News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-04-13

6Aooe baiOAb lOH dDStIdctluS auu UeVOur-
ing both sweets and sours. Lefty sprang
from the lounge, thrust her feet into her
slippers, and fastened where duty had
been calling her for some time. Baby
sat, as good as gold, nursing bottle OF
tomato sauce, snugly wrapped in dish
towel, in the very spot where she had
been. when Kicks ring summoned her
sister to the door. Only one small flask
lay broken on the floor, filling the ali
with the subtle fragrance of garlic.
"That won't be missed" said Lefty.
"Thank fortune, there is no worse mis-
chief done" But the ''thank" was
scarcely uttered when her eyes fell upon
the last jar of the famous peach mar
malade, the secret of the making OF
which died with grandmamma, and
which was being carefully kept for Aunt
Emory's (Aunt Emory was an old maid
worth thirty thousand dollars) birthday.
There it stood directly in front of Baby,
with more than half of its thick paper
hat torn of, and yawning cavity made
in its precious contents by little scoop.
ing fingers.
"Ob, Baby, why couldn't you have
taken any jar but that ?" asked Lefty,
reproaehfully and dramatically.
But Baby evidently had no excuse to
offer for not doing so, for she kept on
grooming to her bottle-doll, while her
sister hastily fashioned another paper
hat and tied it securely over what re-
manned of the original covering.
Then said Baby:
''Rick tiss I-nice Rick p
Oh, that is what he was doing when
she foolishly imagined he was waiting
for her to come and implore his forgive
ness-bidding good-by to Baby. She
might have known it, for he had always
owed Baby dearly.
'Yes, Baby; nice Rick. good Rick,
dear Rick but, for all that, the ring he
gave me goes back to him tomorrow
unless I hear from him tonight. How
dare he wish that we had never met ?
But she did not hear from him that
night, and the next day the little band
of gold was released from its hiding
place in her thick brown hair, and too
faithful messenger placed it in Kicks
hands as he left his place of business.
But, ali! what a silent, sorrowful
maiden wandered about the Lounsberry
dwelling thereafter what istless,
weary voice repeated the nursery
rhymes that Baby demanded fifty times
dayl
'No nice-no more" said Baby,
missing the merry tones and the happy
laugh.
But Mrs. Lounsberry was not at all
displeased with the turn affairs had
taken. Brougham Brown suited her
much better as prospective son-in-law
than Richard Creighton. One was q
wealthy young brewer, the other poor
clerk in contingencies.
"Letty will soon get over it." she
said to Letty's father, whose heart
ached at the sight of his daughters sad
face. ga first-love disappointment is
always hard to bear for while. I
thought I should have died when Ste
phen Ford married my cousin but l
didn't lived to marry you, and have
a sealskin cloak, and Mrs. Ford hasn't
even jacket"
And SO Brougham Brown, who was
really manly, generous, good-hearted
fellow in spite of his beer and wealth,
encouraged by the maternal head of the
house, began devoting himself in the
most ardent fashion to Lefty; and she,
seeing her mothers pleasure thereat,
and hearing no word from Rick, re-
ceived his attentions in passive, I'M
responsible way.
Three months went by. and it was
Aunt Emory's birthday, and that &C.
centric old lady had decided to divide
it among the family, lunching with one
portion, dining with another, and sup
ping with third. The lunch party
was given at her sister Letitia's (Mrs.
Lounsberry), and some half dozen old
friends and some dozen relatives were
hidden to the feast. Lefty, in a sea-
green gown (Rick's favorite gown, with
a spray of pink hyacinths (Rick's favor
tie spring flower in her hair, went
quietly about welcoming the guests,
Brougham Brown following her like her
shadow, until lunch was announced.
Then taking her place at the table, the
young man still near her, she raised the
cover from and dipped spoon into the
last jar of grandmamma's famous peach
marmalade (she had had it placed before
her, trusting to be able to hide the
mischief Baby had done), when some
body said, addressing her mother:
"Have you heard that Richard Creighton
is going abroad for his health? He has
given up his situation, and sails in a
day or two. They say he has failed
fast lately"
And the very next moment Aunt
Emory fixed her specialized eyes upon
her neice's poor pale face, and asked,
sharply: What's the matter, child ?
Do you see anything dreadful in the
sweets ?"
"No, ma'am," answered Lefty, with
a pitiful attempt at smile, when the
spoon struck somthing harder than pre-
served peaches should be.
"Let me help you," said Brougham;
and with one turn of his wrist he placed
upon the dainty china shell before her
a wad of paper.
"And so that is the last of the cele-
brated marmalade, is it2" said Aunt
/ Emory. ST don't want any. I prefer
my sweets unmixed with unknown for
eign substances. Take it away, Norah. :"
But Lefty was already slowly unroll-
ing the paper Git proved to be the miss
ing part of the jars original hat)-a
rather difficult thing to accomplish, as 1t
stuck persistently to her small fingers,
but accomplished at last, when out
rolled the little gold pig. And on the
inside of the paper was scrawled, in
Kicks bold hand, these words
"fM Ny DARLNG-How foolish we are
Il mean, I am Here is the charm.
Miss Varian had it about ten minutes
last night-only long enough to show il
to you and tell you a story about it.
Baby will give it to you. Had no pa
per, so tore piece off one of your jam
pots, Will see you tomorrow evening.