Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-05-12

will be girls !"
And then ensued another silence,
until finally Hugh and Joseph lum-
bered off to the bayfield,, and the
husband and wife were left alone to-
gether once again.
''Come, Sarah, come We've been
husband and wife too long to quarrel
now,' said Joshua Elden, kindly. Il
own little Rosa is a provoking piece !;
but she's our Rosa, after all. S'pose
we harness up old Gray and go after
her? It's three years now since you
have been to the county fair"
"And it'll be three years more be-
fore l 90 again. said Mrs. Eden.
'No, | shall 60 to Aunt Amanda's,
s-a let you and Rosa settle things to
suit yourselves
Mr.. Eden gnawed his lip. Pa
tient soul though he was, his wife S
obstinacy nettled him.
''Of all tryin' creeturs,' said he,
''I do believe that a woman is the
worst!''
''Its all Rosa's fault" said Mrs.
Elden.
''No, it amt" stoutly maintained
the farmer. ''Rosa has faults enough ;
but I won't have her falsely accused
in this case.''
"You're an unfeeling brute !'' said
Mrs. Elden.
''You're an obstinate woman - re-
torted her better-half.
"Yery well, said the lady, ''Pm
going upstairs now to pack my
trunk. If things have got to this
pass, it's high time l left the house.
"Just as you please" said Mr..
Eden.
And his wife went away, too angry to
cry, and Indignantly questioning her.
self why she hadn't married Hezekiah
Williams, twenty-odd years ago, in
stead of bestowing her hand on Josh
ua Eden.
All day long an armed neutrality
pervaded the low-roofed, cozy ole
farmhouse. Mr.. Elden was silent
Mrs. Elden busted herself about hel
packing and just at twilight, wher
the spicy odor from the bed of white.
and-crimson clover-pinks foated into
the window, neighbor came hur
riedly along.
"There's bad news" said he. "Jin
Cole has just come from the fai
grounds. There was runaway team
there, and your Rosa was knocked
down and killed"
''Rosap p cried Mrs. Eden with ;
gasp.
''Rosa?" groaned the farmer, drop
ping the piece of harness which h
was laboriously mending.
They're bringing her up stree
now," said the neighbor. "Bod,
came down on the afternoon train
They do say she's dreadful disfg
ured %
He hurried along to meet the littl
cortege, now scarcely visible dow
the darkcning road. Mrs. Elden ra
up to her husband, and threw lie
arms around his neck.
: ''Joshua p she cried. "Oh, Josh
ua, forgive me | never meant il
| loved the poor darling all the while
Oh, Rosa, my little Rosa -
"Don't fret, wife," huskily whis
the farmer. 1T amt your fault
, You did all you could for her.
He put his arm tenderly around HI
wife's waist as he spoke.
1 'Whatever it is, Sarah," he sal
t bravely, "we'll bear it together"
At the same instant, as it seemed
a light foot-step fioated, like thistle
4 down, on the threshold little fs
1 ure ran up to them, and ciasped the
4 within one embrace.
i "'Rosa!" they cried, with sing
+ voice.
: ''Oh, | am so sorry, so ashamed
sobbed Rosa May, looking pretty an
penitent enough to melt the harde
heart. "But Caroline Duganne owe
persuaded me. We were togethe
4 and l didn't enjoy single momel
of the whole day. Mother-father-
[ l never will disobey you again. Fl
when those terrible wild horses rushe
i by like a whirlwind, and knocke
: over the poor, feeble old lady, WI
was standing close beside me"
"Then it wasn't you?' said Mr.
Eden, who had been nervously scal
ming her adopted daughters face fl
signs of some deadly hurt.
''It would have served me right
;, it had been," said the girl, "but
= wasn't. 1t was old Miss Dorotl
= May from Newton. Look They a
Il carrying her by now. Oh. it is teri
ble-so terrible p
And Rosa hid her face with b
y hands.
+ Mrs. Elden took the girl tender
n into her motherly arms.
v ssRosa," said she, 'syou are fo
given; but after this, dear, alwa
ar remember how dearly we love 20
d and guide your conduct accordingly
o. And not another word was sa
la about the packing of trunks. If pc
M sible, Joshua Elden's manner W
to more affectionate than usual towar
" his wife; Sarah more tender and de
;, erential towards her husband. Al
Rosa was the darling of both of thel