Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-12-07
you do not ask. My mouth is seal
ed. You'll be true?'

ed. I on ii Oe true
There were tears and prayers and
yet Bernezell remained as
firm as the rocks that lowered above
them but when he left next day to
seek his friend IN the hills, he carried
with him lock of bonnie hair in a
tiny parcel, and beside it the blue
ribbon that bound it.
Rudolf was rejoiced at the idea of
going to Paris, but couldn't he 60 to
see Gretty first? No, there was not
an hour to lose. He must come at |
once OF stay.
"Then I'll CO." said the young
man. 81 can trust Gretty.'
"You may indeed" !"
"And what a deal I'll have to tell |
her when / do get back p
"Yes," said Bernezell, laughing.
SO away they went together over
the hills.
Old Won Hausen was friend of
Gretty's mother. Gretty's father
and he had been inseparables. He
came to the cottage now every day.
He read to the old lady, and talked
much with the daughter. His uni
versal themes were money and pov-
erty: the pleasures the former could
bring, the misery entailed by the lat
ter.
He broached the subject nearest
his heart first to the mother, and,
strange or not strange, he gained her
consent to marry Gretty.
Meanwhile weeks flew by, and
there was no word from Rudolf.
Weeks and a month, and then two.
0, what could have become of him?
Was he false? Impossible
But terrible storm with slight
shock of earthquake took place, and
all Gretty's goats appeared to have
stampeded during the night. AT all
events. the doors were found open.
and the goats had fallen or been cast
over precipice near the cottage.
Near that dear old we'll where she
had rlighted her troth she now must
sit and weep.
ALI il was the mournfu tale of
Auld Robin Gray repeating itself,
for Gretty's
'sNTother she fell sick
poverty stared them in the face, and
they were beholden to the charity of
Won Hansen, the miser.
By night as well as by day Gretty
toiled hard with her knitting-needles.
Work was the only consolation, the
only relief she could find. And her
face grew wan, and dark circles ap-
peared about her beautiful eyes.
What can be harder to bear than
grief and poverty, too?
Many months went by, and still no
lover returned.
Won Hansen had heard he was
dead; that did not add to Gretty's
grief. Some one else heard be was
married; this was worse, but she
bore it.
Meanwhile where were the truants !?
Bernezell had found his brother
aiing, and at the end of a month
medicinal men had prescribed voy-
age to Madeira. They would just
get back within five weeks, then they
would both return to the dear little
cot among the Swiss mountains, and
Rudolf would marry his Gretty. Here
at Madeira, Bernezell's brother died,
eve are wealthy now, alas y said
Bernezell, 'tand we'll 90 shares"
The steamer that was to take them
to France was a week behind time.
One day, ''Yonder she is !'' shouted
Rudolf, and off they both went, and
were bundled on board. The ship
stayed but an hour, then steamed
away again, bound for the distant
cape. They had boarded the wrong
boat!
There came day when in the little
cot among the hills Gretty sat weep
ing by her mothers bedside, and near
her stood Won Hansen. The doctor
had just gone. Nothing, he had said,
except a change could save the pa
TENTS life.
"Now, Gretty, my child, now OF
never!'' cried the old man. s'Be my
wife. Give me the right to save
your mothers life. Gretty, be mine. y
Gretty's mother did not speak. but
''shc gazed in Gretty's face till her heart was
! like to break
Gretty stood up-tearless now, but
with sad. pale face. She took her
mothers hand.
"Give me the right to save your
mothers life," pleaded the miser
once again.
"Stay!' cried manly voice, 81
have prior claim" Next moment,
with fond cry, and color in her
cheeks once more, Gretty was press
ed to her lovers breast.
That day three weeks, dinkle-din-
kle-dlnkle dang went the village
bells. Not pretty bells at all-in-
deed, ] always thought they were
ot-metal-hut how sweetly they
sounded in Gretty's ears! She was
going to church to be married. That
ends my story, as marriage ends all
stories. Yet one word few years
after this the old miser died, and
Rudolf found himself his heir. GAS