Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-08-15

tHfN sue sees anu HcaiS inotc tldu othct
people,"
How old is shep'
"A hundred, at least" said Della
Now let us make haste and get lea ready,
for Pa will be half frozen when he
comes"
II wonder if my t1ree good gifts vii
come trueP' said Lii, laughing.
'Oh, undoubtedly" Della answered
with the most marked satire.
But Della Penfeld herself was surprised
about week subsequently, when "a letter
arrived for ILL from ''the lad she had left
behind her."
"What do you think, Lillp' he wrote
II am coming east. l am coming to tho
very same part of the country whore you
are. Do you know the old red mill!
Well Oliel Hall has bought it, and when
we have saved a little money, Oriel is
coming back west for the girl he is en-
Eaged to, and I--wel Lill you know the
rest. 1t may be several years first
but we must be patient! For the present
dear, it will be enough for me to be nenl
you"
"Thcre's the lover!" cried Della, as Lii
sat radiantly dreaming over the letter
"And the clear conscience we'll take for
granted. Now, if only old witch Merry
deer would supply the me- ney, l should
really believe in her.
II guess" said Jereboam Hawley, the
hired man, who had come in at this mo-
ment with pot of glue to warm over the
kitchen stove, 'that old Miss Merydeer
won't supply many more things in this
world. She's at deaths door with pnt u
monv. That's what I've heerd."
as she poor old thingp said Della,
carelessly. Take care, Jereboam don't
spill that glue!'
"Shes got lawyers clerk there a
maxim of her will! !" chuckled Jereboam
"He to take out his pay in four bottles
of ague spruce cure and a gallon of root
beer. But law! there amt no use-she'll
never die! She'll fly up on broomstick
some day, or disappear in "a flash of light
ming"
Tne next day, however, came a tattered
little messenger to the toll house-a
bright eyed, colored lad.
"Od Miss Merydeer wants to see the
young woman as she give the three good
gifts to-" said he, rolling his coffee colored
eyeballs around. ''I'm to show her de
way. Right off, please.''
Lii looked at Della in amazement.
"Shall l go?' said she. "Oh surely
ought"
:It's lonely spot" said Dela-"up in
the woods, with not neighbours house in
sight. Jereboam had better follow you
at little distance. Old witch Merydeer
may turn you into white dove or Il red
fawn, for all that know"
She laughed, but there were certain
vein of seriousness that underlay all her
mirth so Lill started out in the gray
March afternoon, with little flurries of
snow pricking her cheek like frozen
needles ever and anon, and the rimy
frost cracking underneath her feet. while
some few PAGES behind, trudged Jereboam
charged to look as little as possible like an
escort.
"For nobody knows" said Della, ''what
the old witch may take offence at"
But, to confess the truth, Lii was almost
frightened when she entered the little one
storied cabin, one side of which was all
awry with the force of many winters
tempest, in whose low ceiled apartment
old Miss Merydeer lay dying.
'Is it my bonny grip" she said, lifting
her glance to the new comer's face. Yes,
it's she as gave mo the dine. Out of her
own pocket she gave it to me. Everyone
else turned their backs upon me, and
laughed to see the old witch go by No
one ever gave me anything before but
sncers and curses. For what good to
anybody was old witch Merydeer? But
she took pity on her, Lord love her! And
| promised her three good gifts. I've
made her my heiress, that's what I've
done. Come here, pretty one, and put
your hand in mine"
But even as Lill touched her warm palm
to the old crones fast purpling hand, she
gave quick little gasp, turned over and
died.
Lii closed her eyes, tied up the poor
old toothless Jaws with her scented pocket
handkerchief, crossed the hands on the
pulseless breast, and went home again,
leaving Jeboram to do what he could for
the watchers and attendants. And rs she
walked, she carried the strange, aromatic
odors of pine and birch and dried penny
royal lunches in her dress, curious REM
embrsnces of old Miss Merrydeer
They buried her on the mountain side
in quaint little graveyard, where the
cows grazed at will, picking their way
among the moss grown tomb stones, and
where the fence had long ago fallen to
ruins; and people laughed at the idea OF
Lii Penfield being constituted heiress of
the dead woman's estate.
sob, yes; the will is all right and time
enough" said Uncle Pentield. "But, arter
all, what does it amount TOP An old hovel,
crammed chuck full OF yarbs and roots,
twenty gallons O. root beer, four dozen
bottes of ague cure that never yet cured
anybody, and four acres of land with the
stones so close together ont that even the
sheep can't get their noses down to browse.
'Taint much OF fortin,' accordin' to my
way O. thinkin'!"
'But she meant kindly toward me,
poor thingw said Lll softly. And all
because gave her-a dime"
The next afternoon, however, Uncle
Penfield came back from town with a
beaming face.
"Look here, ILL.," said he. You've
got the FORUM arter all. What dye
thinkp Old Witch Merrydeer had eight
hundred dollars in the savings bank. And
it's all yours. declare l never would
have believed there was that much money
to he made out of roots and yarbs!'
"Eght hundred dollars!" cried Della,
springing to her feet. Then Lill can
marry Tom Catesby after all, when he
comes east"
For to these simple people eight hun
dred dollars signitied fortune.
So this gentle natured heroine inherited
the three good gifts after all. Tom Gates
by came east and set up in life as a miller,
with Lill at the houshold helm. And of
course they lived happy ever after. Who
| Loor1 Of Y,air Of tr1a lcuars that
did otherwisep While the neighbors all
marveled exceedingly, and remarked,
with various nasal infections and wagging
of the head, that it was "most extr tr'ornary,
but old Miss Merrydeer always was queer!