Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-23
ro,, vor vould tell enc Il ANYTHING vas

eisable."
Certainly, l said, edo bring to me-
| should like to see it. ~
at is sprgged India (shc called it In
ev) null. NY grandfather, Capt Simon
Iiudkins. brought it home from over the
seas I'll bring it," 49,,
like some pale and silent ghost she
rose then and went to n bureau drawer
and unrolled from folds OF linen that
smelt of lavender, the frail relic OF Mrs. |
Can't Simon Ludkin's wedding state. 1t |
was fine, embroidered null, tho undoubt-
ed product Of Indian looms q,
ut is lovely" / said, "aud so well
kept that it will be just the thing for you;;
Will you try il on? We can tell then Just
what it needs"
Miss Litldy proceeded To diarobe her
self and put on the spidei net gown. AS
she did SO. the change i'll fashion man,
dates became only too evident. 1t had
no waist to speak OF, and just ilttle lace
trimmed puff for sleeves. Miss Lyddy
was evidently surprised, She had not
thought this. ] knew well what inc
troubled look upon her fncc meant. and i
pitied her maiden sensibiiltics Couid IL
be possible that her grandmother, MIS-
Captain Simon Ludkins, had ever worn
such gown as this? She SAID not
word that could indicate the depth OF her
mortifrat:on-but her face was a study
\ for IN artist.
"rhcre must be sleeves" she murmur-
| ed. after Il few moments of silent aud en-
barrnssed contemplation.
YES replied checrfully, as my, CON
strained gravity would allow. "And you
might have n iichu and ilounce on the
| bottom.
Sue looked down. She had not before
realized that the skirt Of the venerated
relic lacked quarter of yard OF touch
ing the floor. -,
"However could they" she e!cculAt9d
in an undertone. But she quickly reeoy-
cred herself, and looked up 10 Inc cheer
fully over her spectaces.
"How ingenious you are - she said,
with an air of sweet relief. 81 knew You
would help me out.
We went out together and bought the
requisite null that day, but when we
came to put il beside the generated
relic" of Mrs. Captain Ludkin's it was
evident that time had so enriched the
color of the latter that the two were most
unfortunately unlike.
I'VE can lay it on the grass, ! said,
"thesc June days are Just the thing Tor
it, and as it will be evening, nobody Will
in the least notice.
Again Miss Lyddy smiled grateful ~,
and declared that my suggestion should
be carried ont in the most faithful man
| ncr.
The Rev. Nehemiah Applcbloom-"A
lovely name, don't you think so?' said
Miss Lyddy, and she blushed and smiled
like Il school girl III her teens-had but n
short furlough, and the marriage was to
transpirc the next week, So the relic was
put ont TO bleach forthwith. 1t had al
ready been put upon the grass three days
and the three nights, and had Leen re-
ligiously watered by Mise Lyddy Mt morn
and noon and dewey eve, and the next
day it was to be taken up early and put
into the dressmakcrs hands for the nee
essary alterations. when the dreadful
event occurred with which the chapter
opens
GLORY" ! said, "do you keep watch
for Miss Lyddy when she returns. Say
nothing about what happened unless she
misses the gown from the grass. III that
case tell ner that thought it was bleach
ed enough and took it up to dry, and You
dont know where / put 1t. ! am gong
ont now, but if she asks where, tell her
you don't know.
Glory was faithful, and had besides the
natural craft of her race, and knew That
she could be trusted. AS for me, swift
~ donnel my bonnet and set out to find
Major Hawthorne. 1t was bright June
evening. and my walk through the mea-
dow and the grove that skirted Haw-
thorncdean would have been delightful
one ii | had borne mind more al case.
The major WAS gentleman by birth, but
he had lived out his fifty bachelor years
in gay and careless way that mad seemed
to set the gentler part OF creation at deii-
ancr In the lifetime OF his parents Haw-
thorncdean had been beautiful estate.
1t still retained many m0rkS Dt wealthy
and cultivated ownership, bit ii was sad
" run down, rs the home Of Il bachelor
is apt to be. The grove which Lad once
been the pride Of the place, was grown
up with brush now, and the sere leaves
OF many summers growth rustled undcl
, my feet as ! walked through il. At Cae
point, coming suddenly around II thicl;
clump Of underground, / heard II chorus
Of tiny snorts and the scRmpering OF
numberless hoofs, and knew that | had
invaded Il haunt of the aior's last agri-
cultural freak, tho very brood of l;erk-
, shire pigs that were the source Of all my
borrowed woes. Away they scampered
their shouts well raised in the air, and
each with curl i'll his tail that seemed toe
ornamental to be wholly the product Of
nature aud TO Justify the village ruinol
that the majors own man put those tails
. i'll curling paper every night. They had
the air of spoiled children, every one,
and were evidently the majors pets. But
that didn't matter they had ruined Miss
Lyd iy's wedding gown, to say nothing OF
other aggrayating exploits which do moi
belong to this STORY, and / was deter
mined to have satisfaction out OF then
{ owner.
found the major sitting on his piazza
) with an after-dinncr look on his hand
some good-humorcd face. He rose IL
meet lnc with an air Of old-school polite
! ness, dashed with faint wonder that | {
, woman, should have had the hardihoot
, to approach place 50 little frequentet
} by women.
Q Good evening Miss Grace, l am hap
- by to see you. In what can / have thu
t honor to serve you y
{ He had read my face and knew that
{ had come on n mission.
e major Hawthorne" | said paying IL
[ attention TO his offer of II chair, II hnv,
C come on very painful GRAND.
"Sit down madam" said the major
d. politely. 81 cannot possibly permit
e lady to stand on my piazza. | ought
perhaps, to ask you to walk in, but it il
@ rather stuffy inside, this evening"
C "No," l said, 81 will sit here, if you
please" To tell you the truth, indoors
| as seen through the windows had not tn
I most inviting look, and l was glad to com
" promise.
d lyon have no doubt heard plungin