News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-10-16

pe ready as soon as they can get QoWl
to the house."
Chow delightfully."- primitive life is on
here r. unused Richard. ST feel as if
was in another world from the one lef
this morning.
"You are from Lake Resort, I sup
pose?"
"Yes. have been there a week; my
home is in Albany, New York. I wa
count of the fish and game in neighbor
ing localities. But I came out here thii
morning, and have tramped all day anG
never shot bird"
"You tried, though" said Lisle, mis-.
chievously. "But here we are now
please take seat ON the veranda in the
saa5e while tell Aunt Ruth we have
company to tea and help her pick the
berries"
"What charming, fresh, unspoiled
child of nature she isr thought Rich
ard, as she disappeared. "Sweet eyes
and mouth and a pretty figure, and SC
simple and unaffected Ahl that is
what attracts man after he is worn out
with the artifces of the world and dis
gusted with the shams of society. What
an ideal life one could lead here with
such companion as that, far from ali
din and turmoil and strife of the
world p
"Tea is ready, SIR" a very sweet
voice announced. "Walk this way, il
you please. 1 suppose you would like
to wash your face and hands, perhaps,
You may step into auntie's room at the
left here"
How pretty and restful and homelike
the rooms were; how dreamily the sound
of the "mowers came in through the
open window; how motherly Aunt Ruth
appeared in her big apron as she greeted
him with cordial simplicity, touched
with slight awe of his city origin; how
charming the table appeared to his hun
gry,eyes, with the healthful country fare!
"You had better sit right down, you
and Lisle, said Aunt Ruth, "Joel will be
gettin' off to town about 6, he says, if
it'll accommodate You any; and the
men'll be here in few minutes, so it'll
be pleasanter for you to have your tea
before they come"
And Richard sat down to tete-a-tete
tea with Lisle, in her print gown and
with her slightly sunburned face, guilt
less of powder, and enjoyed it more than
any stately dinner which he ever at
tended, where ladies lured him with
beautiful faces and sumptuous costumes
and glittering jewels.
Then in came Uncle William with his
loud voice and his burly frame to break
the spell, and half dozen red-faced and
perspiring farm hands with him.
'sStorm coming up from the nor
west, y he said, ''Guess my 'hay'Il catch
it; but I've only half-day's moving
down. All the rest up in snug stack at
noon. Neighbor Brown has three acres
lying yet. I'm lucky for once. Whew!
there comes the thunder ! A regular
night of it, guess we'll have"
SO it proved, Joel could not go to
'town," as the little station five miles
distant was designated, and the night
set in storming fuiously.
Richard, not at all reluctantly, ac-
cepted the cordial invitation to remain
until morning. A train went to Lake
Resort at 6, but as at that hour it still
rained, he turned over upon his COM
Portable couch and concluded to wait
until evening.
He was in no haste to leave Lisle Ash
ley's sweet presence.
He idIed away the day in delicious
fashion. Lisle sat over great basket
of mending, while he read aloud or
talked to her in his rich, thrilling voice
of foreign lands and people.
"How well she listens. Few people
possess that accomplishment, too,' he
thought; and he found she had read a
great deal, and had been several years
at school in distant city.
When he went away that evening he
asked her if he might send her soma
nice books to read.
"I have stacks of them," he said,
(Which it seems selfish in me to keep
in trunks now have read them. You
might as well enjoy them, and I would
feel then that 1 was doing something
toward return for all your kindness. p"
So he sent the books, and note with
them, of course; and of course Lisle re-
piled, and letters followed for several
weeks. And then he ran down to Ben
ton Station to pass Sunday at "Uncle
Williams" farm.
After that he came down every week
or two until October. They read and
talked, and walked and drove together,
an it was all Heaven to Lisie and a
veritable Eden to Richard. He was
deeply in love with the girls innocence,
sweetness and unaffected good sense.
He was fascinated with the repose and
calm of this quiet retreat, so unlike the
restless rush of his whole life. He felt
as if he could live and die happy and
contented man with Lisle his own COM
panion if he could remain here.
But the world, his business duties,
lay elsewhere-in a world of commerce
and fashion--and he did not ask Lisle
to share that world with him.
He went back to Albany in October
without asking her that one momen-
tous question, and soon became alb
sorbed in his business pursuits.
One evening IN early December, Rich
ard received an invitation to attend a
reception at the home of Mrs. Slough
ton, the leader in his social circle. He
went. somewhat reluctantly. After
waltz or two with some of his lady
friends, he sought sofa and watched
the merry throng. Soon his eyes caught
sight of a figure that caused him to
start from his seat and gaze intently on
the lovely form which foated across the
farther end of the ballroom. 1t was
she-his rustic-arrayed in the most
lovely costume, radiant with jewels and
flushed with excitement He sought her
after the dance. She was apparently
very glad to see him, but claimed that
the pleasure was entirely unexpected.
She explained that she was visiting her
aunt, the hostess, and would spend the
greater part of the winter in Albany.
Richard did not detain her long. He
sought ont Mrs. StoughtoD, Lisle's aunt,
and expressed his surprise and delight
at meeting her niece, the manner OF