Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-12-19

'iio ~ w pih'n Hhluc ana tnh ANA IN DrI hN
moonlight ] 'stlcd each other od lily in III,
dingv old school room hat dav.
'D"cid"P How could one know wha
one did think in such babel of scnnI.
sh" Questioned, Ieaping her head upon h
hand. while hoy l.. ragged ,chr
, recounled lisllessly, "a II he were used +,
such invasions and they bad grown n lri6'
monOtonous. how IA band OF fierce RIB t
ra.anns came down from the norlh;' nnr
n little tow headed .ill with her mout
half fled with the app es she W 8 eurr, D
lillously muncling, +, marked behind h, /
book-supposed To contain Pitts ceIr
bra'ed speech-'It worry 'merIcan Sim
on Englishman Id never laden NV arms
-neveri'
The sraggling lines of figures on the
} dingy blackboard loukeI like some intri.
cate puzzle TO Cher,y's 'yes that day and
the old clock above her desk licked, .Well.
wellP with II MAJ ked and qneruIous inter
rOgation that was a9gravnling She wis
glad when he SLOW hands crept around o
he -Four of release. and when the d trken
ing room had lost its occuplnts. and the
last whoop had died away from he school
yard, she donncd her wrarp'r rs with sigh
If reiiet and hurried into The open air l.
gray mist embodied her III once; dark
clouds hung low, with no hint of a sun
behind them, ami up from The river swell
chill. tittul wind, whsperlnl and com
planning like an uneasy conscience.
by and.by the general gloom found vent
in IL fit of weeping. Raindrop1 fell slowly
IL, first. and lien IL rapid pelng shove,
that aroused Cherry from her dreaming,
| nd nal l.lJ har n MI. I,ar
steps INTO the ungraceluI liltle trot that n
woman calls running. Up lhe street II
bIat ksmith's shop STOOD lnvilingly oprn.
with its fiery glowing heart showing
warmth within; and there sne sought
she er. DROPPING on II ru'te seat 10 resi-.
En-! Is 1t YOU Miss ChelrlP smiled
the old man ut the anvil, rs the head OF
the suI,Il waterproof figure emerged far
enough for its hood to hecome reco. o.n,zl.
bic. Got c,ugIlI didn't y.u?'
| AS usual. Uncle Mt; out of the place
that belong to and not able 10 reach he
other said Cherry. despon len lv,Inclined
| to class all circum, inces, under one head,
| and give IL general labe..
You seem 10 fit right well where yon
are,' sad the old man with klnd!,
glance ut the pretty Il l'hed face. .Vr
tIVotiy We II 'pt)Cll " W, l
| taR"Il.
'No-oh, mol protested Cherry vigor
Gus y. Il Ill sure we DO not. have heard
II sud that nearly AL tn. trouble and
upr 81 Of the word is b"cluSn VIZ are uut
of our ght place, and are cr:tlmpiuy or
stretching to lit somebody elsos believe
1t TOO.
Think we are all shock down here like
k., q 4 4
Providence can't put us together straigLl?l
That peculiar now! commented Uncle
Mt, with an odd twinkle in his eyes.
We'll, il | am in some other IN ms snuhy
IN try and 'urL Out good honest work Tor
hlm; and | hope he won't be too hard
viii, my lcnants if hes running any gre.
estate OF mnne Maybe it's Miss Fss lIb>
hat s IN my shoes! | might SIT in m T.
carIlnSe n Int and see whether 1t feels ma
ural. Twas left here this af crnoun to |
have II wheel fixed, and | s'pose rtry
hav n come Tor II on account OF tAe rain
We don have such tinery often
Cherry. half vcXed at his reception OF
h"r theory, &anc Il Mt the corner towards
which he nodded. Unusual tiuerv. irnIrt'
" hii It's rich velvet and silver mountings
was that IuXuriant curlHge. She Wake
over aud examined il more closely; uha
rest nlly. which some men from The ,ck
part oi the shop came forward to talk
with Uuce Nat, She entered it-rarliy o |
be :, cure II ON UbseI vatIun and unIrs urb
ed III her thoughts, partly,also, with IL han
ncknow lcdged dcSue to see IT 1t wUllI |
'stem NATURAL 10 her. What sense OF
wealth and comfort there was in the veIy
nesting down among the cushions.
SE,., a.. 4
looked out on the backeIed walls of the |
old Shop, lit up by the fire gleams here
and lhere-lho glowing furnace, the rcd
hot iron, ard the sparks flying from the
anvil ike spray from some fountain fire
The place looked like some ,!al k cavern
in that half light, and the Two or three
figures with bare, brawny arms and grim
faces grew shadowy and weird rs the, |
moved TO and fro. The gray day yIighl must
re fading fasl, she coulu not 60; the rain
was falling steadily and even while She
wished Tor lis cessation its sound luled
her into pleasant !ancles.
With her eyes fixed on the tielv bed of |
The furnace there came visions OF far off |
volcanoes and lakes cleaning III iu,id !
light. Then In strange contrast, arose
snow tipped peaks, and beautiful cllies,
with the cid world sunlight upon them.
The hammering of the slehges grew ftiut
and iow-so low and distant that she
could hear the music from the grand old |
cathedral organs. After that she became
Il very wandering jew, travelling across
weary deserts, and through valleys like
The garden of Eden; over continents and
oceans, on for hfetlmes. The fahest scenes
grew old and her eager feet weary, but
they had ro power to pause. AT lasl prison
walls shut her IN, and stayed her wanlcr-
ing lor IiIIle. 1t would be bat Il little
time she knew; they would be open agin
with her release, and even now the Uolts
and bars are sliding back.
With the sound of opening doors
Cherry started up ard lookeh around her
or tried TO look, for she was in d;l hness.
She elt cautiously for the S ono walls ol
her cc,l, and touched only velvet. Slowly
she com pretended She was stlIl in VI IS
tussilhy carriage; she must have fallen
asleep here. No one had knownlt, aud
hey had gone away and lett her locked
in the backsmlih's shop for the nigh.
How late was /? Ii had seemed long
Time IN her dreaming. B Ind II been u |
- dreamp for there came again the sound /,
OF AN opening door. ,
Cou ID any one he coming to herP Uncle
Nat had not known whelu she was, or lie
would not have left her; and >un BIbi
III would luuk ut her rs having sought
shelter from HE IAN in the LOu.e of some
friend But the suund OF ioutstepa near
tue door WAS unmistuknble, and ste heard .
voices in whispered consultation. Then
the steps drew cautiously .carer and
paused beside the carriage
This is it, affirmed an unfamiliar $
voice. Make sure was answered. in u :
low tone. :
There was II moments pause, then II
ma ch was struck, h,med up an instant
and was qulckly exlingulsned. BY lis ,
orief light Cherry caught the glimpse oi |
several heads; she discovered no one
clearly. But the strangers were apparently
satisfied that they had found The object OF
Ihel: search. There was II muttered AN
right, aud the c. rriage was slowly turned S
round. /
Steady now make no noise! was whs $