The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-07-22

Possibly have the honor of his
acquaintance"
Your" and Victoria looked up at
him with unfeigned surprise.
"What is there extraordinary in
that?' asked he, laughing.
You do know the new owner of
Woodlands, thenl'
He stands before YOU"
Victoria Kemp's surprise was so
great she could not utter word.
Listen, Victoria" said the young
man, taking both her hands. "You
and your father have been the victims
of plot"
GA plot' exclaimed the young lady;
but she did not withdraw her hand.
Yes, but before l tell you about it
/ wish to ask you one question. We
are neither of us children; we are
neither of us, think, likely to express
our feelings in many words. You must
have seen that l love you. Victoria,
will you be my wife?"
1t was straightforward wooing, in
deed! No protestations-not a single
unnecessary word! How different from
the general run of lovers But Vic
toria understood the straightforward,
manly nature of Sydney Chevilstone;
she admired his character, and she
loved him. So she simply answered.:
Eyes"
" But about the plot, Sydney?" asked
Victoria, after brief interval.
Oh, yes! Well, then, that letter
was concocted expressly to deceive
yourself and the colonel"
"Oh!n
Yes, dearest: the medical adviser
who recommended me to pass two years
in Europe was no other than myself
| was surgeon of the til, as an army
list would have shown the colonel, had
he consulted it"
"To think that we should have been
deceived"
eyes; you fell into that trap easily
But, you see, this was it, The late
owner of the Woodlands, who, as you
know, had neither kith nor kin, was my
godfather; and at his death he be-
queathed the estate and large sum of
money in the funds to myself. OF
course upon this determined to quit
the army Whilst my father and l
were making inquiries about my new
property, it oozed out that the owner of
the adjoining estate, the Beeches, was
no other man than Colonel Kemp, my
fathers old comrade-in-arms.
Well, though my father and yours
had not seen each other for some years,
they had occasionally correspondent;
and so, when my matchmaking sire
heard that Colonel Kemp had an only
child-a daughter-he proposed a very
pretty little scheme. 1t was neither
more nor less than to join the two
estates.'
" 1t was very Impairment" said Vic
toria, trying to appear angry.
g 1t was, own"
" And l have great mind to retract
what | have said," she added, with a
charming smile.
"Ah, am not afraid! But listen.
OF course my father and l thought
that if announced myself as man
should not be received at the Beeches
as a permanent inmate, but if we sc
worded the letter as to leave it in
doubt -
Yes, yes; you knew that, once oul
guest, we should not be so rude as tC
turn you out"
nat just IL. ana now Will you
forgive me, Victoria?''
d" For what?'
I" For having descended to subter
fuge unworthy of a gentleman"
She looked up at him, her brown
eyes full of a tender light.
g 1t was not right thing to do" sh'
said, but l am the gamer by it, ant
so | forgive you, Sydney"
g But" added Victoria, 81 dom
know what papa will say to all this"
But, after having heard the story o
his ward,'' the colonel came to tn
conclusion that Calls well that end
well .n-lSelected.