St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-12-11

! III.
For mon,art mo ooo ,,
Then Mr Fraeis Iavimo r. ~
| on tba -, n1,sI l',' io I",l''
/ I.Fe baven,t war,, ',11.,%S % S",e't
| fell won aI,ort H., '''','' @ a., l.,
moor doc is I'D = '0o''' '' my sun '"e
Fred s+,,aJ I,afo,a ~, ,,..;
lencs a ,,,o,,,,,,,t ;,l,u ~ ~ ~ 81
| ,connrsI,a,,d - - f,9i, tnti - 80 "
| tben waII,ing ~ H.. ,,ind '' ~ r,1'o
! looked ont on the ward he stood there
his troubled face nressad ago;nst tbe
glass.
1iFI,,;v ,Ji5 l,o AZ ~, H. ,r.a1
in ahusly yoice
eve think: be yondarad ,.pt of tLo
ward at nirhf and was kiIled in . ticbt
with another donr
Tie. bov asked no more ouestions
He remained Inv. fine window = little
longer: then walked slowly ont of the
room and went unstairs. --. =. :.
Winnie went npstairs too. and sit
ting down. in her wicker rockinG-chair
by .xie open er;,ts. ire which blazed ON
hefffIeajth, tried to 9ather eoufaee;to
go to her brother, confess her secret.
and ask his pardon.
Bnt before she could make np her
mind to take this step which involved
so much, the door opened and Fred
came in.
"Sister," he said, evidently trying TO
speak i'll his ordinary tone, and to APP
pear in his usual spirits. '.hcre is some
thing for you. 1t is frame. ! made
1t ut grandtather's out of the wood of
an old hickory nut tree which was cut
=, II 4
liking for such things. and YOU can
put my picture in this if Won choose.
and think of me whenever you look at
it,
Winnie looked mp but she made no
movement to take the frame. Her
hands lay motiOnlcss in her lap, and
her face was so set and still that Fred
was frightened.
''Winnie, dear Winnie" he cried
dropping the fra ne on the carpet and
throwing himself on his knees beside
his sisters chair. "what is the matter ?i
For answer she put her head down
on his shoulder and burst into Il storm
of tears, sohbiug so wildly and hyster-
ically that Fred became more fright
ened still.
"sLet me call mother. Winnie" he
said, irving to rise, '"and don't don't cry
so. sister,
..No. don't call mother" she rasped.
.I-I want to tell Won. Oh. Fred
Broom poor Broom Don't hate me.
Fred ~
Fred did not try to answer her at
once. he had such hard work to keep
from CRYING himself.
EEJ
well, Winnic.'' he said Mt last, i'm a
quivering voice. "and of course DONE
hate YOU because of the hard things
YOU used to say about him. And--and
Won mustn't feel sn badly about if
Winnie. If will he all RIGHT in few
davs." Then fearing To lose his self
control if he remained longer. he nut
her gently from him, and left the
room.
And Winnie. exhausted bv the vio-
lence of her emotion. was fain to mt
of: lier confession to another day.
The sun was shining brightly when
she awolle the next morning, and after
putting on her morning wrapper and
toilet slippers, she went to the window
and pulled up the shade. As she did
o her glance fell on the ward below.
One instant she razed. the next she
was flying down the stairs like IA mad
thing. her Ioup hair tIoatinr over her
shoulders. Through the kitchen and
into the yard she rushed. and throwing
herself on her knees on the frozen
ground, threw both arms about--was
it Broom or his spectre
No spectre, certainly, for though the
poor animal had generally used-up
appearance, and dragged n clanking
resses showered upon him in IL way
that showed a very lively appreciation
of them.
"My goodness if that there dog
amt come back :" exclaimed Jane,
who had followed Winnie to the kitch-
en- door.
When Fred came down to see "what
all this racket was abOut,n as he cX-
pressed it, he found his sister laugh
ing and crying on the dogs neck, re-
gardlesS of the cold, and of the fact
that Broom had suiled her pretty
wrapper beyond repair with his dirty,
wet paws
81 rather think those little hoys can
explain this singular return" said Mr..
Freels- "We'll catch one of them and
see how much he knows about the
matter" .-
Jane was told to be on the watch,
and Just at dinner time she entered the
dining-room flushed aud excited, drag
ging Il small hoy by the collar.
The child was too much frightened
to tell any thing but the truth, and in
answer to Mr. Frecls's question he fall
terihgly confessed that he aud his
brother had bcru bribcd to steal the
dog. and had made mp the story about
his death aud removal by the city cart
in order tn prevent advertisement of
his loss. or indniries that might lead to