Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-10-10
THE NOT IMPOSSIBLE SIZE.


THE NOT IMPOSSIBLE SIZE.
A young man WAS pacing impatiently up
and down the platform Of the pretty little
station at Appleton. The month was June
the time was $3.50 A. NJ. the train was late
the young man was annoyed and impatient.
| 1t WAS delicious morning, warm, but with
| certain delicate little cool hutterings in the
air, that lifted the leaves and whispered that
comfort dwet out-of-doors under the trees,
and not within in the protection OF darkened
rooms The little park about the station was
| trim and fresh To the east lay the broad
| Hudson, winding down, not to Camelot, but
place infinitely more interesting to the i'm.
| patient growler at the station, who eagerly
scanned the bulletin each time he passed it
as if hoping to see some change in the an
| nouncement Train from the west late two
hours and thirty-6ve minutes" Toward the
north there were glimpses of clean white
houses, and one or two church spires, and
beyond them larger and pretentious country
houses suggested wealth aud luxurious sum.
mer retirement. The little station, much to
the disgust of the Appleton people, had been
| placed, not at the village, but where in the
| judgment of the railroad the village ought
70 have been, and would be some day.
Presently something happened. There
was little hustle OF expectancy among the
| two or three men who were in charge at the
station. The telegraph agent dropped his
paper shu. himself up in his private COOP
and after some click, click, clicking, called
| out an unintelligible phrase which, in its
turn, reused a sleepy official, who stroled
out to the platform aud began gazing vacant
| ly at the north. Then a low line of smoke
and then a whistle announced what the Off
cial proclaimed in stentorian tones to be the
'Commodston for Welby."
From the 'Commodation for Welby"
there alighted one passenger at the Appleton
station. This was a graceful young girl, an
old-fashioned sort Of pretty girl with gentle
blue eyes, dressed all in a blush gray. The
young man Of ths- Gagged -hyena prance, pre-
occupied with his scorn for 'Commodations
for Welby," did not even glance at her. She
walked through the station, looked helpless
ly about with the distressed air of untravel-
ed womankind, deposited her satchel on
seat. and approached the window Of the tele-
graph office, now closed and deserted. Gal
lantry at length asserted itself, and Mr.. Fred
Rylance, the impatient begged to know if
he could be Of any service.
"Yes, thank you" (bushingly and timor-
ously); Il want very much to send a mes
sage"
"Oh, very we'll the man will be back di-
rectly. If you will write your message on
this blank, I'll give it to him when he re-
turns" He handed her a blank ~ he spoke,
and delightfully."- sharpened pencil from his
pocket.
She hesitated minute, then, with much
embarrassment, asked, "Will you be 80 kind
rs to write it for me-? I-csn not-wrte."
With great self possession Mr.. Rylance re-
strained a movement of surprise, and dash
| ing down the date, waited for the message.
tf. - l. Il I
only to say that came safely, and that I'll
| let him hear from me as soon as | reach Rlv-
| erview."
"Hr Edodrd Ferris LOoeH:
Reached here safely on time. Will com
municate from Riverview."
Communicate is stroke of genius, 4"
thought Mr.. Rylance.)
"Do you wish to sign it 2"
'Oh yes. Dolly Ferris"
By this time the operator made his appear
ance, and after the message had been intrust-
ed to him, MIR. Rylance followed Miss Ferris
to her seat, and said, with an amused smile
IF you're going to Riverview you are GER
tain to meet me, Miss Ferris. The young
ladies at Riveryiew are my nearest and dear
est neighbors. May Introduce myself My
name is Rylance-Fred Rylance."
Miss Ferris explained very gracefully that
| the young ladies at Riverview were her cous-
ins, whom she was visiting for the first time,
and that she had expected them to meet her,
and preferred to wait rather than have Mr..
Ryance telephone to Appleton for the solita-
ry village hack. And SO they got on very
| cheerfully until the arrival of the carriage
from Riverview, which contained the dash
ing Misses Ferris-Kate and Milly.
You darling, how did you get here 2"
"They telephoned from the station that
| the train was two hours late"
"Aud hOi0 did you come to know Fred 2"
And where's your trunk z"
To this bewildering attack Dolly found,
after a while, chance to reply that the ex-
J press was so late that her father had advised
the way train as possible means of saving
her cousins unnecessary waiting. Mr.. Ry-
lance further explained that he had bC en-
fortunate enough to be of some little service
to Miss Ferris, and that he had introduced
himself.
The trunk was found the young ladies
wero all volubly and hutteringly put into the
carriage, when the whistle Of the long-de-
layed train was heard. A hasty good-by, and
he found himself Just in time to have the
train tagged. He flung himself into a com
Portable seat, and hastily tearing leaf from
his notebook, wrote:
"DEAR EyERDGE IL am ready 10 keep my
share of the pledge we once made each 9th
er. have found my ideal, and you are the
| first to hear it. She shall be the second.
She's come, I've seen her. and been conquer.
ed. She's the woman I've dreamed of, from
her lovely baby blonde face to her sweet,
soft voice and best Of ALL old fellow, have
positive proof that she isn't that pet horror
of mine-that drug in the modern matrimo.
niAl market-'a splendidly educated girl
"It's the most curious thing, but she has
been brought up according to my latest theo
ry, which I'll tell you Never mind hel
name it shall be Mrs. Rylance, if shell
consent and can be pretty stubborn sol
dier at siege I'm not mad, but intend t
be. Be sure youlkeep your pledge, as have
mine, and congratulate me, not this minute
but after while.
Yours, in love with the ideaD,
FIRED RELANoR."
day or two later the threatened siege be-
gan. There was an uninterrupted series o
picnics and drives and walks, all arranged by
Mr.. Rylance, and all given in Dolly's honor,
and all conspicuous by Fred's absolute devo
tion to the yellow-haired visitor at River
view.
She furnished him more food for reflection
than any one he had ever met Until he me
Dolly he had had some sneaking doubts o
his "lstest theory" viz, that provided
woman were thoroughly refined, the less sh,
she would be. But here 1t was, the only ex
ample he had ever seen, and the most start
ling and complete vindication of his ideas.
She was quite as bright as her cousins, anC
after the most careful scrutiny he failed Il
find single occasion upon which her lack o
a "commOn-school education" placed her a
a disadvantage. To be sure, he wasn't quite
fair. He never permitted the conversation
to turn upon books, and he could not hell
wondering at times what people would CAY
when Mrs. Fred Rylanos's aoceptances or re
grets were conveyed always in her husband
writing. One glance, however, at Dolly
. bright animated face was enough to dispel al