The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-04-29
Seletteo Storp.
A Tale of Rue.

viz Nllu SOlOhJ lOdu, lDtIt
was not one more thoroughly used up
than John Coleman, Esq, of the law
firm of Coleman & Riggs, Ashland,
Mass. From the morning of Novem-
Der /, when he had started for San
Francisco, till the evening of this De-
cember | he had been constantly on
the wing. To aggravate his fatigue,
the trip, in business view, had been
unsatisfactory, if not unnecessary.
But as he drew nearer home his
scowl vanished and the lines about his
firm mouth softened. Stretching his
long-suffering limbs across the seat, he
spread the EUening Journal between
his aching eyes and the glare of the
bobbing lamps and INDUCED in tender
! speculations. How would Rue look
when he appeared before her next
morning, two days earlier than he had
promised? She might be watering her
plants in the y-window, and he
would walk in nonchalantly, as if he
had left her the evening before, and
say, " Good morning, Rue" and she
would drop her watering-pot and rush
toward him, all smiles and bushes, cry
ing: ooh, John! John how glad l
am to see you! how I've missed you'll"
Dear, warm-hearted, impulsive little
Rue! She certainly was fond of him.
He wished he had never been such a
brute as to reproach her about Mr..
Lynde. He was convinced now that
she had not really cared for the fellow.
She had only been cordial with him in
her free, girlish way. What charming,
inimitabe ways she had! The lovers
reverie merged into dream. Mr..
Coleman was unconscious of the slack
ing up of the train at B., and of the
entrance of two young gentlemen into
of Miss Rue Haywood, spoken almost
in his ear, aroused him like an electric
shock.
"M Mr.. Lynde is bewitched with her,
that's plain" continued the voice.
He's having fine time out of Cole
mans absence"
Pluperfect," said an answering
voice. 'They say Miss Rue wouldn t
mind Coleman's taking himself off for
good"
"He's an able man. You know
there's talk of running him for con-
gress."
cob, yes; he's dig and all that
but he's crotchety fellow. BY the
way, how are she and Mr.. Lynde COM
ing on with the operetta? l had to cut
the last rehearsal"
Famously Miss Rue's solo will
bring down the house. Lynde thinks
the entertainment will foot up at least
800 toward the new organ. He's
jubilant. | believe that instrument
comes next to Miss Rue in his affec.
tons. Can't he get the music out of
it, though? HallOo, here's Ashlandr'
Wincing beneath his newspaper, Mr.
Coleman had recognized the voices as
those of two college students returning
from lecture at b. Forgetful al
last of travel stain, WEAKNESS and head
ache, he waited till the youths had left
the car, then walked out at the oppo-
site end, his whole energy engrossed in
weighing the evidence so gratuitously
current gossip? What attitude should
he assume against Rue? Morning
found him undecided. He must bt
governed by Rue's own manner. AS {
test of her feelings toward him he
would ask her for his sake to withdraw
from the operetta. If she loved hin
she would do so cheerfully. If sh,
would not-Mr. Coleman had not pro
vided for the latter contingency wheI
Bridget ushered him into Mr.. Hay
woods parlor. Miss Rue and Mr.
Lynde were practicing duet for thu
operetta, both too rapt to observe thu
intruder-a fact ineXplicable on mu
steal grounds to poor Mr.. Coleman
who did not know the notes apart, OF
care to know them. According to hi
inference, the young people were alb
sorbed in each other, and he was off il
limbo Under these circumstances i
may not be strange that his face, tina
instant spied by Miss Rue, was not tn,
face of an amiable man. 1t prompt,
reminded Mr.. Lynde of waiting pupil
and having congratulated Mr.. Coleman
on his safe return, he hustled his music
under his arm and departed in haste.
Miss Rue wheeled the big easy chat
in front of the CRATE, playfully forced
her sullen sutton into it, and percheC
herself on its arm to hear about hi,
journey. Had he been i'll? No? TheI
he must be fearfully tired. She knew
his head ached. Shouldn't she try anC
magnetic it, and put him to sleep?
NV. nC Dlcltllcu llldt Sllc SHOULD 1lOl
He had kept his eyes closed too Ion:
already.
AS well might zephyr have at
tempted to pet an iceberg. With
SILVER Miss Rue slipped from her perch
and seated herself with her work in
neighboring rocker What had come
over John? She had never seen hin
like this before. He did not seem hi
glad to meet her. He turned away from
the distracting vision, mentally prepar
ing his brief-this astute lawyer, as ig
norant of the nature of girl as an ele
plant of the structure of rose. Pres
emily he began about the festival. II,
admitted that Rue had once contide,
to him her intention of participating il
an operetta, but he had supposed al
operetta something like an oratorio- no
a tumble of silly love songs. Did sh
think it becoming in herself, an engage
young lady, to carol amorous dttie
- from morning to night with tunefu
swain?
"They are burlesques, John-onl
burlesques. If | had dreamed of you
disappearing, l wouldn't have promise
to sing; but / can't retract now"
"Not when | particularly request il
Rue?"
Indeed, no, John. l have the lead
ing part, / can't refuse to act withou
offending Mr.. Lynde."