St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-02-12
and Good-By.'

.''Sne IS SOOQ ITlenu 10 you, Jauebs
Gertrude Armstrong said TO her friend
Indignantly. sand you ought not to
turn her into ridicuIe. If person was
as kind and generous to me as old Miss
Harding is TO you, would bite my
/ tongue off before I'd laugh at her,"
That's because you don't know her
as do" laughed pretty Janet Gordon.
'sShe is so fall of queer old-fashioned
notions and ways, that she might as
we'll have come down from her grand
| mothers portrait. Why, if l didn't
! laugh sometimes, people would think l
admired her, or was like her." ...
"They might think worse things.
They may think you malicious or I'M
grateful"
"Wen, can't help it if they do /
don't deny that Pun glad to get away
from this wretched hole where ma is
always grnmbling, and the babies are
always crying; for Miss Harding's
house is beautiful as you know, and
she takes me out into society and all
that. But why don't she keep me
with her altogether 2 That's one of her
ridiculous notions. She says no child
ought to be taken from parent, par
ticularly from a widowed mother. Non
sense As if my widowed mother
wouldn't be too happy to part with
me-" .-...-.
Gertie was Disguised and remained
silent.
"Oh, can see what you think, Miss
Prim," cried Janet. "You know 1 don't
set up for being good and sensible as
you do. only care for being amused
and having pretty dresses"
eyes, you certainly have plenty of
those"
"Pretty dresses Yes, of course, or
| couldn't go out with her. Do you
know l believe she's glad of an excuse
to go out, and to have company at
home And when the excuse happens
to be so goodlooking and attractive"-
she said with a little laugh-''wel, it's
a kind of reflected glory, don't you see
Like a handsome piece of furniture !"
''You do her injustice" answered
Gertie, gravely. "When Miss Harding
lost her twin sister-her only near rel
ative-I've heard my mother say, she
didn't go into society at all, and it's a
painful effort for her to do so now"
Janet fairly screamed with laughter.
"Why, she lost her sister long before
| was born, at least nineteen years
ago. To be sure she whimpers when
ever she speaks of her, but as for pain,
inst look at her dress, will you Blaz-
ing red peoples, or small suntiowers,
in green velvet bonnet, and peoples
in her bouquet or wherever she can
stick them. And then, that green vel
vet dress, and her yellow weaZen face
it makes her look like an old witch.
But l suppose next, you'll try and per-
suade me she dresses in perfect taste"
''NO, did not speak of her dress.
But hers is harmless eccentricity
which should not weigh with any one
who knows what a good, benevolent
woman she isl
ooh, you can preach !" cried Janet
pettishly. "But you don't go out with
her and see people giggling and punch
ing each other, as she passes"
81 am very sure they don't laugh to
her face" Gertie said sarcastically.
"She's too rich for people to insult her.
She loves you, and besides you are a
kind of relative, and it wouldn't be ont
of place for you to give her q hint
about her dress. Why don't you tell
her kindly that it is not becoming p
"Catch me doing anything so stupid !!
She'd never forgive me. When she
does ask my opinion, it's to have me
admire her things, not to find fault
with them. She's as vain and credu-
lOus as she can be-"
"Is it possible you don't feel any
gratitude p Gertie asked, gazing Gu
riously at the pretty mocking face.
"Gratitude ? Well, of course, Pm
! obliged to her, and I make her believe
Pm overwhelmed by her favors. If [
didn't she'd stop giving them quickly
enough, I'm sure of that. But l don't
mind telling you, that playing grateful
is awfully tiresome work. Besides
there isn't so very much obligation
after all. We are distantly related,
and she's as rich as Cresus, while my
! folks are poor enough, goodness knows.
Why shouldn't some of her money be
spent on me Besides, she's fond of
young people, and if she hadn't taken
me up, she'd have taken some other girl.
AS for affection, that's not IN the COM
pact"
No." thought Gertie, Indignantly,
chats is not likely to be in any COM
pact you could make. Yon haven't
changed bit since we We're at school
together. Selfish, cold-hearted and
treacherous, You must always be, and
Pm ashamed of myself for liking you,
and calling you my friend.n
Ignorant of Gertie's thoughts, Janet
kissed her as she rose to go, and said
amiably, "I'm afraid I've shocked you
dreadfully, but it's such a comfort to
be able to talk freely to safe friend
about things that are unpleasant. You
and Wilson Griswold are the only two
people in the world in whom really
confids.''
"Wilson Griswold !" exclaimed Ger
tie pausing, with her hand on the door.
"Why, he is as treacherous and i'll