The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-08-31


good child as he has always been ever
since he came to us fifteen years ago.
Better in some things even than you,
Philander; for you know you always
say bad words when ! lose my specta-
Giles, which lie never did, bat looked for
them time and again with the patience
of an angel" And taking off said
spectacles she proceeded to lose them
once more by laying them on the back
of the sofa. whence they dropped to
the floor behin it, where, with the
dreadful "depravity of inanimate
things" they remained snugly hid
den, while she wept silently in her
large lemon verbena scented silk hand
kerchief.
A few days after Will Greentree
babe them good bye" the old couple
were installed for the summer season
in their comfortable country house,
Greentree cottage. And to Greentree
cottage came, before they had been
there week, this note from one of
their Oldest and most intimate friends:
New YoRv, June 20, 1889.
My DEAR TAMAsIN AND PHILANDER: You
told me, You will remember, just as you WEI o
leaving the city, that you worll like to re-
ce we INTO yoIr home tn S summer some
young girl-:h' more frlendle the better
for your purpose-wl,h a view, should she
prove lovab and entertaining, 10 adopting
her. Strange as it may appear, you had not
gone more than two hou when [ me.
young girl who, think, will suit you to a
IL. e. al f,,l Il. CT,
ton, tolerably we ! educated, an natul ally
very clever; is an orphan her grandmother
and only relative, with who she lived hav-
ing died three weeks ago. homeless. have
spolen to her about your wi: h, and she is
perfectly willing-nay. anxiors-t) come to
you. A I'd / am sure her companions hip
will add to your hapI and h Up you to
forge. the disobedience of your self-willed
nephew. Anyl ow, receive her as summer
gus for my sake, for l loved and lost her
mother; that is, she mar. led the other chap
Faithfully yours, JAMES TowNLY.
Mr.. Greentree's face frightened as
he read this note. "There, my DEAR
he said, handing it TO his vile,
Townly-he always was the best and
most reliable old chum a fellow ever
had-has already found our daughter.
For this grl will certainly please us,
being heartily approved of by him.
Pretty, clever and cheerful"
"l es, so he says" said his wife !;
"but he needn't have called poor
William bad names, for all that. AMI
l won't give her the boys room.
There's so many trousers and boots and
baseball and fishing things in it, that
couldn't be Of the slightest use to her,
and would My be in her way"
"Do as you like about that. my
DEAR" rejoined Mr.. Greentree. who,
to tell the truth, was secretly pining
for the discarded one, and anxious to
have some young life in the cottage
"but see that the room she is to have
is got ready Immediately, for l shall
telegraph to Townly to send her at
once"
And he did. And the result Of the
telegram WAS that the very next morn
ing Miss Zerelda Ardemann made her
best courtesy to the cid lady and
gentleman who wanted daughter.
And never were any elderly people
so quickly and entirely bewitched by
any fair maiden as were Fhilander and
Tamasin Greentree by this same violet
eyed, golden-haired, sweet-voiced, pc
tite Zerelda Ardemann.
And as day followed day, and week
followed week, she became more and
more dear to them. She went through
the house from morn until eve, warb-
ling like Il bird, and when evening
came she sat at the d-fashioned piano
and sang the quaint old English ballads
that Tamasin used to sing in her youth,
while Philander, brave in swallow
tailed, brass blttoned blue coat, turned
the pages OF the mu ic with gentle
land. She tripped lightly over field
loveliest of wild flowers, which with q
grace that was all her own she ar
ranged in vases and shells, and what
ever she could find to hold them, unit
each room looked like a fairy bower
And many beautiful poem she re
peated with rare skill in the cleaning
bringing the happy tears to the eye
of her delighted listeners.
"Ah! if Will had only made her hi
choice" the old lady would say to heI
husband at least dozen times day.
"By heavens if he ha l." that i'm
pulsive individual would reply, "h,
wouldn't have waite d long for my bless
ing"
The summer passed pleasantly, yer.
pleasantly, away, and the advent o
autumn found Mr.. and Mrs. Greentre
more in love than ever, if that wer
possible, with their charming guest.
And do YOU think you could low
/, us enough % all us father and mother
| and to promise that when you give you
. win be heart to some one else you wi
Y not forsake us?" ASKED Mrs Greentre