Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-05-16

Mother do stop that boy. He could be
heard across the street, cried Sophie, flushed
and distressed. She went on hurredly with
her work, and had succeeded in producing
considerable confusion by the time young
Barrows had deposited his hat and overcoat
in the little entry. The young man greeted
| the family politely, but at first glance you
would have said II was the grandmother whom
he came especially to see. The little old lady
was Aattered and pleased, and warmed into
| talkativeness.
II member your gran'fther we'll in my
young days, sir. You're q good deal his
build remind me of him In the back. He
was pretty fond Of the gals, too"
Sophie's heart nearly stopped beating.
1T wonder" the old lady continued, in her
high quaver-'T wonder now II you're the
young man Suffy was a-tellin' me about, the
other day. Sufy, what are you doing to your
gran'fther's desk ?"
"She's helping her father straighten out his
| papers," said Mrs. Powers, coming to poor
| Sophie's rescue. ~ hope Mr.. Barrows will
excuse her if she goes on. Mr.. Powers is in
something OF hurry"
"That was my husbands desk, said
Grandma, proudly; land when he died he
| left Il to Simon. I'm for havin' Suffy have II
next but they want TO give it to Robbie.
Not till he's good deal better boy'n he is
now, though, 1 tell 'em. But Sufy's nice
gal and she'll be gettin' married one of
these days, and that desk will look well in her
house. How we'll member the pep'mints
used to keep in that little cupboard. You
see could keep 'em under lock and key, away
from the children. Manys the time gran
f'ther would come home and say not a word,
for he never was any great OF a talker but
go straight to that little cupboard and tuck
away good pile of gold. He never was much
of a hand for banks. He was always buying
and selling, without saying much to me.
member when he sold the three-cornered
wood-lot to your gran'fther. l had to sign
the deed, but not a cent of the money did
ever see. don't say your gran'fther didn't
pay him but it was always sort of curious"
Young Barrows felt that this was not pre-
clsely what he had come for. He all at once
manifested keen interest in the drawers and
pigeon holes of the old desk and "Can't 1
help you, Miss Sophie ?" seemed the most nat
ural thing he could say.
Eyes, I'll let you tie up these papers" So
phie tried to answer in calm, business-like
tone.
Then the young man was clumsy, and So
phie delciously hard TO please whereupon
| he pretended he was very glad he did not go
to her school, and she declared it was great
pity he didn't.
"Guess you'd get more'n one lickin' If you
did, " put in Rob.
Couldn't she give him some private tuition
after business hoursp Barrows suggested.
What branch did he wish to pursue, please
| Rob was much cast down that he could not
catch the reply but it did not escape the
boys keen eye that Sophie was "blushin' like
house afre."
| The old desk was fast taking on homeless,
uninhabited look. One could fancy tiny
| echo in the empty pigeon holes, like that
| which haunts e deserted house. Sophie felt
that she was sad; yet who could be utterably
miserable with that whisper still in her ear ;?
"And now we've come to the little closet"
said Sophie, somehow impelled to talk fast.
II used to think that that door, with its little
brass knob and hinges was the ideal front
| door for a dolls mansion. Then look at the
| rich Corinthian columns on each side. Aren't
they beauties There isn't much in it one
| eve of mothers spectacles, a last years cslen.
dar, some rusty pens, and here, Rob, is your
whistle that mother hid. No sign of any
gold, grandma. The golden age is over in
this family" and there was an echo of the old
bitterness in her laugh.
There, the poor old thing is empty.
Goodbye to it,"
But Barrows seemed in no hurry to move
away. He examined the workmanship mi
nutely, and was anxious that Sophie shouldap-
preciate it's fine points.
Simon Powers sat with his head forward
and looked absently at his thin handa. which
lay idly in his lap. From time 10 time he
looked up at his wife.
"What Is it, dear ?" she said low to him.
Nothing; but it sort of puts heart in me
to see you, while they're pulling over my
things there, as if was dead and gone"
"That's what a wife's for, Simon Powers" :"
The little grandmother softly dozed in her
corner starting up suddenly now and then
| with a look that agkad IL any Ona accuaad her
of being asleep.
Rob sat at the table, with one eye on the
first coniugation and the other on his sister
He gave Matte kick under the table occa-
sionally, that was intended to convey volumes
YOU'D better ha' let me clean out that rub
bish," he said, at last addressing himself to
the company "I could have done it in just
| about one-tenth the time them two are fooling
over it."
"Hullo-o.o!" cried Barrows, suddenly.
"Corinthian column, you call that, do you
Put your eye down there, Miss Sophie. That's
what is usually called crack, isn't it ? Do
you give me leave to investigate? I'll try the
blade of my penknife in it. Yes, there's no
doubt about its being crack. Now, Miss
Sophie, suspect drawer Let's to work.
''If there is a drawer" said Mrs Powers,
anxiously, "I shouldn't want to have it go out
Of our hands without being sure it was empty
and clean. Robbie, why can't you help?"
'Miss Sophie" said Barrows, ''If you were
TO take hold at the base and at the capital,
perhaps we could bring it.
Here, give me hold of it, }" said Rob; but
his sister ignored him.
"It's Just like Scott's novels, said Matte,
delightedly. II always did wish we had 3d.
cret panel or something. I'm sure our house
is old enough"
zone, two, three Now, Miss Sophie !"
| w
cts coming !" cried Barrows, with the ar
, dor of q Schliemann. Something heavy IL
, it. That's the trouble. There, I've got hold
of it. It sticks little. One more pull
, | Now!" And he held in his hand long, deep
: and narrow drawer. Its front had tried tc
[ make the world believe that it was an limo
, | cent little Corinthian column, whose sole duty
t had been to stand guard at the tiny closet-door
~ said it was heavy, did | ?" said Barrows
: in queer voice. Suppose you try 1t ant
see, Mr.. Powers" And he put the drawe
q into the sick mans hands.
Z One look, and Simon Powers dropped it h
0 the floor. "Sallie, its gold! It's gold !" h
a cried, with shaking voice.
r The glttering pieces rolled in every direC
q tion. Nobody but Rob thought of pursuin
: them.
a "pm going to see what's in the other feller,
4 said the enterprising boy. "Graciousl Thi
r sticks worse'n the other. I'll fetch it, though.
ID And fetch" it he did, though it was file
n TO the brim with heavy coin. "What do 20
v think of that, Grandma Powers and of tina
q and of that?"
q "simon," said his wife, with her hand o
Z his shoulder, didn't tell you all along "
q weren't forgotten ?"
a ''Yes, Mr.. Powers, you're a lucky man,
,e said Barows, with a hearty grasp of th
hand. "That's what call genuine antique.
Ia "And if it hadn't been for you, )" said 81
IF phie, looking up into his face, and her ssl
tence was finished with her happiest smile.
IA Mrs. Punderson called next day. As 81
tv rode away she told Miss Violet Varnes that tho
Is people were certainly the most disagreeab
m she had ever had to deal with. They were
re- obstinate as ever about their desk, and, Il
le her part, she wanted no more TO do with then
:" -IRdependent
1e "Oh, my !" exclaimed little Edith upon b
ke frs. entrance into the roller skating-rin
40 "thoy're all on casters, amt they1"
II A neighboring paper, reporting recent 8
ve cial, says: "The opening piece was rende
ed by mule quartet. The reporter wro
IT, it male quartet, but the compositor kne