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

Ndlti III WHICH IdfIstI-eIlIeIlc nau UeeU
! dissolved.
So when Winnie hegau to dust, the
sight of druggists white envelope on
the bureau bearing the label tartar
emetic" did not surprise her in the
least. Bnt the skull and cross bones
| beneath the two words gave mOsi
unfortunate turn to her thoughts. A
way ont of liei trollbles was suggested
AT aitce. Wi;h.this little powder she
could put. au end to the destroyer OF
\ her peace.
She did not give herself time TO think
of the wickedness of the deed she con :
templated. Her heart was too full Ot
anger and resentment to admit any
feeling of - softer nature. The un-
| governablc temper which her mother
| had So often deplored made her reck :
less. She snatched up the little en-
| yelope, and with look of settled de-
| termination on her face, ran quickly
down stairs to the kitchen Jane was
in the cellar, and ON the table lay the
remains of the dinner--a large piece of
juicy steak oeeuiying "a prominent po-
sition on Il. platter.
To cnt oft ii small piece of this steak
aud rub the powder in the envelope on
it was the work of only Il moment, and
then Winnie. still eager for revenge.
hurried into the yard, where Broom was
mapping in his kennel.
He came ont as he heard her step,
and snapped greedily at the meat she
held out to him, swallowing it ut one
gulp. Then, wagGing his tail and
barking loudly, he tuwned upon her,
asking Us plainly as words could have
done for more. ~.
But Winnie had no more to give
him, and as she met the atfrctionate
gaze of his great yellow eyes IL pang of
shame and remorse shot through her
heart.
''Oh, wish | hadn't given it TO
him. she thought. .'What will Fred
say p --
All her anger seemed to have died
away. and as Broom jumped around
her. rubbing his shaggy head against
her hand, the tears started to her eyes,
and she went back into the house feel
ing Il hundred times more miserable
than when she had come out
She did not feel able to finish dust
ing her aunt'S room. and going into
the parlor, lay down on the sofa, and
spent the afternoon thinking of the
probable consequences of what she
had done. The dog would be found
dead, and she would he at once sus-
pccted, of course. What would her
parents say How would Fred feel
toward herr Would he ever forgive
her?
Poor Winnie! she thought more dur
ing that day and evening of the sin of
anger. and made more good resolutions
than in all the Years of her life before.
She resolved to show Fred by her fu-
ture conduct how deeply she regretted
the hasty act which had robbed him of
the posSessinn hc valued above all
others.
ale shall never have reason TO com
plain of me again" she thought. ''and
L never will find fault with him"
When she went down to breakfast
the next morning, feeling weary and
sad, she found hei father in converse
tion with Jane, who was cutting bread
ut the sideboard.
:'Daughtcr," he said, turning around
as Winnie came in, 1--WE are all very
much worried about Broom. Jane
found the gaze open this morning and
the kennel empty"
EMPTY :" echoed Winnie.
''Ycs. and one of the little bows
whom SAW hanging about the ward
yesterday says the dog is dead. He
saw him lying over in the lot back of
MI. Bondc'S, and one of the city carts,
passing by early this morning. carried
him AWAY. He must have got ont dur
ing the night. and been killed in
fight with another dog. Poor Broom
Fred is sure to take his death very
hard"
Winnie made no reply. She took
her seat ut the table III silence, listen
ing with an aching heart 10 the various
snrmiScS of her parents and aunt con
cerning poor Broom.
When breakfast was over, her moth
cr sent her ont to do some errands for
Thanksgiving day. Every moment
her heart grew heavier. and so miser-
able had she become that she could
scarcely raise smile when on her re-
turn she found the windows of her
bedroom adorned with floating dra-
pcries far pretticr and more costly
than those Broom had DESTROYED.
"Iou seemed to feel 80 badly about
your loss said her mother. kissing
her, ''that your father determined to
get the new curtainSat once. But you
do not seem as much pleased as |
thought you would he, Winnie"
HOh. mammal, ! am pleased | am
indccd,' said Winnie, earnestly: and
then, to her mothers utter astonish-
mcnt, she burst into tears.
II dom n'tnnderstand the child late
ly,' said Mrs. Frrcls to her. husband
that evening when he asked how Win
ME had liked her present. ..She seems,
for some reason | cannot fathOm, ut
terly wretchcd."
In vain did Winnie try tn he cheer
ful and bright before her guests that
evening. Her heart was too heavily
weighted to rise IN genuine gayety
even for moment, and the Young
Shdkespeareans all noticed how pre-
occupied was her manner, and how
listlessIv she took her part in the eve
ning's exercises. But they imagined
her suffering from some slight illness;
and did not annoy her with questions.
The next day WAS Thanksgiving day,
and Winnie had been Invited with her
parents and aunt 10 dine III the house
of an intimate friend of the family:
hut she pleaded II severe headache,
and begged to he allowed to stay at
home, aud she looked so i'll that no one
ventured to opppse her wish.
1t WAS the only unhappy Thanks
giving day she had ever known. Alone
all day, she tired first one occupation
and then another; hut nntIling seemed
| to distract her thoughts, which were
eyer on the sin she had committed.
But the worst nf her punishment
came when, on the evening of the fifth
day of his absence, Fred returned
home. He rushed into the library Just
at night-fill like Il young Whirlwind.