The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-07-16

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81 was afraid you would not con-
sent, Uncle Phineas."
The old man snarled like an infuria-
ted wolf; his wrinkled skin turned a
dull yellow.
''Ef ye're so very independent" said
he, I'VE can clear out O this house;
my roof shan't shelter ye no longer.
Clear out l say!'
Rosamond stood appalled,.
"But, Uncle Phineas, I've nowhere
to CO." she faltered.
"Ye'd oughter ha thought o that
afore ye was so free with your money"
growled the old man, as he held the
door wide open for her to pass out.
"But it's dark, Uncle PhiIeas! And
it's showing hard"
"What's that to me?" shouted the
old tyrant. "Do you mean to start,
or must l take ye by the shoulders and
put We out? Go, l say"
There was something in the savage
light of his eyes that appalled, his
niece, even while she had opened her
lips to remonstrate still further.
Without another word, she glided out
into the twilight tempest.
Everybody in Beckerslield remem-
bered that January storm for years
afterward. Young people dated back
to it; old inhabitants compared it with
the memorable storms of their youth
full days. The snow lay for weeks,
full six feet deep. Wild creatures,
like foxes, wolves and weazels, crept
out of the woods, and, turning traitor
to their instincts, sought food and
shelter near human dwellings. Roads
were impossible for weeks; railways
blocked up for days And not until
the spring suns unlocked the icy chain
of Plimmit's Creek Gone of the deep
est and most dangerous streams in the
neighborhood, did they discover the
scarcely-recognizable remains Of
human body, wedged among the roots
of submerged tree. Had it not been
for the scarlet shawl which Rosamond
Foster had worn when she left the
farmhouse, her remains could hardly
have been identified.
But they brought her to the old
Foster home and Uncle Phineas gave
her decent burial. From that moment,
however, he never held his head up.
Il know they couldn't convict me
in court of law" he said. "But it's
And / didn't never know afore how
fond I'd got to be of Rosamond. There
amt no hired help Eve had sence as
ever done as she done. Poor Rosa
mond-poor little girl! And it was
me killed herr
They sent for the doctor; but the
doctor shook his head.
ut is not Il case Tor medicine said
lie. The man is not sick. lie has
something on his mind"
"Ye don't keep no medicine to make
a man forget, do yc. sqnire?' said
Uncle Phineas, with CHASTITY sort of
smile.
"If we did, our fortunes would be
made" said the doctor "No, my
friend, there's nothing in the Phar-
macopGia to meet your case, worse
luck"
So the solitary old man peaked and
pined AS the days went by, hanging
moodily over his handful Of fire, and
refusing to speak to the sympathetic
neighbors who came and went.
But one day, when tho chestnut
trees were all in blossom. a carriage
drove up to the door, through weeds
that had grown knee-deep.
"Company?' said Uncle Phineas,
with a long glance at the window.
"Tell 'em to go away; l won't see
nobody"
; "But you will see me, Uncle Phine-
!, as ?" cried a CHEEKY voice. "You will
see Rosamond?"
Rosamond it was. alive and bloom
ing, with cheeks like her name-ilower
and blue eyes shining. Uncle Phineas
l looked at her with ii troubled face
"kosamond was drowned" said he
Glow is this? Are there ti0o Rosa.
monds?'
'Dear uncle. l am so sorry" ex
u planned the girl. "Bnt never hear(
until yesterday of the girl who wa:
5 buried in my name. / net the pool
thing shivering on the road; sh'
seemed to have lost her way. and
) directed her as well as | could, ant
gave her my little red shawl to ii,
around her neck. | took the train t,
i Scranton, and went to Jared. didn'
l. know what else to do. And Oh, uncle
Il my hundred dollars has more thai
y quadrupled itself, and Jared's paten
sleam-saw is success! He is ricl
{ man. and we can pay you now for al
your kindness to US when we wer
Il children"
&c 81 reckon it won't take much to d
that" said Uncle Phineas with grin
= sarcasm. "But Rosamond, ye'v
- lifted thousand-pound weight Of
'e my heart this day! I've missed yo
every hour, and every day! YOU
D. come back to me, Rosamond, won
II ye. dear?'
L For little while, if you want me,
the girl said, blushing beautifully