The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-10-28
Russets.

frost in the air, the new moon Just dip
ping its golden horn behind the maple
swamp in the west, and the ground
sounding crisply under foot. We had
inst come in from foddering the cattle
ave" sounds rather singular when
you reflect that it meant Kitty and me,
two girls of seventeen and nineteen;
but you see there wasn't any one else to
do it. Father had been bed-ridden ever
since that last attack of paralysis, and
we could not afford to hire any one to
take his place about the farm.
. / don't pity them gals" neighbor
Dyson said; "they might sell the horse
and cow"
Nei9hbor Dyson had generously
offered us something less than half
price for them, thinking, no doubt, that
we should be thankful to jump at the
chance. But Kitty and |, after taking
the matter into consideration, thanked
him, and declined politely.
We couldn't keep house without
old Mooley, could we, Addy?" said my
sister. "There are so many nice dishes
we can make for poor father if we have
plenty of good, rich milk and cream.
And the butter that we should have to
buy at Neighbor Dyson's city prices
would go far to counterbalance the
money we should get for Mooley."
''As for the hOrse,' said |, " he eats
but little: and how on earth could we
get around the country, even to the
post-otfice, such weather as this, if it
wasn't for old Dobbin, that we have
had ever since | can remember?'
So it happened that on this especial
March evening we had Just come in
from attending to the wants of our live
stock.
was in great spirits, playing with
pussy, who came to meet us with her
plumy tail erect; but Kitty leaned
sadly against the wooden mantel, and
looked into the fire with mournful eyes.
"Kitty," cried l, at last, "what does
make you so dull?"
"To-morrow is the third of March, ;"
said she, gravely.
What of that?" | demanded.
Don't you remember? The inter-
est on the mortgage comes due to-
morrow"
$50 it does" said 1, my radiant face
falling faster than the thermometer on
a freezing day. "Thirty-fve dollars |!
And we have nothing to pay it with ex-
CcDl lllc llllCtll uOlldIS llldU Laura Us
good paid for the old melodeon"
" Perhaps Willis Avery would wait, :"
suggested Kitty.
l drew myself up slightly.
81 don't choose to ask him to wait, ="
said l.
Now it happened that Willis Avery,
who held the mortgage on our home
stead, was the son of a neighbor, and
an old play-fellow of my own, who had
gone to the prosperous young city few
miles north of us and commenced bust
ness on his own account, and had a
particular aversion to asking aid or help
of him in any way. | might be poor,
but was also proud, and Kitty was
quite sympathetic enough to under
stand me.
" But, then, what are we to dor" said
Kitty.
/ sat down on the hearth-rug, with
my chin in my hands, and stared
earnestly at the cracking backlog
Pussy crept away and nestled down in
the corner, as if she knew by instinct
that there was change of tempera-
ture.
"Look here, Kitty" said l, suddenly
"Those russell applesn
Well?n
"We can sell them. There are eight
barrels at least. Eight barrels at $3.50
barrel -
"My dear Addy, no one will buy
them at one-ffth the price. Apples
are drug in the market"
Here, grant you; but not in the
city. will take them to Mapleton anC
sell them
"You will, Addy?"
"And why not? Squire Dyson would
charge at least twenty per cent com
mission, and make favor of it at that
can't afford either the price or the
patronage. Don't say anything about
1t to father. He would only fret ant
raise objections. What must be done
must be, and am the girl to do it,"
But, Addy, how? All this seems
so perfectly wild and visionary to me-.
Well, it needn't; for, believe me
its the most practical thing in the world
All we have to do is to sort the apple
out in barrels, nice and sound-I cal
easily do it by lantern-light tonight
and tomorrow morning Wen rise early
harness old Dobbin to the lumber
wagon -
"But how are we to get the heav
barrels up into the wagon?"
"Goosie cried l, laughing, "can'
I put the barrels up into the WACO
while they're empty and fill them at m
leisure? And I'll have them sold q
Mapleton before you've got the por
and cabbage boiling for dinner"
"But where will you go?" aske
Kitty.
ooh, / know lots of places. | wer
once to town with Obadiah Fairweathe
when he sold lot of cheeses. I've
pretty good idea of the locality of tn
commission stores, i can tell you"
"After all, Addy," hesitated my COZ
servative little sister, sit isn't
woman's work"
"Why isn't it, / should like TO know