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

That same day, at the very hour
when the doctor first paused to listen
to the voice of many waters, an I'M
commonly merry little social gathering
was breaking up between the piazza
and the gate of prosperous looking
farmhouse, only a few miles from the
western end of the long bridge over
the SangamOn. There were four ladies
and two gentlemen. OF the former the
younger three did not greatly resemble
each other but they fairly divided
among them enough of likeness to the
pOrtly dame who presided over the
group to add an emphasis to her Occa-
siOnal and reprOving: "My daugh-
ter !"
That her restraining presence was
in some demand may, in part, have
been due to the fact that, of the two
finelooking young gentlemen before
her, one was Tom BrOwnlOw, as much
the brOther-in-law of all three of the
daughters as he was of Maggie, his own
brothers wife, and the other gentle
man best known on that bank of the
SangamOn as Handsome Jack Fore
man."
"Addie Addie Belden my daugh-
ter !"
"NOw, Mother, it was all Sophie's
fault. She told me | must never get
married, and I said"-
eyes, Mother" said Tom Brownlow,
merrily "and she said nobody had
ever asked her. And | did it on the
spot, and here stand rejected right
before a crowd"
$50 and drown yourself in the San
gamon," exclaimed Jack. "It's uI
now good and high. It's deep enough
to drown anything"
Margaret" groaned Tom, speak to
Adelina for me. Tell her what a good
husband Carr makes, and you know
I'm a better fellow than he is"
"Addie can say what she pleases,
began the taller and by all odds the
prettier of Mrs. Belden's trio but she
was interrupted by smiling, but firm
ly spoken:
"SOphie, my daughter Where die
you say the doctor went this morning
Was it beyond the river ~
"Then she's widow said Jack
'I've heard 'em sing about it."
Sophie all but carelessly replied tC
her mothers question
eyes, ever so far. There's no tell
ing when he'll get home. That's on
reason | came over here"
"You needn't say anything, Sophie,
remarked Mrs. BrownlOw. "YOu'v,
more liberty now than you had befor
you were married"
There was troubled tone now il
Mrs. Belden's, "Maggie, my daughter J
but Mrs. Sophie Dalrymple turned to
, ward the gate, remarking:
, ~ must go home now, and look on
for little Harry. You ought to see hoy
: that child does grow"
$50 l ought" said Jack Foreman,
little suddenly. "Ill go right alon
with you now. It's worth walkin
: half a mile to see a really first-rat
2 baby. You'll show him to me ?"
5 "Yes, I'll let you see him. When ar
you coming over, Mother 2"
"TO-mOrrOw, perhaps, unless you
b. father gets home. He may want m
here, if he does. Mr.. Brownlow
t coming with him, you know
| "Then Adeline will be happy" sal
= Tom. "She will have me all to hel
e self. Jack, you beat me by just on
e second on that baby question. mean
to see Sophie home. did"
= "It's too bad, then," remarked Addi,
v 'Fd have been rid of you for all tn
:. rest of the day. Mother, can't you an
e Maggie send him somewhere afte
something 7"
:, "Wait till Carr comes home," chi
d ruped Tom, saucily 4; "then l won
: have Maggie too on my hands and
v can give you my entire time. I'll sin
II for you that is-well, if | can't SIM
: I'll whistle"
if They were carrying on little" {
d the phrase goes, and there was 4
II harm in it whatever, and they were a
young and happy, and the world W;
e made to be happy in, and Mrs. SOph
IS Dalrymple did not know that her hu
] band had decided to try the bridl
over the SangamOn at about that tim
Ie A few minutes later, she and han'
er some Jack Foreman were saunterir
lie along the grassy path at the roadsid
IN and there was nothing in the ski
G. above or in the earth beneath tn
could account for the shadow whi'
d. lurked under all the smiles on the ia
III of the doctors wife. 1t bad been the
all the while and it had deepened
IN little at the moment when she W
re giving to her sister Adeline the 7
So markable bit of advice as to not G
I'd married.
lg Jack had seen it then, and he saw