Litchfield enquirer., 1881-09-01
ordering the chop and pudding to be ready an

.'S>s."s suO S1op ain1 puuuinS lo Do icduy di h0nf hence. ..{a.-s.:,,. s+ -,.> 455..
 would weave an intricate and exciting piot-a plot that would hold me reader breath. less. and causetmy editor sto greet me. on my next visit to the editorial sanctuns with lis .biandest smile; and my heroine should be limned after the pattern of that sweet faced caim-eyed wOmaB, my new ueighbor.
 had chosen asdelightful seat quiet and re tired, yet within earshot of chldren's voices and the quacking of many ducks, Cor we had pond-quite large pond, too-in our park, when, moving slowly. and in strange timid fashion, my new ilheishbof came along one oi the side walks.
 confess to experiencing a shock. con fess that Pegasus, just about to soar aloft, tioundered pitiably. fa .saf.. .-.,. ,. called, in homely parlance, crook-back.
 A simple brown bonnet was tied over hel brown hair, the two nearly matching each other. Her blue eyes full of sort of pa thetic pleading, as if asking all the world to be tolerant of her deforined shape and awk- ward. sha,nbling gait-looked at me as she passed. almost fancy she would have stop ped and taken place upon the bench beside me but for the fact that she was on her way to keep an appointment. l came to this con- clusion unhesitatingly, because have learned to read peoples errands from the way they go about them, and know the look of person on the way to business interview of bpaheart
 Poor people do not wait for introductlons to make each others acquaintance It is one of the advantages of poverty that it is untram- meled by conventionality t...,,.,... ,.
 A week later 1 knew Hetty Deacon to speak to as we passed each other in the street to nod to as we locked at each other from op- posite windows A month later seemed to have known her all my life. wondered how had ever managed to get on without her sweet companionship-her ready sympathy.
 For you never saw anyone so interested ill the beautiful young Countessese and wicked young Dukes as Hetty was ! She would laugh right merrily over the funny bits of my sto. res, and I'm sure have seen her eyes quite bright and ,tearfal over my death bed scenes. You know people always die at great length, and very much more picturesquely, on paper than they do in real life, and was great hand at thls sort of thing. am a. very old woman now, and an unexpected legacy has made It quite unnecessary for me to write fife. tion for the million" as we called our weekly paper, so may say that much without laying myself open to the charge of being vainglori. Ous. ,..s. ....
 Yes, l was good hand at the pathetic parts often brought the tears to my own eyes, and my voice quite faltered as read aloud to Hetty about pale faces on white pillows, and wan hands that clasped those that fain would never let them go. sa' ''''' .'.' |. .". '-, .'ty
 "How clever you are !" she would say l''I should never have thought of that" .i--.
 Success had had in a certain small way of my own: success that meant due and regu- larsdpply of chops and pudding. and cheap trlp to the sea once every Autumn; but this, felt, was fame-this was incense-this was a sip out of the intoxicating cup of glory!
 It was such help to me having some one near at hand to take an interest Lp the webs spun with my busy brain. -., ...
 Some while back I had tried the landlady' daughter; but the attempt was failure. She ate surreptitious sweets while read to her, and made nasty sucking noises over them. caught her once, in the most thrilling part of most thrilling story, making vulgar signs with her fingers to her younger brother through the chink of the room door. Then gave the thing up, convinced that the high. CT educationa of the masses was a hopeless affair. Butt was different, quite different with Hetty.
 And l grew to love the girl (she was but eighteen) with all my heart. There had been black and terrible troubles in my past life. All loved had been reft from my hold worse still, those trusted in most biindly had prov ed untrue. Mine was sad story enough !; grief and disappointment had seemed to wither me; I had made no ties, formed no friendships in these latter years. But now, l was like an old tree that suddenly sprouts out into little fresh green branches of leaves all about it's foary trunk. let Hetty creep into my heart of hearts and nestle there. .a..l ;,
 Hetty was an artists model.
 1T only sit for the face and head, of course, D she said, a faint flush rising in her cheek, as she alluded to her deformed and twisted frame Git seems 1 suit for Saint Cecilias, and that sort of thing"
 s'So IshouId fancy,"liI answered, glancing at tue beautiful spiritual face opposite to me. ,.-. ..,-.r-, .....y, .4y
 '.Of course, with mother to keep, it has been hard work some times, and the sewing for the linen shops is good thing to have at hand when studio work chances to be slack. was getting very hopeless just when first we came here, though said nothing to mother l never do. Do you remember the morning passed you sitting under the laburnum tree in the park Well, was on my way to see an artist then" Y 2" a. #
 Il knew you were on your way to see somebody; you looked like business all over" 1H 'a a'5.' 'js1 l4@ ..i
 ''Yes, l dare say.I did. Il felt like it. I never made better bargain than did that day. was afraid that I should break out singing as came along the streets home-my heart was as glad as the lark over there at Number ten." grt-~a ,< ?. .hssl H .
 ''I thought so," put in here; II heard you singing next morning at your work"
 Patience, think we always loved each other. even before we ever spoke to each ther. used to peep at you across the street, aad then, the milkwoman told mother you were the lady who wrote stories ; SO peeped oftener than everl | think I was a little frightened of you at first .a. -s,. .,...... ,.
 But not now ?"
 'sAh, mol" @ '. fS' -'7 .', ~
 Hetty's mother was nearly blind, and vet it was wonderful how much she managed to do ln the way of setting up'' their shabby little room. It was the very picture of cleanliness and tidiness. The last tenant had been mu- sician at onetof the minor theatres, a man who devoted himself to two things in life-his y1o- lin. and the rearing of mignonette in the box outside the window. The sun of prosperity seemed to be beginning to shine upon him. for when he left, with much pomp and ceremony, he presented the painted box to the landIady, and now, full of sweet-scented greenish and yellow flowers. it fourished exceedingly under Hetty's care. ..... .......1 .....,
 Cousin Jack likes the smell of flowers like those, she said to me one Sunday afternoon as she andI stood together by the window. Hes coming, is Jack, this evening, and he and l are going to church together. -,
 am naturally rather a fluent woman, but there was something in Hetty's face-solnoe- thingin sHetty's voice-tliat held me silent, as she spoke fsthis expected visitor of hers.4a i
 If you have any intuitive perceptions at all, you Can scarcely mistake the look in a woman s eyes. the smile on q woman's lips, as she speaks of the man she loves l'yau Is4 ,a3ug
 Apparently .Hetty was surprised at my si- lence, for she gave me a quick glance, folded her hands lightly one in the other. let them fall upon her lap, and with sort Of child. like wonder in her great soft eyes, said siow- " :a... a1atEa4 sd1 9sAa 9N y,s 30 i1iyoP !
 Why, Patience, you never saw Cousin
 Tread her heart like anopen book. She pitled with all her gentle soul that benighted being who had never seen Cousin Jack."a It was difficult to her to form an idea of what the world gasE aea,n liz n that v,oreo ,ca