Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-06-12

|
1T will be quiet change for you after th,
mountains, ehe continued to read "'W,
sail, row, bathe, and drive, go fishing oi
| swing in the hammocks, ~ the fancy seizei
us ('Ihink," said Ruth, "how prosy
and such lovely dresses AZ she had y "'l
shall never forgive you il you do not come
on the Thursday afternoon train. Grant viii
be at the station. AIN longing to have you
see this lovely place.
Ever your alTectionste FAN"
mot a word about her happiness, or any
thing else but the placel"
"Ycs, said Mrs. Carew, musngly, AZ Ruth
looked up, you had better go. Il will dc
| you good in many ways. Fan Ia either "a
perfectly happy and contented that she can
afford to share her joy, or she has some
| "Oh, you may depend upon it, mamma,
she is lonely. Now, Grant is all very well,
but think of having no one but him for a
whole month l cannot imagine any man
entertaining enough to satisfy me for hah
| that time"
You seemed TO endure a great deal OF
that young MIR. Thornton's company last
spring, Ruth. You concealed the sacrifice
you were then making admirably"
"Oh, that is very different. He il not at
all like Grant, you know. But in regard TO
Fan Yes, / can take down some new
books, aud that newest pattern in crewels
from 'Stearns's, and all the news / have
heard. That will help Fan out for a few
days. But you may expect me back Monday,
mamma"
Mrs. Carew smiled, but did not give de.
cded assent TO the statement 1--WE shall
see, she remarked.
The afternoon sun WAS slRnting across the
lawn in front OF the Bay cottage, while Mr..
HertfOrd stood with one foot on the step Of
his beach. wagon
"There il the whistle at the Junction
shall have 10 rush for the train. he said
springing 10. 80 you will not go, Fan2"
NO. ! think not and, by the way, Grant
please look for your cousin Ruth at the sta
ton. wrote for her to come down in the
same train"
Mr.. Hertford turned quickly from bis wife
and bit his moustache, while a gleam OF
laughter danced in his eyes
Fan, you are simply delightful A per.
feet Machiavelli iu petticOats. sink into in
significance before your wisdom" And
he added to himself, mo need of telling her
my plans she divines and executes before
have half conceived them. Well, / only
hope the thing will work we'll"
Mrs. Hertford, too, smiled, but only at
her husbands praise. She did not Zee why
he should admire her wisdom, since it WAS
exerted only in her own behalf She wrote
for Ruth to come simply to distract the at.
tention OF the two gentlemen. Since she
must share her husbands society with anoth-
er, she thought there would be more safety
in numbers. She neither liked this invasion
of her paradise nor understood her husbands
motives but was much too wise q woman to
show her feelings.
Only the prm New England housekeeper,
thin-feccd and sharp-tongued, yentured to
ventilate her true sentiments in the kitchen
doorway, When, an hour later, the red sun.
set light flooded the cottage porch and the
sea breeze set the leaves of the scarlet wood.
bine huttering. like flame colored tropic
birds with slanting wings, against the old
gray walls. "Ketch emmy city folks comm
down here an keepin' quiet. Two more
mouths ter feed now, an no end of traipsin'
round / should a-thought them two could
held out II little longer by themselves. Mar.
| ried folks amt "A they used ter was a. want
in comp'ny afore the wedding cake is a
month old. This il Jest the way those dis
vOrcemeut things come on"
By. which it appears that five people had
been led to formulate mistaken IDEAS all en-
anating from Mr.. Hertford's little private
plan in regard TO his friend Jack.
The next Monday, strange to narrate, Miss
| Carew has not returned to Marlborough
street. The ''oui town. on. business" still
| fiaunts its falsehood on Mr.. Thornton's office.
door. Miss Carew's new books and fancy.
work have not seen the light OF day Mr.
Hertford does not find his friend Jack so de-
voted to the manly sport of fishing as he ex-
pected, and both the young lady and Mr.
| Thornton appear to have forgotten their mag
unanimous resolves TO cheer and comfort
the louely Grant Hertfords. Instead, they
devote themselves assiduOusly TO cultivating
that tender plant called Friendship, which 50
| often, under sunny skies and favorable at
.mosphere, grows and strengthens till the
beautiful tree Of Love spreads its branches
unfadinR "a the hemlock, unbending as the
oak, over two human beings, in whose hearts
its roots are firmly bedded.
My dear, said Mr.. Hertford TO his wife
one evening, when, weary with happiness
and the mere delight of living, they watched
the moonlit path ACROSS the bay. on which a
small boat rocked at ease, and the sound of
low voices reached the cliff, II asked Jack
down here that | might show him how happy
| ] was, and break up some of his cynical
ideas on the subject of marriage and domes-
tic happiness"
Mrs. Herlford, giving delicious sigh of
relief only said, "Oh :"
With great strength Of character, she re-
Trained from asking if her invitation to Miss
Carew had not probably somewhat hastened
| Mr.. Thornton's conversion. As / said, Mrs.
Grant Hertford Was much too wise a person
to show all she thought
Grant, said Mr.. Thornton, when he had
not the shadow of an excuse for longer idling
in this world forgetting spot, "what do You
mean 10 do with this paradise of a place
next year, when you go to Enrope2"
| shut it up or leave it with our New Eng
| land Cerberus here"
81 say, old fellow, let me have it,"
''Not alone it would be no paradise with
out its Eve
'But suppose that is arranged"
'"lhen l congratulate you with all my
heart and say it is bargain, provided, my
friend, you do as we have done, and open an
asylum for feeble, minded bachelors who do
| not approve of married felicity. / do not
| forget your lectures, my boy"
| Fan" said Miss Carew, packing up the
store of palliatives she had brought for the
| purpose of alleviating Mrs. Hertfords ennui,
''are married people ever unhappy ?"
"Never!" said Mrs. Hertford, with the
energy of youth and the experience of a
month.
II always said so, exclaimed Miss Carew
with a certain strange look in her eyes and a
tremulous quiver about her lips, which caused
Mrs. HertfOrd to kiss her quickly aud softly.
"Wall, said the housekeeper, when the
tale was told to her, a wintry smile lighting
up her face, II alters did say love. maxim
WAS catchin' an, Gurus as I've alters been
to see a disVorcement, I'd a sight ruther
watch courtin' emmy time. ."-EDeTy Other
Saturday.