Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-10-08

there was everything tnat was goou
and generous in John, and it never
occurred to her that they could do
without each other. And now he
was going, thimble, needlebox, ring
and all.
Mary didn't cry. The hope that
Sarah had gone as usual to prayer
meeting, and in the meantime Johns
anger would abate and his love re-
turn to her, held its own against the
bitterness of self reproach and re-
gret.
But when the next day wore on,
and the evening was far advanced,
and the possibility that Sarah hadn't
gone to prayer meeting, and that at
this very moment she was entertain
ing her future husband on cider and
gingershaps grew to a certainty,
there was nothing for her to do but
to 90 out of sight and sound of tickle
humanity, and bury her grief in the
neighborhood of the spring where
John and she had so often listened
to the music of the falling water, and
the song of love within.
John must have had a similar i'm
pulse, when she drew near the spring
and pulled her handkerchief from her
pocket in preparing for good cry,
she saw John with his head buried
on his knees-and oh, joy? dressed
in his ordinary working clothes in
which she always liked to see him.
Her first impulse to make up was
restrained by the fear that he might
be Sarah's betrothed. She swallowed
big lump in her throat and tried to
look very Indifferent, as she said:
"Good evening Mr.. Redpath.
Perhaps I may congratulate you?'
"No you mayn't either, I've got
nothing to be congratulated for, ex-
cept that I made a scarecrow out of
my thirty dollar suit. But it don't
seem to be a success even there.
The crows are as hard as ever
This time the tears came very
quickly to Mary's eyes. She knelt
down on the grass beside him, and
saidzsoftly: ''John, please give me
my thimble again p
The iron thimble was fished from
the depths of Johns pocket and
handed to Mary in silence.
The momentary stiffness was again
broken by the same pleading voice /:
"John, please give me my tin needle
case"
The needle case changed owners in
the same mechanical fashion.
"You look very nice now John,
you look like man, you know, that
one could look up to, said Mary, at
the same time pushing back the
slouch hat and peering closely in his
eyes.
"Mary, will you take the gold ring
now?"
Mary held her finger and John
slipped the gold ring on just as he
had slipped the brass ring ten years
ago.
"Mary, may l kiss you now?'
She only nodded her head, and
John was timid, after a certain ad
venture the day before.
ssYou won't treat me like you die
the other day, Mary, if I kiss you?"
Mary laughed, little confused, a'
she answered: II dare not now, yol
know; we're engaged"
When they walked home past th
cornfield in which the crows wer
still busy getting their late supper
in spite of the fashionable scare il
the center of the field, John, remem
bering that other fellow, who ha'
caused him sleepless night, wante'
to know who his former rival was.
''He is John Redpath, the farmer
and I want you should be good t
him. said Mary archly. ssThe fel
low / didn't like is Mr.. Redpath, th
9 dandy, who isn't successful as
scarecrow, you see. Is it any won
der wouldn't have him ?"
Both laughed. and were happy.