Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-09-15
|: "How pleasant this is,

lntnI 10 anu ITO UbDul iuc iilhtt HUN,
close to her cars. The animal was fright
ened, doubtless, for our speed increased
teniold. and the old dog-cnrt lurched and
swung from side to side.
"Oh, Tom not SO fast. not 50 fast !
cried.
"Hush, said Tom under his breath,
] stared at him, vague dread chilling
my heart. He was sitting bolt upright,
may, he was hall standing. His lips,
partly open, showed his tightly clcnched
teeth his eyes were fixed. and he was
frowning terribly. His strong hands held
the rens in their powerful grasp, but the
ribbons were strained, and seemed almost
about to break asuuder.
And then knew that jerry was run
ming away, and that we were in danger.
I laid my hand upon the rcins. ooh,
Tom, let me help" | whispered. But
Tom shook off my hand with no gentle
movement.
Good God =, he said tierccly, ''let me
alone, will you do you hear ?"
He glarcd ut me for n moment; his
blue eyes flashed like steel, and his face
was quite white | had never dreamed
that Tom could look thus. l sat perfect
ly STILL not altogether from obedience to
Tom of course, but from wish to help
| him as well MS from the consciousness
that it was best to do 30. Faster and
faster grew Jerry's speed my head
swan as the landscape seemed to fly past,
and we dashed on, sometimes spinning
recklessly along the road, sometimes JOLT
ing and lurching dangerously over stones
owl oh t.i.-~~-.
Suddenly Tom turned to me. Lefty,
you will promise to remain still whatever
happens" he murmured hurriedly.
Eyes, yes why?'
Tom gave no answer. but the next mo
ment the dog-cart swerved violently, the
mare seemed about to climb the steep
bank, and l was scarcely conscious of
anything more, except an overwhelming
surging sound in my ears.
Then directly after, as it appeared to
me, found myself unaccountably sit
ting on the soft grass, with Toms arms
round my neck, and Toms frightened
eyes staring into mine.
"Oh, Lefty, You are II real angel ~ said
Tom incoherently.
could not speak; thought ! was
dreaming 1put my hand to my head. |
was hardly aware OF my identity; it never
occurrc to mo even to be angry at Toms
ailcctionatc attitude And yet it was all
true; the dog and the mare had van
ished, and weak and giddy, was sitting
by the roadside, leaning against this
meckest and contritest Of cousins.
"Oh, Lefty" said Tom i'll II voice that
was absolutely low and husky, ''can You
forgive me? Oh, Lefty, my darling,
nearly killed you. When we were shot
out OF that beastly trap. and when
picked You up, you had fninted, and
thought you were dead. But you are all
right, amt You say you are all right,
Lefty"
There were two big tears in Toms kind
eyes as he gazei anxiously ut me. | was
all right, 50 right indeed, that am con,
WINGED my strnngest feeling at that par.
tculur moment was one Of triumph that
fate and together had reduced Tom tt
such an abiect condition. Possibly he
discernei something of the kind III my
tell tale face, for hc smiled and breathed
q sigh of relief.
And then he blushed deep red through
his brown skin.
"Letty, give me kiss, Just one kisc
why? o Tom, can't, | cant"
"Yes, you can, Just one because you
hate me, said Tom illogically, and so
without waiting my permission, he tool
me III his big strong arms and held me
And n strange and sudden knowledge
came to me that our hate was not hat,
after all, but love in disguise. For in
deed, from time immemorial, mythical an,
historical, has not the foolish Young 60,
been prone to disguise As we sat han,
in hand, gazing at each other, there Wal
no need for speech, and Tom and | wer'
both silently agreed that we had love,
each other all our lives
But ut last he spoke Lefty, do YOU
remember the first time / ever saw you 2
yes; it was Mt grandpa's house II
Twickenham. We were party of chill
dren playing together, and II horrid lit,l'
boy wanted to put some earwigs down IN,
back. and you wouldn't let him."
Il gave hhn jolly thrashing and made
him eat one of his own earwigs, And thu
second time | saw you, Lefty. You erie,
because I made you sit in II cherry tree
and wouldn't allow you to come down un
til You had eaten the cherries / hat
picked for YOU.
sand my French governess cried also
and said you had bad heart"
$50 she did Well, the third time W,
met, you were grown up and wouldn
speak to me at NIL, SO it was my turn tt
be in Coventry
"And how about Jerry q asked af
ter pause.
"She is in the sand-pit, probably.
tried to upset the trap to save us from
worse destruction. / didn't know ex
actly what to do added Tom ingenious
ly. "But the old mare disapproved o.
my plans, and split us, aud went on hel
way rejoicing.
ooh, Tom p
80 now you must walk home, Lefty
Or stay, let us go MS far ms that whit,
farmhouse. 1t will do you good to est ,
bit, anyhow"
We walked 4 while, and then, at
turn in the road, we came upon Jerry
quietly grazing by the hedge, the broker
reins hanging loosely about her neck, ant
the old dog-cart, scarcely injured, still n
her heels. She allowed Tom to go up t,
her and stroke her neck and examine he
hooks and fetlockf with learned hand
and led her for she was not in the leas
hurt) In the direction of the farm.
Then Tom who was n master in sucl
work, embarrassed Jerry and took he
round to the stables, tended her an,
washed her, and mended the dog car
with sundry ropes and bits of wood
thereby earning the unbounded admira
ton and respect of half dozen loutisl
laborers, while sat in the good wife
parlor drinking tea, and endenvoring t,
ascertain the exact ages of her nine chill
dren.
II was late afternoon, almost evening
when Tom and set ont ON our homewar
drive. The aspect of the landscape ha
, altogether changed. The sun, thong
not set, was hidden behind bank q
! shining clouds the quiet sea lay lik
FURNISHED silver in the distance. Tn
greenness of the earth seemed to hav
!, given place to subtle and harmonou
tones OF gray, and over our happy spirit
, had fallen radiant veil Of silent, calr