
swear it, said Miss Diantha, solemnly. 1--WE
held my tongue for spite, and I'll hold it now
for punishment The last word say to livin'
soul / say TO you now, Chloe Templeton."
"Oh, Dianthy, don't % walled Miss Chloe,
falling back on her pillow, ending with this
last appeal the long entreaty of her life.
When Miss Althea entered with the doctor,
the elder sister sat motionless and silent by
the bed. In silence she pointed to Miss Al
thea as the one TO make arrangements, and
waited till nothing further remained to be
done. In silence she rode home and shut her.
self into her own ROOM and there she remain.
ed till the hour for the funeral services, held
in the old church on the common.
From every quarter the people flocked in.
M cupb OnnOrtunitv had ~
seeing all the actors in this village tragedy,
and Miss Diantha faced them with a compos-
ure that made the more sensitive shiver and
moved many to fierce anger The old minis
ter broke down as he tried to tell the gentle
ness and patience of the soul that had passed
beyond need of human words, and for an in
stant there was an ominous rustic, as if then
and there Judgment must be had on those who
had laid on it burden too heavy to be borne.
Miss Diantha stood by the grave until the
last shovelful of earth had been laid on, then
turned and walked home, stopping for a mo-
ment at the village store. When Miss Althea
and Lucinda returned, her door was shut, and
no sound was heard from the room until the
next morning. But as they made prepara-
tions for tea Miss Althea saw that the three
teapots and caddies had been removed, and
that an earthen one and a tin caddy filled with
Orange Pekoe stood on the lower shelf, and
knew that by this sign Miss Diantha had spok-
en-, and renounced her own will once for all
Years followed. Lucinda fingered, un-
changed in look and clinging more and more
to Miss Althea, who had aged suddenly when
Chloe died, and who made continued efforts
TO break Miss Diantha's silence. But though
a certain wistfulness seemed at times to show
itself, she only, when appealed to, shook her
head solemnly aud returned to her own room.
What secrets the old walls knew, who can tell
What sorrow and late repentance! But none
knew till morning came when, alarmed by
the long silence Miss Althea went in to find
her with wide-open eyes, but powerless to rise
from the floor where she had fallen. In the
open drawer of the old bureau lay Miss Chloe's
Bible and the worn volume of Mrs. Hemans,
and near them the broken fragments of the
three tea-pots, each in folded napkin.
A week of quiet waiting, and then, in the
hours between night and morning, Miss Di
antha suddenly lifted her head.
II thought you'd come, Chloe" she said,
and with the words was gone.
When her will was opened they found, first,
a legacy of one thousand dollars ''to Hiram
Steele and wife for kindness to my sister
Chloe" and then an order that on the plain
tombstone erected for her should be simply
the words "Diantha Templeton, aged 49,
4 was dumb. opened not my mouth for
shame"
And so at last people knew that the scorn
and indignation, never quite lost even in the
long years since Miss Chloe's DEATH had been
accepted as just punishment, and that Miss
Dantha had known sorrow, and left this last
message of tacit confession and repentance.
-Hdrper's Bdsar.