The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-17


"You, child?" said she. "Why,
you're not to come in at all! The girls
don't want whole drove in the par
lor. Three women are quite enough.
And you're SO young, you know"
"I'm seventeen, aunt" faltered
Aileen.
"Two or three years hence will do
very well for gou." said the relentless
elder. "Try and put such silly non
sense out of your head!'
And this was why Ailsen was cry
ing.
Old Mrs. Harrington unders TODD it
all very well. She had been young
once. She saw the folly of interfer-
ence in this particular case, however.
"Dan'rs wife likes her own way"
said she. "She amt pleasant if she
thinks any one is meddlin'. III tell
you what Aileen-you and I'll 60 out
to the big chamber over the stun barn.
and get Pomp to build us up a real
good fire Of pine logs in the old Chin
bly,. There's a carpet loom there and
a spinnin'- wheel and all the fixin's
and I'll show you how l used to spin
flax when was a gal, and weave rag
carpet"
"Wil you?" said Aileen, with
frightening eyes. "Oh, grandma, how
very, very nice that will bel And can
1 roast chestnuts and apples in the
ashes ?-and will you tell me about
your sailor-lover that was drowned be-
fore you ever saw my Grandfather
Harrington?"
"Yes," said the old lady-"yes!
Well hev our New Years by our
selves-me and you, child"
So Aileen put away the pretty, little,
blue merino gown that she had re-
trimmed for New Years Day, and
donned instead the brown Merrimac
calico that made her look like robin
redbreast; and just about the time
that her three cousins were quarreling
for the possession of the biggest dress
ing glass to "do" their hair, she and
her grandmother were adjusting the
ancient spinning wheel in the stone
barn chamber, and piing wood in the
cavernous recess of the huge fireplace.
They had very pleasant New Years
Day, after all, though the tears came
to Aileen's blue eyes once or twice,
when the carriages rolled by over the
hard-frozen road toward the house.
And at dusk she lighted the cheer
full candles, and sat down to prepare
grandma's supper, with fresh corn
cakes, baked in the hot embers, ac-
cording to the recipe of Aunt Felicia,
the colored cook, fragrant coffee. and
sweet apples, roasted, and eaten with
cream.
But Captain Dulany, riding his
Morgan horse. Hotspur. throu gh the
pine-woods, drew rein close by the old
stone barn, whence he had not seen
the red lights cleaning out for
ten years.
"What can it be?" he asked him
self. "We children used to play at
ghost up there of an autumn evening,
when the Vladimir family lived there.
Or perhaps the careless servants have
set something on fire."
He jumped off his horse, flung the
reins over projecting pine -bough
and went in to see what the meaning
Of this unwonted illumination might
be.
The door stood wide open--the whole
room was aslow with warm, ruddy
light. Grandma, enthroned in a big
splint-chair before the blaze, was
drinking her coffee. and Aileen sat
spinning at the old wheel, with cheeks
softly redeemed and blue eyes spark.
ling-a very picture of health and
beauty.
Both started at the sudden appari'
tion of the captain on the threshold.
Ill beg your pardon" said Captain
Dulany, lifting his hat. 81 saw the
light shining out, anil l was afraid
that something had happened"
Something has happened" said
Aileen, laughingly. Il have learned
tospn. And grandma and l are hav.
ing a picnic. Will you come in, Cap
tain Dulany?'
well, since your coffee smells Sc
good, think l will" said the gallan
young officer.
His cup-which for lack of more ex
pensive china happened to be mug
was scarcely poured out, before theil
numbers were augmented by Mr.. Fer
rars and young Doctor Fenchurd, wht
had seen the lights, and had also OBJ
served "Hotspur" fastened to th'
fence.
"May we venture to intruder" sale
they, peeping in over the stair-rail.
"Oh, certainly" said grandma, smil
ing.
And Aileen distributed handleles
cups and bountiful slices of golden
brown corn cake, yet steaming from
the fire, to her guests.
1--WE are hardly prepared to enter
tain so large company" said she
composedly; "but we can, at all events
give you sincere welcome"
Two-three-half a dozen NOR
dropped in. Old Pomp was summoned t
| ,,o,,r frocb nina oona 90 IN tho hla1a am