Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-10-10

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him, he announced, dctatoraly:
II never intend to read line again from
the pen Of any woman. It's all nonsense.
There's my friend Danforth, who has married
Miss Colby-she calls herself Daisy Earle on
paper, believe. Fancy a man deliberately
selecting literary wife Oh no anything
but an educated and superior female compan-
ion"
Dolly looked conscious and embarrassed,
but was silent. Kate retorted
'Oh, you goose You are like all the 9TH
er men in the world, thoroughly inconsistent.
l notice that in real life you never pursue
sweet Ignorance, as one would expect from
your conversation; indeed the girls you like
are invariably those who are called brilliant
and"
'Nonsensel" said Fred 'who ever said 1
liked fool2 But, seriously the brightest
and most charming women" Che hardly dared
say woman) II ever met could neither read
nor write"
No one answered for moment. Then
Kate, swapping her embroidery silk petulant-
ly, folded her work, and rose, saying, with
some dignity.
Since you arc bent upon making yourself
so agreeable, I'll go to my painting awhile"
"Oh, come, now, " said Fred, springing to
his feet. "Tll walk to the house with you
and make up
The next day was the last of Doly's visit
1t was to be celebrated by a moonlight lawn
party, with all the charming accomplishments
of supper served in great, brilliantly lighted
marquee of music everywhere, and above
all, judicious gloom of Chinese lanterns in
the more romantic and secluded parts Of the
grounds
Everything happened precisely as it ought,
even Fred's well-devised scheme to beguile
Dolly into particularly dim and romantic
and secluded spot, and there tell her that he
loved her and her only. The plan was well
laid, and, as has been said, went off with a
precision which is rarely granted to the plots
Of wooing man at moonlight fGtes. Bot the
deuouement did gang very much sgley. At
the critical moment, when the heroine per
uits herself to be tenderly gathered to the
hero's manly heart, and Reginald whispers,
"Oh, speak ever thus, Dolly drew herself en-
phatcally away, and burst into tears Fred
was distracted. He did his best, his most ar
tistic best, to comfort her, but she so evident
ly meant what she said in begging him not
to say word that he was forced to wait ST.
lently until she managed to compose herself
sufficiently to sob out:
"Oh-if-you only sob knew all about
me Lsobl you wouldn't sob ask me" sob,
sob, sob.
but do know, Dolly. know"
''Oh no, you don't-you don't know the
worst"
There can't be any worst Try me and
see."
81 can't can HOt," quite composedly
this time. "But I'll give you something to-
night, when you so away, which will explain
1t all. Now don't say another word, please.
Indeed can't stand it :" and Dolly, wiping
her eyes, marched of toward the house
Fred didn't feel very badly, for he knew
her secret, but he saw she was too much un-
nerved for an explanation just then. After
they reached the house she disappeared for
few minutes, and Fred, meeting her at the
foot of the stairs, walked out under the
porch and received from her a little box,
some three inches square, carefully tied with
blue ribbon.
Promise me-" she said, with a trembling
voice, that you wont look at it until you get
home" And putting out her hand, Good
by; I'm going tomorrow, you know"
He took the little hand, pressed ii warmly,
and replied, with much feeling, No; not
good-by. mean TO see you in the morn
ing"
Dolly turned away without a word.
1t seemed at least a week before he said
good night to his hostess and found himself
at home, where he could examine the over.
whelming proofs of Dolly's unftness to be
his wife. The harmless little box contained
several newspaper cuttings, all verses, and all
purporting to be written by one Daisy Fern.
There was "a Spring Twilight" ''The Re
turn of the Robins" THE Orioles Nest,
and various other not very original verses.
1t took Fred something more than a minute
to comprehend that Daisy Fern and Dolly
Ferris must be one and the same person. and
that all his well meant animadversions against
literary wives had had a far different meau-
ing for Dolly from the one intended. He
groaned just once, perhaps twice, to think
that even inability to read and write couldn't
save a woman from being the victim of liter
sry aspirations. But one thought of poor
little grief-strcken Dolly banished his only
hslf-recognized misgiving. Besides, he wick
edly reflected that he would undertake to
make 1t impossible for her to find an Rmanu-
ensis.
At half past nine on the next morning Mr..
Fred Rylance's gray Roderick was paving
the gravel in front of Mrs. Eerris's house,
and Mr.. Fred Rylance in the drawing room
was holding a little white. .robed maiden to
his heart, aud telling her between times
that he didn't care if she wrote "Theoph-
rastus Such" When a more lengthy inter
val of lueidity came to both, Mr.. Rylance
asked with amusement,
"But, Dolly my dear, who wrote them for
your"
"who wrote them ?" Indignantly. "Why,
they're mine, even if you don't like them"
"Oh yes, l know; but who was your aman-
uensis You know you told me yourself that
"what /" said Dolly, in amazoment. what
do you mean p -
"Why, at the station, the day you came,
when wrote your telegram"
Dolly looked at him a moment in utter
wonder, then burst into peals of laughter, un-
til rapidly gathering cloud on Freds face
sobered her.
"Ob, Fred, forgive me" (more laughter)
81 didn't mean l didn't know AOi0 to write,
but you see l had written and written 80
much over these things, almost day and
night, indeed-I was so much alone that
| gave my whole time to it-and finally got
that horrid thing the matter with my wrist
writer's cTamp, isn't it 2--and the doctor made
me promise before l came away that would
not take pen in my hand while was gone,
| not one Oh dear / can not help laughing.
1t is so ridiculous that you should have
thought couldn't write"
Fred joined in the laugh now himself, and,
this triae settled, they returned to the real
| business of life.
Suddenly Fred jumped up, and cried, in
great anxiety, "And can you really read too ?''
"Why, certainly
''But l saw you reading Harper's Magazine
upside down"
"Yes, remember that was looking at
that photograph of yourself you gave Kate,
and suddenly heard your footstep in the
hall, and"
That morning after his return from the
train which bore Dolly to Lowell, Mr.. Ry,
lance sat down to confess to Everidge;
"DEAR EvERIDGE = As soon as II can be
conveniently arranged, Miss Dolly Ferris will
become Mrs. Rylanoe. l feel in honor bound
TO explain that she is not the ideal, but she ID
so much better that I've nothing to regret.
Come up and spend Sunday with me, but dc
me the particular favor not 10 mention the
latest theory which l promised TO tell you
about. And let me give you some good ad
vice-you know I'm engaged now. DOM