Litchfield enquirer., 1881-09-01
HETTY.
 A STORY.

| lie always seems to have something on hlS mind. He is not content to keep it there either, but must forever be taking the moon | when there is one-into his confidence. | He is dog who has keen sense of his own responsibilities, too, and feels called up- l on to bark al every boy who whistles as he l passes, and at every dog who peeks in through i the various gaps in the wooden palings of his home -1.ay le -1A rs-s. @ | So he does good deal of barking, take it altogether, and is looked upon by the inhab- itants of Paradise place in general as safe and sure protection against burglars and all | evildoers ,.'-.. -a4 ~9st-t! ttt a#ua Still, when working hard at ''cepy," for 1 which know the printers devil will be howl ing at my gates'in the morning, l am sorry I the hoarse dog is of such a conscientious dis position. ,.-......, ...5,..... s* .rssl
 When say ''howling at my gates, speak metaphorically. AS matter of fact, have no gates. As 8 matter of fact. have only a share in 8 front door. You knock three times and that means the little, plain looking. shab- l by woman in the second floor front.
 l 1 am only lOdger, you see, in Number Eight Paradise place, and ours is not an aris tocratic neighborhood. Yet we have an odd sight or sound that is pleasant in it's way, for all that.
 really don't think ever saw finer mignons- cite than grows in the window of Number Twenty, over the way; and dear me !! how l sweetly the perfume steals acr,ss the narrow street when the weather is still and-warm. Then there is the lark fastened outside the | attic window of Number Ten Did ever one I hear such melody as he makes when they put l hiln out first thing of morning He squats I on the square of turf in the bottom of his cage, presses his speckled breast to the bars l and shut my eyes, and am back in my old 1 country home. The furrows of the freshly turned fields have a fresh, pungent smell. l hear my young brother Oong since laid to rest in far off land) whistle, as he comes home from his work, with our blue-eyed baby sister toddliag along by his side holding bravely on to one finger of his strong, sunburned hand. The farm door stands open; the passage in
 side is pied with gently stirring leaf shadows from the ivy that clusters all over the old porch; and-yes-there is the mother shall never see again, knitting in hand, peepfng from the doorway at those two approaching fig ures-the tall stalwart lad and the blue-eyed bit of lassie
 These are the visions I see as listen to the lark, and hope he doesn't mind very much be- ing doomed to live in a small wire house and cheer US poor toilers with his song '''
 Yes; even Paradise place has it's pleasures As to the stories l. write-why, they are full of lords and ladies, and everything is on the most genteel scale imaginable. take in fashion paper to study the dress of the upper circles; though on this point am forced to admit that the artist who 'does'' the illustra lions is trial to me, and often astonishes me with the look of my own creations-on pa- l per. r.- .......t -... ...,....t .lf
 am strangely, marvelousy alone in the world. ............-' .@
 The old homestead, father, mother, big 1 brother, blue-eycd sister--all are gone
 But that is not the story l am going to tell | you now. .t ,-s'g
 Suffice for you to know that am a lonely woman. gray haired, sad eyed; almost penni- less, save for what busy pen can earn in- clined to be querulous with the boarse dog at l Number Nine, but yet ready to bask in ray the scent of the mignonette; thankful that there is work to be done, and money to be earned thereby, sufficient for my simple 1 wants .,-
 It seems a very small story have to tell, but yet It had keen interest for me at the time it happened, and often look back upon it. l have often wondered had the courage to do as did, but have never repented of what did.
 We'll, just as the spring was passing into | Summer; just as the fresh green leaves of the l stones'throw of Paradise place, were begin. ming to get bit dusty, and the prmroses and violets were going out of season, pretty | sight caught my eye one morning and kept me 1 from my work longer than it ought to have | done. .e
 It was womans face. framed in an open | windOw-the very one where the mignonette box stood, and whence came the whiff of the many -blossomed flowers in Summer.
 1 Just now nothing was visible it this long green box except vast crown of tiny two leaved plants, that might have been baby cab. pages, or cress, or anythlng--if one hadn't known they were mignonette. ,. l The upper half of the window was shaded by shabby sort of green blind; the lower, open, framing, as 1 have said before, a wo mans face. .... -'...: ue.-'.r t..5 l The profile was toward me first Rather large and massive in outline, but wonderfully Madonna like, with sleek brown hair draw n simply back and folded round comb. T -.a. l We had pretty face or two in Paradise place, but daintiness and neatness were not l qualities common among us. But this wo. man was exquisitely neat, and could see the little snow-white collar round her throat. Hl 1 Presently. still loitering at my window, she turned, and saw her full face ,7, -."
 A broad, noble brow, disguised by no dis I lambent eyes clear and steadfast and the very sweetest smile had ever seen before, or have ever seen since ~fs s' t' VI t' l How did know this? tsf ~2E3 ff.+ t.-~f Why, because she looked across, as did, and smiled at me. *@
 That moment. out burst the lark at Number Ten into madness of trills and roulades and somehow the sound seemed a sort of excuse for that silent greeting. Of course returned the smile-nay, am not sure I did not give the least bit in the world of nod as we'll Then sat down to my desk, giving all niy energies to the task of extricating young and beautiful Countess out of tangle of most l trying circumstances into which had care | fully led her the previous evening". 7T ~s's''t Somehow the face at the window opposite seemed sort of inspiration. Never had my | thoughts flowed in a clearer stream; never had the agony of a suffering heroine piled up ! more thrllipgly; never had the inevitable happy ending" foreshadowed itself so de- | lightfully. st.i'' "i@''s"a' .s"'"1@ '.s 1 mind round that Madonna faced woman. The Countess was safely landed on the matrimo- nial shore after her, struggles through the wa ters of af1iction, so could afford to be idle bit. 1 r@s16' "3t '1'is a3.sF8 th% Al ss-'1s If kept waiting for 'cepY," the printers devil was apt to scandalize the neighborhood (which, though poor, was eminently respec- Istable) by singing low songs and wiistiEg in l an inipudent and distractng manner, hanging himself on to the area rails in impossible atti- tudes the while; but today his bundle of | manuscripts was ready longe before he ap. peared-a state of affairs that aiii perfectly sure disappointed him extremely as cnrtailing hls opportunities of harrying the little world of Paradise e-piace. 1Nb4 la is~ tlsasa "sF3 '5'si There was no more copy due for nearly a week to come. asa sds la ae.t,a.t ''7' would be idle for . while; I,woufd stroll into that park of which we were all So proud, sit on q seat under a tree and watch the shab. 1 by children turning summersaults and stand. l ing on their heads in the grass; take a glance at the rhododendrons beginning to break out l into blaze of color; watch the laburnum shaking it's golden locks out in the soft warm wind; mediate on future difficulties into which to leap aristocratic feet, future depths