St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-01-13

change IN your way OF living. lhls
house is mine, therefore it is yours,
and as soon as you can make up your
mind to let me come and share it with
you, the wedding ring will be ready"
"And that's your idea of a mans talk
to woman ~ said little Miss Jems,
with scornful emphasis. Il call it Il
mans talk to a child-a good for moth
ing, helpless, silly child. And | will
not live in your house, Mr.. Alexander
Wilmartin, which is not mine. And
you shall never put wedding ring on
the finger of ii beggar. So there now ~
"Well upon my word, you have got
temper of your own, Pigeon Miss
Jems, | mean," said Aleck, retreating,
in affected terror, to the other end of
the room, to return i'll an instant, how
ever. "But, if it be not too presump-
tuOus on my part, may | beg your
lady ship to tell me what you do intend
to do ?"
81 shall keep a store, sir-a candy
store"
"And eat up all the profits, to say
nothing of the stock, yourselfP"
alexander Wilmartin, once for all,
if you will not talk sense, go home"
"Violetta Jems, familiarly known as
Pigeon, rather than go home, | promise
to talk sense by the hour"
"Well, sir, shall keep "A candy store.
| don't know how to do anything else
to earn money, and that's easy, cause
it's mostly pennies that come in
though | can make change for il five
dollar bill with little studying-and
as for grandmamma, she's awful smart
at figures and I've found the very
store. It's two miles away from here"
catching him by the lapel of his coat,
and standing on tiptoe. 81 wouldn't
start business in this neighborhOod for
the world d-everybOdy'd tease so; and
there's lots of children there and I'm
going to take it tomorrow; and We'll
move in few days"
"Thank you for asking my advice on
the subject, Miss Jems. 1t was exceed
assumed sternness. "And your grand
mother, from whom you are so anxious
to conceal your change of circumstan
ces, and who comes from Il wholesale
family, as she had frequently told me
herself, what will she think of this sum
mary proceeding 2"
81 shall tell her, Aleck, am do
ing it for fun"
"Doing it for fun Keeping IA con
fectionery on very limited scale for
amusement ?"
"Yes," replied little Miss Jems, nod
ding her head cheerfully, and smiling
brightly, "Grandmamma has heard me
say over and over again I'd like to
keep "A candy shop. And can soon
convince her that my happiness de
pends on starting one at once. 1t
would never do-her head being so
at times-to let her know | am obliged
to do so"
(Which you are not" interpolated
Mr.. Wilmartin.
"For if | did, she'd begin, dear old
soul, to prepare for the poor-house i'm
mediately."
And when are you going to marry
me ?" asked Aleck.
"As soon as | have proved that | can
support myself; something that every
girl as old as | am-seventeen last
week-should be able to do"
"And if you should fail ?"
"'In the bright lexicon of youth
there's no such word as fall" quoted
little Miss Jems.
"You are mistaken Richelieu was
mistaken there is" persisted the lover
Ton the last page of the book"
"Well, then, if | fail, III marry you
all the same. And now you may kiss
me once, and then run away; for since
we have decided what is best to be
done, | must set about doing it without
delay"
I've have decided" echoed Mr.. Will
martin and multiplying one by six,
he kissed little Miss Jems accordingly,
and rushed around the corner to half
finished building before which half Il
dozen wOrkmen were lOunging, ga
waiting for the boss"
And the store was hired and stocked,
and the rooms above it furnished with
part of the furniture from the cottage
the rest was to remain there until IL
new tenant took possession - and
everything was in apple pie order
when it was opened Oh Christmas eve.
1t had only one window, and not il
very large one at that, but little Miss
Jems had made the most of it. Cats,
dogs, monkeys, elephants, horses,
cows, lambs, snakes, lions, tigers
| ih'tJ h NiipiN " vi bliiN
ar was installed therein, and glowed
red and yellow beneath the brilliant
gas jet. Sparkling glass jars filed
with lemon drops, gum drops, Glove
drops, and all kinds of drops, and pep
permint sticks, cream sticks, birch
sticks, and all sorts of sticks, were
ranged on the store shelves, and the
counter was almost covered with
brandnew tin pans containing peanut,
cOcoanut, walnut and cinnamon tatfy,
and enticing chunks of old fashioned
mOlasses candy, and from the ceiling
hung some wreaths of Christmas green
and taken altogether, with little Jems
in large snowy white apron behind
the money drawer, it would have been
hard to have found IA more attractive
small establishment for sweets any
where. And grandmamma, seeing the
great delight of her hearts treasure,
was propOrtionally delighted, and soft
ly murmured to herself, every five
minutes, ''She shall play it as long as
she likes, the dearie, and I'll help her.
But Just as little Miss Jems was
serving her first custOmer-a very
small boy, who bought, after long de
liberation, a camel and chicken-a car
riage stopped before the door, and d
handsomely dressed lady descended
from it, and entered the store in great
haste.
care you Miss Jems ?" she asked.
II am" replied Miss Jems.
Pm glad to hear it, for nice time
Eve had looking for you. Your ia,
theirs uncle-the gentleman from
whom your mother used to receive q
yearly allowances in the city and
wishes to see you Immediately, as he
will be obliged to leave again tonight
| am his daughter. Please come
at once IOu will not he detained fol