Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-03-19
MILL HEM PA. THURSDAY MARCH 10, 1885. NO. II

had not married David Price, TO LAY
open before her the loug years OF lone.
illness, the starvation OF heart, which
had been endured for her sake but
the lifelong habit OF reticence was no,
easily broken, and the words died ava,
without utterance.
Afterward she was glad of this 81
lence-for that night the querulou
voice stopped suddenly, and the chair
that had bound Lois for twenty year!
was broken. She was free. But wha:
was freedom worth to her ? The "zest
was gone out of life she had grown
away from her old friend and made no
new ones there was no tie to bind
her to Hillsborough, aud she felt the
full extent of her loneliness when she
realized the fact that she had no ties in
any place 10 the wide world. But she
could not stay in her old home so af-
ter awhile she sold the farm and moved
away to small town near Boston. gui-
ded in her choice only by the fact that
from this town had come some of the
friendly stranger letters. Here she set
tied herself in comfortable home, and
faced resolutelY the thirty or forty
years which In all human probability
lay before her. The people about her
proved kindly and intelligent she
found more congenial society than ..she
had ever known before her pleasant
house became a center of quiet socia-
bili:y, and she enjoyed kind of au-
tumnal happiness.
One afternoon, some eight years af-
ter her coming to SpringYale, Miss Lois,
sitting in her chamber, writing, heard
the gate creak, and looking out, saw a
peddler coming up the walk. He walk
ed feebly, and she noticed that as he
neared the steps he Strengthened him
self with an effort. Her little maid
was out, so she laid down her pen and
went down to him.
The man stood looking through the
open door iuto the wide old-fashioned
hall. 1t looked very cool and inviting
after his hot tramp, land Miss Lois ,eom-
ing down the stairs, fair and sweet in
her soft gray dress and lavender rib
bons, seemed part OF the peace and
quiet of the house.
She saw that he looked hot and tired,
and asked him in, setting the large hall
chair for him. He dropped into it
wearily. and opening his stock without
the volubility common to his kind. 1t
consisted of the usual small wares, and
Miss Lois made her selection of pins,
needles and tape with the careful delib.
Grafton of New England housekeeper.
Suddenly she turned very white, ,and
laid her hand on the stair-rail as though
for support. 1t was over in moment;
and when the peddler looked at her a.
gain she wore her usual calm face.
though the hands counting the money
trembled little. AS he was gathering
his wares together she asked him, Have
you been long at this business 2"
mo, ma'am," he answered, rising
stiffiy; "only year or two. used 20
do good business in Cleyeland. Ohio,
and had house as pleasant as this, land
a wife and a child; but / failed in busi-
ness then my wife and child died, and
| had long sickness. After I got up
from it tried several different things,
but finally came to this. Thank you,
ma'am," putting the money in his thin
pocket.book. "You look like somebody
L used to know in Hlllsborough, where
| was raised"
But Miss Lois made no answer, ex-
cept "Goud afternoon" as he went
down the steps.
When the gate closed behind him she
went up to her chamber, unlocked a
drawer in her bureau, and taking from
it thin package of letters, sat down
with them i'm her hand.
There was no need to read them she
knew every word in them. They had
come at long intervals during the first
nine years of waiting; she could tell the
very day the last one came. She sat
there very quietly until her little maid
called her TO tea; then she put the let
ters back in their place smoothed her
hair, and went down. And neither
Polly nor the friends who came in the
evening suspected that Miss Lois had
seen ghost that afternoon.
The next morning Polly returned
from the grocery in great excitement.
A peddler had bleedlng-spell there
the night before; they had made him
bed In the back room, and that after
noon the select men were going to take
him to the poor house. Polly had seen
with her open eyes.
Miss Lois finished pasting the paper
over the last tumbler of current jelly,
then washed her hands calmly, took off
her apron, and went upstairs. In
few minutes she came down with her
hat on. "I'm going out for a little
while, Polly" she said; land while I'm
gone you may make up the bed in the
east chamber"