Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-01-23


mayed round in the folds for the
pocket; the dress slipped from its
peg and came sliding down, the hooks
and eyes on the waist scratching
against the side of the wardrobe with
noise like that of rats working their
way into Betsey's apartment.
Now rat was the one thing on
earth of which the stout-hearted Bet
sey had fear. The sound of a rat
gnawing would awaken her when
thief or thunder storm would have
come and gone unnoticed. On this
occasion she started up in great
alarm, exclaiming, "There's them
rats again Shoo'' Maria held her
breath, and in trying to escape Bet
sey's sleepy, vacant stare, leaned too
far backward, and sat down noise
lessly on the floor of the press, mash
ing in the crown of the coquettish
bonnet and knocking it forward on
her head in most rakish way.
Fortunately Betsey was too much
afraid of rats to venture out on the
floor in search of them, so she merely
reached out and picked up one of her
carpet slippers, lying conveniently
near, and threw it at the supposed
intruders with a warning to them to
"Shoo." The missile flew in the OPP
posite direction from the object aim
ed at, or Maria's bonnet might have
suffered yet more severely. AS it
was, Betsey supposed from the in
tense silence which prevailed, that
she frightened away the rats, and af-
ter listening few moments to assure
herself that they were really gone,
lay down again and was soon peace
fully sleeping. In the meantime Ma
ria sat breathless till assured of Bet
sey's oblivion, when she pulled her
self out of her uncomfortable position,
and made off with such haste as was
consistent with cramped limbs and
utter silence, taking the palm-leaf
dress with her to the safety and Sc
clusion of her own room. There, by
the light of the moon which was
warning her of the lateness of the
hour, she hastily searched out the
pocket and secured the teeth which
were hidden in the depths. These
she placed in her mouth, and then re-
placed the tan-colored CATERS and
opening the door into the entry-way
glided out, and passing through the
kitchen to avoid the watchful Tiger,
soon found herself standing under
the blue canopy of heaven in her best
hat and gown ready for fight.
And here let us explain. On the
occasion of the deacon's recent call,
after the tender scene of wooing de-
scribed above, Deacon Skeels had
elected from that romantic maiden a
promise to meet him at the end of the
"cow pasture on the present night,
and 60 off ''quiet like and be unit
ed in the holy bonds in his own little
sitting-room behind the tin shop.
Whether he was prompted to this
course by the dread of encountering
, Elizabeth, or of facing the wrath of
some of the other sisters in the
! neighborhood, who had had their
eyes on him since his bereavement,
, does not appear. At all events, he
wished the deed to be done quickly
and quietly, and this midnight elope-
| ment so pleased Maria, so far exceed
/ ed her widest hopes, her most ro-
mantle wishes, that she readily con-
sented to the plan, and hence we find
r her tonight, skipping along the cow
path to meet her waiting lover, with
all the blithesome agility, if not the
: grace of young girl.
l The episode of the teeth had de-
tanned her some time beyond the
hour appointed by the impatient low
{ er, so she hurried across the pasture
so rapidly that when she reached the
1 trysting place by the lane fence,
where the deacon, the chaise, and the
/ old mare were awaiting her, she was
entirely out of her breath and had to
| lean for some minutes against the
) fence for support, while her lover
[ made several unsuccessful attempts
: to embrace her through the rails. He
Z was too old and too fat to climb the
[ barrier with that ease and grace one
would wish to display before the wo-
man of his alteration, he therefore
concluded to wait till Maria came
| over to his side, as she must to reach
+ the chaise. AS soon as she recover
: ed somewhat, she mounted laborious-
e ly to the top of the fence with what
a little assistance the deacon was able
: to rendea her through the openings
: between the rails, and prepared to
: leap into his open arms. She did
a spring, or rather dropped, but the
e skirt of her gown caught on the ''rid-
: er," and there she hung suspended,
/! her tan-colored CATERS with attend
S ant ankles dancing wildly in MIDI
e in a vain effort to find rest;
, for their soles, whil0 90 =
? bonnet fell on rsne house. flew out
E too fataL4ence of the jerk she re,
. he'd. The agonized deacon s1ooo
hollow uncertain whether to fly or to
remain. Gallantry, however, over
came his modesty, and with the en-
couraging admonition to his love 10
hold fast there, Maria, an III un-
Itch ro,. frock.o - proceeded to release |