Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-08-11

to throw aside the duties of life once
in the II months, and for few weeks
at least to be gentleman of leisure.
His occupation was the hard and
rather unromantic one of blacksmith
and carriage-ironer; but he possess
ed soul above that of the common
vulcan, and when the summer days
grew warm and balmy, the leathern
apron was cast aside, and behold the
grub was butterfly. The savings
of year were generally consumed
in these annual recreations, and when
they terminated, he would go penni-
less back to the shop and patiently
smite the glowing iron and await the
next respite from slavery.
But that night new impulse was
creeping iuto his brain. and another
more commendable had found lodge
ment in his heart. The latter feel
ing was admiration for the fair young
girl he had rescued, and it warmed
and glowed and lighted up his honest,
not unhandsome face, as he thought
of her smiling graciousness and ap-
parent obliviousness to the fact that
he was only hard-handed son of
toll. And this thought only helped
to augment the other, for something
seemed to be whispering to him that
if he could win the heart of this con-
fding maiden, he might thereby lift
himself above the necessity of earn
ing his bread by the sweat of his
brow.
All through the night these thoughts
haunted him, and visions of plump,
white arms, a fair, frightened face,
framed in the whirling water of an
angry sea, dainty, trim maiden,
with dewy lips and a mischievous
CLINT in her bright eyes, thronged in
upon his fitful slumbers, and the next
afternoon he dressed himself care
fully in his s'other" best suit, for his
wardrobe was not exceedingly ample,
and strolled down upon the beach.
Miss Orrington was there, and
greeted him with childlike frankness.
81 have been looking for you, she
said naively, as she gave him her
hand, and poor Peter was vanquished
completely as the strong, yet gentle
clasp of her fingers closed upon his.
81 shall not venture into the wa.
ter to-day" said the lady, as they
sauntered along the sand and watch
ed the antics of the bathers. "My
nerves were a trife unstrung yester-
day."
She did not look in the least dis
turbed, and when they parted Peter
Fillmore felt that he was a doomed
man, for he well knew that, under
ordinary circumstances, his case was
as hopeless as it could be. How
gracious, and sweet and smiling she
was, and how different creature
city belle was from what he had inn
agined Her laugh had such a whole
some, hearty ring in it, and she was
so unaffected in her manner, while in
years she could scarcely as yet have
exceeded her twentieth.
Again that night he sat as he did
the evening before and wrestled with
himself. At one moment her evident
pleasure in his company lifted him to
the highest pinnacle of happiness,
and then he would be plunged into
the deepest abyss of misery as din
gy blacksmith shop with its glowing
forge and heavy drudgery rose up
before him and seemed to stand be-
tween him and the object of his new
ly awakened alteration.
The place where he had met his
fate was rather secluded seaside
resort in eastern New England, and
as he joined IN the company of Miss
Orrington day after day, he deter
mined to win her if possible, let the
consequences be what they would.
He had developed of late won
derful liking for feminine society,
and surprised himself at the ease with
which he glided into the ways of the
hitherto charmed circle; for though
he was an entire novice in such mat
ters, he was fairly well read and
above the average of intelligence.
So one evening late in July, as the
sea lay like huge mirror in the soft
radience of the silver moonlight, he
dropped the oars which he had been
plying with unusual vigor, and al
lowed the boat to drift over the glas-
sy surface, unruffied by the slightest
symptom of breeze.
His companion was looking dream
lily toward the shore, from which
strains of music and sounds of laugh
ter foated like echoes from fairyland.
s'Isn't this delicious p said Miss
Orrington, turning her radiant face
toward him. 1t seems as though l
could live out my life in such a state
of beatitude as this"
A strong hand seemed to grasp
the throat of the young man.
"'It is heaven on earth," he an
swered, in low, almost hoarse tone.
The strange sound of his voice
startled her.
"Are you sick p she said, reach
ing her hand toward him from the
seat in the stern of the little boat.
"Your voice seems to sound so
strangely"