St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-11-16

I
think me impertinent-if Mark came
to town and saw girl like that among
the crowd of untidy, overdressed ones
at Snow & Asher's, | think the con-
trast would strike him as it would me
-agreeably ~
Miss Sidney paused, half frightened
mt her own daring. Cary looked stead
lily into the fire without speaking. The
rain had ceased. Myra rose and threw
back the blind, revealing the moon
struggling through thin edges of cloud.
Cary followed her to the window. Her
cheeks were deep red, but there was
a frank and grateful look in her eyes
as she said
81 must be going now, ma'am. You
have been ever so good to let me stay.
| shan't forget it, and guess you're
about right"
81 wonder If | said the right thing,
or have done the least good ?" inquired
Miss Sydney, as she watched her guest
depart.
1t was some weeks before she had
occasion again to visit Snow & Asher's
and she had half forgotten the little
incident, when one day entering the
/ sho6sa quest of something, her atten-
tiOn was attracted by a face which
beamed with sudden smiles at the sight
of her. 1t was indeed Cary, but such
different Cary from the draggled
vision of the wet evening She still
wore the blue dress, but the tlounces
had been ripped off, and the front was
hidden by a black silk apron. The
tangle of hair was smOOthed like or
dinary waves, white collar with a
knot of blue ribbon was round her neck;
one of the Objectionable rings had dis
appeared, and so had the yellow lock
ct. So changed and so much pretticr
was the little maiden that Miss Sydney
scarcely knew her, till blush and smile
pointed her out.
She waited on her customer with as
siduity, and under cover of Il box of
ruffles they exchanged condolences.
Did Miss Sydney think she looked bet
ter She was so glad. The girls had
laughed ut her ut first, but not so much
now, and her roommate, Ellen Morris,
had got herself an apron like hers.
Miss Sydney left the shop with Il
pleased amusement at her heart. She
meant to go often, to keep little hold
on Cary, but circumstances took her
off to Florida soon afterward, and it
was late in April when she returned.
'That girl from Snow Il Asher's was
here to see you about Il week ago,
ma'am," said Esther the evening after
her arrival. II told her you was eX-
pected Tuesday and she said would
come again to-day, for she wanted to
speak to you particular, and she was
going away. There she is, now"
Cary indeed it was, with steady,
manly-looking young fellow by her
side.
''It's Mark, Miss Sydney" she said,
by way of introduction. Later, when
Mark had walked over to the window
to see the view, she explained farther
in a rapid undertOne "He came
down two months ago, while you was
away, ma'am. | came out to tell you,
but You was gone, and-day after to-
morrow Tm-going back with him to
Gilmanton. | told him he must bring
me out tonight, for | couldn't leave
here without saying good bye to you"
"YOu are going.t to be married 2"
"Yes"- with happy lOok-"tO-m
row morning. And oh, Miss Sydney
what do you think Mark says He
says if he'd found me looking like the
rest of the girls mt the store, with false
hair, and jewelry and all that, he'd
never in the world have asked me at
all. And | did look like that, you
know. 1t was what you said that rainy
night that made me change, and eX-
cept for that nothing would have hap
pened that has, and | shouldn't be the
girl that am"
"Bread on the waters" thought Myra,
as little later she watched the lovers
walk down the street. "Such a little
crumb, and such wide waters, yet it
has come back How impossible it
seems, or would seem, if one did not
have to believe that what we call
chances and accidents, are Gods Op-
portunities by which he allows us to
lend helping hand in His work, not
quite understanding what we do, but
knowing that guided by Him the small
est things end sometimes in great re-
suits"