The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-02-06

snow, and perhaps black silk apron or a
white one, aud with neat shoes and nice
stockings-if saw girl dressed like that,
with nothing costly, nothing that any
girl cannot have, but everything fresh,
and neat, and pretty, should say to my.
self, there is shop-girl with the true in
stincts of lady, And Cary-don't think
me impertinent--if Mark came to town
and saw girl like that among the
crowd of untidy, overdressed ones at
Snow & Asher's, think the contrast
would strike him as it would me-agree-
ably"
Miss Sydney paused, half frightened at
her own daring. Cary looked steadily
into the fire without speaking. The rain
had ceased. Myra rose and threw back
the blind, revealing the moon struggling
through thin edges of cloud. Cary fol.
lowed her to the window. Her cheeks
were deep red, but there was frank
and grateful look in her eyes as she said
must be going, now ma'am. You've
been ever so good to let me stay, shan't
forget it, and-I guess you are about
right
VI wonder if / said the right thing, or
have done the least good 2" queried Miss
Sydney, as she watched her guest depart.
1t was some weeks before she had occa.
sion again to visit Snow & Asher's, aud
she had half forgotten the incident, when
one day, entering the shop, in quest of
something, her attention was attracted by
face which beamed with sudden smiles
at the sight of her. 1t was indeed Cary,
but such different Cary from the drag.
gled vision of the wet evening She still
wore the blue dress, but the founces had
been ripped off, and the front was hidden
with neat black silk apron. The tsngle
of hair was smoothed into orderly waves
a white collar with knot of blue ribbon
was round her neck one of the objec-
tionsble rings had disappeared, and so had
the yellow locket. So changed and SC
much prettier was the little maiden that
Miss Sydney scarcely knew her, till blush
and smile pointed her out.
She waited on her customer with assid.
uity, and under cover of box of ruffies
they exchanged condolences. Did Miss
Sydney think she looked better ? She
was so glad. The girls had laughed al
her, at first, but not so much now, and
her roommate, Ellen Morris, had got her
self an apron like hers. Miss Sydney
left the shop with pleased amusement al
her heart. She meant to go often, tc
keep little hold on Cary, but circum
stances took her off to Florida, soon after
ward, and it was late in April before sht
returned.
"That girl from Snow & Asher's called
to see you about week ago, ma'am," sale
Esther, the evening after her arrival. 81
told her you was expected Tuesday, and
she said she would come again to-day, fol
she wanted to speak to you particularly
as she was going away. There she
is now"
Cary indeed it was, with steady, manly
looking young fellow by her side.
at is Mark, Miss Sydney" she said, BY
way of introduction. Later, when MARI
had walked over to the window to see the
view, she explained farther in rapid un
dertone. "He came down two month";
ago, while you was away, ma'am. cam'
out to tell you, but you was gone, and
day after o-morrow-l'm going back will
him to Gilmanton. told him he mus
bring me out tonight, for couldn't leav'
without saying goodbye to YOU"
lou are going 10 Do married
"Yes with a happy look" to-mor
row morning. And oh, Miss Sydney
what do you think Mark says ? He says
if he'd found me looking like the rest o
the girls at the store, with false hair ant
jewelry and that, he'd never in the worlt
have asked me at all. And did lool
just like that, you know. 1t was wha
you said that rainy night that made M
change, and except for that nothing would
have happened that has, and | shouldn'
be the happy girl | am"
"Bread on the waters" thought Myra
as, little later, she watched the lover
walk down the street. "Such littl
crumb, and such wide waters, yet it ha
come back How impossible it seems, o
would seem, if one did not have to believ
that what we call chances and accident
are Gods opportunities by which he a.
lows US to lend helping hand in hi
work, not quite understanding what W
do, but knowing that, guided by him, tn
smallest things end sometimes in grea
results. Susan Coolidge, in Congregd
tionalist.