News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-08-10


could remember.
"What goose I am |" she calculated
and then, tremblingly:
"Perhaps 1 had best change m
dress and do my hair. I don't suppos
he'll call; but then he might, and it
best be ready, anyway"
She slipped into her little room nea
by, and hurriedly threw on her bes
dress, neat black alpaca. And then
should shep No. Yes. Well, Just thi
once And on went the pretty brigh
blue bow that was so becoming, ant
that she had never worn but once-tc
their church fair.
Then she danaped, just little, tht
pale locks over her forehead, that they
might draw themselves into soft waves
for her hair had that rare gift of natura
curl, when. it did not have the crimI
teased out of it by her usual severe
modification OF such fightiness as well
as of everything else pretty, as though
they were unbecoming maiden who
was self-snpporting and spinster.
She was really surprised at the result,
and smiled at herself as she added O
white apron, without which she would
hardly have felt sat home, she thought.
''I should at least like to look some
thing as I did then," she apologized to
her glass, Sin case he comes to see me. :"
She was ready at last, and went out
and sat down. But not to stay. She
could not rest. She could not be still.
She must move. Up and down, up and
down she paced, wringing her hands.
"Oh, could bear it when I did not
see him. ButI have seen him now, and
1 cannot cannot 1 love him yet /
Oh, James, Jamesl Oh, how can I
bear it p
All this she moaned, although she
knew all the while that she was foolish
to give away SO to feelings which ought
to have been dead within her long ago.
" It is wrong, all wrong in me, I
know" she sobbed, hystericalIy. "He
belongs to some other woman, now, and
has forgotten me, or I would have
heard from him, just once, in all these
years p
She started. She had not heard any
one click the gate, but, surely, there
was tap at her door.
Hastily wiping her eyes, she glanced
out of the window, and saw her old
lover standing toying carelessly with the
gate, whilst the fair haired child knocked
at her door.
With the glow still on her cheeks, and
the light of her late excitement still in
her eyes, she fastened to answer the
call; although her heart seemed literally
in her mouth.
"Please may we come in and get
warm-I and my uncle? We have
been over at the old house and we are
so cold p
Her uncle
She could not answer at once, but
glanced at the figure waiting anxiously.
l NOV appeared, Tor her reply.
She could not seem to shape any
words with her lips, they quivered SO;
but she held out one hand to the pretty
child and reached out the other to the
stranger at her gate.
With quick step he came to her.
A quick clasp of the hand.
"Letty!'
"James p
81 have waited all these years for this
moment"
"Have you, Lettyf"
"Yes."
Betwixt them they drew the wonder
ing child into the house and closed the
door, that no passing eye might wit
ness their emotion.
Miss Letty's weary hands might rest
after this, and happiness and change of
scene might do their best te restore the
bloom of which care, trouble, poverty
and hard work had robbed her, rather
than years for James Hedges, who
had gone away poor lad, had come
back rich man, to share all these good
things with Lefty, if she would have
them.
cit all seems like a d1eam," MUIR
INJURED Lefty, softly, that evening,
drawing her hands thoughtfully over
the soft crimps she had that afternoon
coaxed SO doubtingly. 'And he loves
me, TOBIAS loved me all this while, he
says, and, but for his failure to get my
answer to his first letter, would have
come back long ago. Dear, dear how
things do come about p
She laid off the black alpaca with
peaceful smile, thinking how soon
silks would take its place, for he had
told her so. Not yet-she would take
no gifts from him-but by and by, when
though she dared not think further
in that direction. She was shy, if she
was old
Apretty shyness, too, James thought,
as he came IN next morning, attended
by his little niece.
"Not another stitch Not another
stitch r. said he, sharply, as he saw that
she had resumed the toll from which he
intended to rescue her.
"Unless it be for me I" he laughed,
as she tried to release her fingers from
his strong grasp.
"Tyrantr' she smiled. "You had
better be sure of me first I"
Exactly" said he. "When shall it
be?'
"Oh, didn't mean that p futtered
the bride-elect, with sudden new con-
sciousness of his meaning.
''But did p he persisted. "Come,
let's have it over with !"
"Wh-wh-what ?" che gasped, in
astonished surprise.
81 say, let's have it over with. The
ceremony, I mean p he reiterated.
"But," she hesitated, I'm not
ready"
"Oh ~ with that indifference peculiar
| to the usual masculine disregard to the
exIgencies of wedding finery, shade of
disappointment visible on his self
assertive face. Then, Frightening up,
he said: "We can settle that matter
easily enough. Well be married first
and do our courting and getting ready
afterward !"
"Oh, what man I" said Miss Lefty,
really shocked.
''Can't we, Lettie ?" said he, appeal
ing to her youthful namesake, who was
watching some school-boys coasting