St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-01-15


air and manner that showed her not of
the type of the neighborhOod. He be-
gan to skirmish to find out, when she
broke into light ripping laugh.
al beg your pardon, SIR" she said,
Professor MacDougal, are you not 7"
He nodded assent, still more mysti-
/ fed
/ 1--WE used your work on botany as a
will excuse me for saying that | always
thought you to be an old gentleman.
only got home from the school last
evening, and | was returning from a
visit to neighbor when that cross
bull made me climb the hay stack. |
am Hester Martyrs"
The acquaintance thus made, the
two grew quite familiar by the time
they reached the Nest, where Hetty
| told of the adventure, and the Profess
or declared that he would put the ban
!
method he had employed to trick the
bull.
That evening there was visitor at
Martyrs Nest. Mr.. lothian Jones, a
wealthy young farmer of the neigh
| bOrhood, made his appearance. Jo-
than was the champion athlete of
that section, and could outjump, out
| lift, and outwrestle any one in those
parts. Lord of many acres and herds
of kline, he had great confidence in
himself, and staggered around out-of-
doors. That night he sat almost
tongue-tied, using little more than
monOsyllables. The Professor, though
he did not know that lothian had
known lIetty since she was II child,
and always admired her, concluded
that it was a case of counting, and so
discreetly left the room, and went to
| his chamber, where he labelled and
packed his specimens. The Squire,
however, remained, which was sure
sign that he did not regard the sutton
with special favor.
From that time forth lothian came
quite often. The Professor who saw a
deal of Hetty, and who, having turned
his attention to plants, got from her
the location of scarce varieties, took a
special interest in the result of this
siege. 81 have pity for Hetty," he
said to himself. "She is really a
charming girl, and fit for any position
in life but il will end by her marry
ing this coarse clod. 1t is case OF
Beauty and the Beast, but the Beast is
not apt to change to Prince. 1t is'nO
business of mine, but hate to see it,
The more he saw of lothian, the less
he liked Hetty's prospects. Aud then
he began to discover by unmistakable
| signs that lothian did not like him.
lothian glared at the Professor when
they met, and spoke of him among his
associates as "stone-cracker" and
| piled by fools to any one they think to
possess brains. The lover did not let
his hate for the stranger interfere with
his siege of the maiden. At all the
picnics and rural festivities he follow
ell Hetty like her shadow. She gave
no tokens of dislike at this, and every
one, even the Professor, thought it
would eventually be a match. Why
| l. Al 4
the Squire. There was nothing be-
tween the farms but Il narrow patch of
land, which WAS in the market. That
bought 10y either, and the combined
Jones and Martyrs places would cover
nearly two thousand acres of the best
land in the county. The very prox
unity suggested matrimonial alliance.
The sense of the fitness of things pos
Sibly suggested to the Professor a con-
victiOn that the. matching would not
be mating; and the more he talked
her, the stronger did this conviction
become.
The time Of vacation had nearly
| slipped away, when there was Il merry
making OH the farm. The Martynses
had always given an Old-fashioned
harvest-home to their neighbOrs after
the main crops were gathered in, and
Henry Martyrs was not ii man to
slight the custom of his forefathers
Aunt Lucy AIMS resources of larder
and kitchen were taxed to their ut
most. The neighbors, Young and old
were all there. The feast was held in
the great barn, and after it was all
over the threShing- floor was cleared, il
fiddler installed in state upon stool,
and dancing began, while at IL little
distance oft, on il patch of greens ward,
party of young men jumped. ran, and
practiced all kinds of muscular fun.
The Professor had been great dancer
in his student days, and though he had
not stopped tn anything so light while
holding IL chair at college, felt it his
duty to ask the daughter of his host to
open the hop with him. Just as she
had consented, lothian came up with
similar request.
~ havo promised the first set to
Professor MacDougaI," said iIetty,
'but the next is at your service, Mr..
jones'" and he had to be content with
that. He looked on, instead of seek
ing another partner. He saw the Pro
L H..
through, but falling into the spirit of