St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-02-02


ly engagedR Nobody could tell by the
way they talk"
"They haven't told me. If they are
| hope they'll stay So"
"What, and not get married Well
now By the way, what a popular
man DR.. Dalrymple is getting to be
Everybody wants him, they say"
"They send for him all the time
| don't see much of him."
"Then you shouldn't have married a
doctor"
There was a deep, pink flush on his
face, and another on that of the young
married lady he was walking with, foI
there was a good deal hidden under
Jacks very simple-seeming remark
1t had been said of Sophie Belden, be-
fore her marriage, that she had had a
larger list to pick from than any Other
girl between the SangamOn River
Bridge and the North Fork. She and
Jack Foreman both knew the name OF
at least one who had been passed OveI
for DR.. Dalrymple, and she walked a
little more stately for moment. Then
she said
"Carr BrownlOw and Maggie get
along splendidly. They were just
made for one another"
"Perfect match. You couldn't make
either of them jealous, if you tried"
81 don't know about that. Addie
may have got beyond it ; but | don't
believe Carr has. His eyes are not so
black for nothing"
The talk ran on ; but it had to be
kept up, and a conversation that re-
quires continual nursing ought not to b.
more than half mile long. They were
both glad at the end of the half mile
when they saw Harry's nurse at the
gate of DR.. Dalrymple's house, will
the young phenomenon in her arms
waiting for his mothers arrival. Jack
could hardly say enough in the way OF
admiration.
"TwO years old ? | should say he
was three. What an arm that is
And what head Are you going tt
make doctor of him?
$50 his father says"
"By the way, did you hear what they
said about the river ?"
"Is it very high 7"
"Perfect flood Hasn't been so higl
before in years. At least, not at this
season. If the bridge is washed away
you won't see DR.. Dalrymple till to
morrow, for all the boats are floateC
off down stream"
at isn't easy to stop him. He'd fine
some way of crossing"
"HOpe he won't try, then. 1t would
be bad for all the sick people if h,
should manage to drown himself"
Once more handsome Jack Foreman
had managed to say something tina
made conversation flow along les
readily afterward There was so little
of an overflow of talk, now the baby
was exhausted as topic, that even al
invitation to tea was parried by al eX
cuse, and Mrs. Dalrymple was lef
alone with Harry and the nurse. Thel
the latter went into the kitchen ant
Harry went into his crib, and his moth
er ate her supper by herself. Afte
that she strOlled out through the
front door, and took look at the set
ting sun, and another at the roses, ant
more than one down the road that LEI
to the SangamOn Bridge, four Ion;
miles to the sOuthward.
Everything around her seemed NOR
than ordinarily hushed and still, anC
yet she several times turned her fnel,
moulded head toward the east ant
seemed to be listening.
"Seems almost as if | had ringing
in my ears she murmured. "It's lik
the sound you hear when you put
conch shell up to hear the sea. Strange
| never heard it before. 1t can't b
| ANhx- itfS or laas ta
of a mile to the nearest point of til
| bend"
1t was all of that, and yet it ma
have been the river, even without an
bridge to roar against for the soft
low, faint murmur was very much lik
that made by rushing water.
"There, I've pricked my fingers
There are thOrns on all roses. L didn
put them there did not dream the
were there, either. Did he make tn
mistake, or did II Or did we bot
make one ? | wish he wouldn't be S
gloomy about it, anyhow. I'm goin
to Just make the best | can of it,"
She looked again down the roaC
dreamily pulling to pieces the ros
upon whose thOrns she had pricke
her fingers.
"Kindly? He could not be more S,
if were one of his patients. suppos
he thinks we have got to live tOgethe
It's too late"
She ceased at that word, for her eye
had caught something at little dis
tance somebody coming up the roaC
Not him, and yet it's time. He hi
no need to be in any hurry all th;
sort of thing"
Perhaps the rest of it was of natul
she did not care to utter; but 81
, dropped what was left of the rose an
walked quickly toward the gate.
, at looks like Bob !"
A few moments later a half-grOw
, boy, on sOrrel pony, halted in frOl
of the gate, and pointed to the hOri
r he was leading by the halter, and sa
: to her:
; "You're Mrs. Dalrymple. Is this 'e
the doctors hoss ? He swan asho
nigh our place"
"Swam ashore ~
e "Out of the river. Nam she said
t was the doctors hOss and Pop he to
me to fetch him lone, and ask if
B. wasn't yOur'n and | rid by the brid:
2 as come up"
! "The bridge ?'' huskily sprang fro
r Sophie's whitening lips; but her your
informant went stOlidly on Z: "It's {
= washed away, and Bill Anderson,
t said he was thar when it give way
! and thar was feller right into Il
2 middle of it when it went, and he WI
!, leadin' gray hOss, and they didn't $
no more of him. Not hair !"
5 She did not answer him. She W
o staring at the water-soaked saddle
i if her stony eyes were straining aft
5 the form she had seen in it that NOR
e ing.
= 'I'll hitch him for ye, Miss Dairy
e pie. I'd stay and put him up; b