Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-12-29
His Life's One Holiday.

would enable him to marry without
being recklessly imprudent; and he
began to think it time to decide upon
a wife who would satisfy his some
what fastidlous requirements. She
must be OF a stately and noble pres
ence-Wayne had rather an idea of a
fine woman NOT too young, nor too
emotional. Wayne was person who
hated scelfes; in short, she was to
be a woman made to order, and he
found it. more difficult to discover her
than he had at first supposed.
It was a feeling of something as
akin to failure as his well-regulated
mind ever indulged in that he ordered
his port-manteau packed for fort
nights visit to Newton on-Sea, and
tore himself away from the fascina-
tions of club and life, to pay a long
promised visit to his old friend, DR..
Marshall. He has seen nothing of
the Marshalls for years past, though
there was tie of old associations be-
tween them, and even something of
sadder interest, Five years ago,
when Wayne's uncle offered him a
berth in the tea business of which he
was now the head, he extended a
like offer to Huntingdon's younger
| brother, Jack; but Jack, always
something of hot-headed fellow,
took offense at some word or deed OF
| his elders and refused the offer. Soon
after he took some post on the east
coast of Africa, and went out with
high hopes of the fortune he was tc
bring back and lay at Hettie Marsh
al's feet.
Huntingdon heard of the engage
ment with contempt for the folly OF
two young people without penny
but when, three years later, news
came of poor Jacks death out il
Zanzibar, the little bride that was tC
have been passed out of his mind
and it was only when an invitation
came for him from the Marshalls, who
were at Newton on-Sea for Hetty':
bealth that the thought of her exist
ence crossed hin again.
He had not seen her since she was
little child in pinafores and wheI
he was brought up, on the evening
he arrived to the side of crimson
hammock swung between two tai
pine-trees, and introduced to slight
| pale girl, whose great blue eyes wer,
raised to his with pathetic gentle
ness and sweetness; feeling sucl
as in all his thirty-five years of sensi
bic life he had never before expert
enced shot through him with thrill
of wonder, and almost bewilderment
He took in his own the small, fragile
white fingers, and then laid then
almost reverently on the soft cush
ions amidst which she lay.
l suppose if any one had aske'
him then and there whether he be
lieved in love at first sight, he woul
have answered as contemptuously a
as ever; and yet, for all that, he wa
as deep in love as ever man fell q
one blow. He told himself it was
pity-a pity that only grew as day
passed by, and he saw how delicat
a creature her great trouble of tw
years since had left her; it SCENE
| to him it was his duty to try an
atone to her for all the suffering an
loss she had undergone; as if his lif
ought to make up to her for Jack
death, somehow. Strange that dut
had never had such a zest and
, pleasure in it before!
She was thing so new to his e2
perience with her pleading blue eyes
her soft little ways, and the pathc
that hung about all she did and sale
Wayne used to sit and watch her fu
lively, as if she was a creature {
3 some unknown race.
, Three days after the first evenin
and the hammock, the ideal "fir
t woman" died out of his mind, nev'
to return; and before the week ws
e over he had said to himself-he, IL
practical, cool-headed Huntingdo
Wayne-that life without little He
tie would hardly be worth the living
and that he must have her for his ow
or die. Practical, common -sensic
> men often take the hardest form {
i the disease called love. He spoke
i DIR. Marshall before the middle
: the second week, and asked his CO..
sent to win Hetty. The DIR. listene
f with good deal of surprise, but I
f appearance of displeasure, and whe
Wayne had finished he grasped hi
n heartily by the hand.
i, "My dear fellow" he said, wi
u something between a smile and
sigh, "you have my heartiest conse
4 and my best wishes, if you can g
- Hetty to say yes. You are almo
/ part of poor Jack, and there's l
/ one else should so gladly call n
son. Of course it all rests with He
> ty; but / know she does not dislil
9 you, and you must trust to time
# the rest. Love such as she ga
" poor Jack, perhaps the same wom'
e never gives twice over; but there
Il no reason she should'n love you we
: and make you good wife.-T
grief of two years back is passil
d away-it is more the physical sta
J. left by the shock of that time th
' wears on her now. Perhaps she W