Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-04-28
A D A r z DA Y.

Hetty Lockwood sat at the open win.
dow-a big basket of undarned stock.
ings by her side, new copy of the La
dies Magazine close by, while within
reach bright butterfly hovered about a
newly opened honeysuckle growing
against the window. The spring breeze
breathed balmily into the apartment
filling her senses with delicious dream
iness, and her eyes wandered wistfully
out beyond the shaded village street to
the green fields and budding willows
bordering the sparkling river. On a
morning such as this who could endure
to stay in doors? Who could endure to
sit quietly down and darn stockingsp
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 1 have something to
tell YOU"
81 am afraid l can't, Susie. 1t is Sat
urday, you know, and am sewing and
watching baby asleep, while mother is
in the Kitchen"
"Then will have to tell you now,
suppose"
She came close under the window, and
said, with mischievous smile:
aUhnul do vnr fhinH I aauv iKcf nnuy
Hetty?"
Il don't know who. The new minis
ter?"
No. indeed; somebody very different
from that fat, red-faced old codger," Ie-
turned Susie. irreverently.
"0h, Susie, but who WAS it y
"NOw,it was Mr.. Walter Iayes. Now,
amt you surprised 2"
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 he met me just now. He arrived
only an hour ago, in the stage from
COx'S Station, and that is how l came to
see hin before you did, Hetty," she add
ed, 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 little green
garden gate, in the moonlight, bidding
her goodbye before going away to the
great city to seek his fortune. She re-
membered the warm, lingering clasp of
his hand, and how he had said to her, in
d voice that was low and trembling:
You must not forget me, Hetty.
shall always think of you, and when 1
come back"
And just then her mother had come
en- the porch and called her in out of the
damp air, and so he had left her reluc-
family. Bui now he had come back and
she would see him to-day.
II do declare, Hetty," exclaimed her
mother, bustling into the room, flushed
from her pie-baking, "you are the LATEST
girl ever saw. Here you've been up
ward Of an hour darning one pair of
What have you been about?
away your time, as usual, no
doubt, and with all the children's Sun
day clothes to look over and lay out for
besides the Saturdays chores
Hetty penitently resumed her work;
but she was very glad when, toward
sunset it was all done, and she had lei
sure to run up to her little room, and
never in her life had she taken such
pains with her appearance as now.
How anxiously she listened for the
ring at the front door. How
her heart beat when at
length it came, and how heavy it sank
when cid Deacon Brown stalked in to
the room to dircuss some church mat
ters with her father. Then she began
to look at the clock, and her heart grew
fainter and fainter as she saw it travel
ing slowly around to eight o'clock. In
Riverside they kept early hours, and
when, quarter of nine, Deacon Brown
took leave, HettY also rose, and lighting
her bedroom candle, went slowly and
sadly up stairs.
When, next morning, she came down,
her mother remarked, as she busted her
self about the breakfast table
"Hetty, Walter Hayes was here last
night"
"Oh. motherT
There was something almost pathetic
IN the look and tone, but Mrs. Lockwood
was too busy with the steaming coffee
pot to perceive it.
"He came in just as you had gone up
stairs" she continued. HE asked for
you, but it was so late thought it hard
" worth while to call you back again.
He had been seeing Miss Mitchell home
TO her aunt's-that Philadelphia girl, |
you know, and didn't know, until he !
mentioned it, that she was niece Of his |
Mr.. Mitchell. He is certainly |
improved. To my mind there is moth
ing like city life for giving people what
they call style now. Make Eddie's milk |
5oast whilst pour out the coffee"
81 think" observed Mr.. Lockwood, as
he took his place at the table and |
cut into the cold corned beef; II think |
[ heard Harry Tunstall say yesterday |
hat young Hayes was paying attention |
10 Miss Mitchell. She's a handsome |
girl, and her fathers got money. If
Walter marries her he will do we'll
lou't bolt you food like that, cut it |
sir, before eating"
Hetty turned suddenly sick at heart. |
She said nothing, but she could not !
swallow her breakfast, and her mother |