Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-09-23
on a BLACKBOARD.


parlor beating hor foot impatiently on
the striped rag carpet. The August
-un peered into the windows, and at the
sides IF tile green paper curtains, per-
foraied with pin-holes and Tapping in
tile breeze. size caught occasional
glimpses of the mountains and the
clouds which made marvellous pict-
ltrc iii Tront If tie Old Vermont farm
house. Two nelghbors lad dropped in
III sfe hef aunt, anil the three ladies,
with knitting work and occasional re-
sori u their black paper nache snuff
boxes, discussing the probable fate Of
Il dsagreeable farmer iii the vicinity,
whose thelt If i tyearlmg" was the
chief topic 81 conversation III Ill the
farm houses within tic radius Of half i
dozen miles.
An they dew say was one IL tie
passing frtnafka that caught her ear,
atltn they haint never had 40 idec up
fo Goshen what SORT 81 critter twas
HI stole, tilI nle Mrs Stevens, she said
Ill haow Sic seen linn agoin
Mis- MIdrcd's attention wandered,
-he found tile conversation dull, but
sIr looked IL tie women with i new
curiosity. And this IL their life" she
Was thinking, 4 clean apron, pinch
Ill snatI, sud 4 neighborIy call after
the dimrf dishes are done M, i dis
.u4sion If oli Mrs Browns paralytic
stroke, Deacon Stebbins thild wife,
Naillda Hines success with her sage
cheese, and lhe new bell Oh the town
hall.
une III the thin monotonous voices
began .,aaini I'll test sot out 70 70 with
Mary Ann, yan know She lives two
miles from tiiat there
Mis- Mildred caught M her hat and
saHniered ali III tie front door Only
i leN rais away we're the pine woods,
cool, sill, fragrant. Sire seated herself
ii the foat If i gigantic tree, and, lean
lng lin head against tile trunk, went
ofI into III, 81 tie feycries which lately
seemed III Till the waking hours If her
it,
wagon eamc rafting along the
rocked, sandy road Her uncle was
fetnrning from trip 70 the village, and
s, III drove into tic shed liz called to
tnr, Letters, darlcr
Il Naa always his name for her, she
Nsts an lllse i daughter liz had lost She
nlttd fof thr letters, not very impa-
lIently, I'LL III came ~ On his way 10
the house. There were only two of
Them The one from her sister She
opened first
And Mf Elsan cnme yesterday,
III one III thn paragraphs I'VE told
lin III YOUR fincy to hurry Yourself I'LL
summer III Tile rural districts, Int a.
srrpd linn yni Wonidloin is for il week
IL least. before 80 returned to New
York Df course that il tie only thing
tint prevents him from leaving tile
Springs 1T once III the way, he heard
before I'LL came III THAT ii IL NIL over
between you and Oscar, and that Oscar
d engaged Ii that cousin of his. Ella
Hunt. Who m.,s always held up % lis lis
u mnitl IL all tile virtues. don't
doubt fha Size IL exactly suited III him.
Malnma Is delighted that Mr. Elson il
gong III slaA withas. You know, Milly,
Mhat SHE has aet her heart On, and If
course ynu Won't disappont Us all.
IIe lias crown Il little stouter than lie
MAS III the winter.
Size threw the letter aside. unfinished,
1nl at perfectly still her hands tight
ly ,lasned III hrf lap. Oscar Rrant en-
gasei u hi5 cousin Ella Well, THAT
Msl. aesafaln. to ~hc eternal fitness III
thlngs lila Lad iii amiahle dispusi-
ton. M defined, creme, ladylike i'll
MA Size never acted on IMPULSE,
Ht'Nrf saNe .tWsty ~ i quick temper,
atil had never said III done. III her
Whole lite, ! thlns She lad reason t. he
sofry t,f ~. Mildred reelected. She
Mts altogether the proper person for
1ssar lilaut, aud with queer little
nnsi she Thought Ut tile hopeless litl
.rense between herself and this most
admirable woman Rut tile laugh was
sa nearly AKIN III sOh that she dared
net 81 lrat herself II 81 81 thinking
Size sasht III the other letter from il
Young Lady salaurnlng Ill Saratoga 1t
MI addressed ii large dashing hand
eayerins the Whole nf tile envelope
Ahv wlIishe nse violet ink q wis Mil
,,fra thought Is Size opened il. II
49, is lashins inside as out
lau arc certainly i gay deeeiver,
n,y dear HI think that your health
required fe-t AMI mountain air. So that
Nou could neither give Your family nor
nc tie pleasure if Your society
understand il All new. and really
CAN'T hlano yau Oscar Rrant Is more
entertaining than hotel full If people.
md handsamtr than ever. saw him
laf itlst moment on route for Lake
1hanplaln with his party Camping
aat nlust Isl such fur And u think
zen happened II have III uncle living
so conveniently near. 0f course you
see oscar every day al two.
fAefe MS four- page description fol
Mlng 0f tile costumes wore III il ball III
tlie e'tand Union. Mildred Parmenter
81 thfs tlay TINS never read i word ii
More neNsta hnw little ner Saratoga
friend guessed III the truth III the case
md 0seal Rrant was only four miles
away she could hot help II now ii the
tsars same Why could they not LET
hef alone Size thought She had come
I'll II ii tle New England hills 10 gain
sNme of tht strength and peace she
had Lost alter she and oscar Brant had
parted
she mus trv lar il harder than ever,
noN that tic tame drew near for her 10
return IL tho city.
Her mother and sisters would wait
far hsr II the Springs. Mr.. Elson would
wait, too. Nr. Elson. worth half mil.
lion, SHY years old, his head bald and
shinev; short fat. flissy man. who had
grown little stauter." Ugh. They
would ait NJ home together. to the fall
fashions and dinner parties, and formal
calls. She thought suddenly Of the
stuttv parlor, and 1T the three ladies
With their gossip about the new minis
Ter and neighborhood's numus and
measles. What VAS there to choose
between city and country life? Life it.
sell was lntolerable everywhere. Des-
pair 1t Is i i VERY hopeless sort Of des-
pair. Mildred laid her head on the
ground with great tearing sob. oh
how can bear it,"
Size Went back to the house presently
She would conquer this foolishness, SO
she told herself, rs she kept saying over
and over again the whole summer long
She would conquer her temper, too
grow humble, and docile, and patient
II she tried hard, perhaps, before she
grew to he livery old womau-and 40 K
her was an immense age-she might bs
amiable, too; serene, self-poised anc
lovable. She was quite charmed with
the ideal she imagined Of herself. Al