Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-07-15

II 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, "ye can clear out O this house,;
my roof shan't shelter ye no longer.
Clear out, l say!
Rosamond stood appalled,.
"But, Uncle Phneas, 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 Phireas! And
it's showing hard"
Whats that to me?" shouted the
old tyrant "Do you mean to start,
or must / take ye by the shoulders and
put ye out? Go, 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 W waekS,
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
neutrality-suspicious. remains of a
human body, welged 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, lie never held his head up.
II know they couldn't convict me
in court of law" he said. "But it's
murder, all the same-it's murder!
And | didn't never know afore how
fond Id got to be of RoSamond. There
amt no hired help I've had sence rs
ever done as she done. Poor Rosa
monl--poor little girl! And it was
me killed herr
They sent for the doctor; but the
doctor shook his head.
at is not Il case for medicinc,' sail
he. The man is not sick. lie has
something on his mind"
"Ye don't keep no medicine to make
Il man forget, do yr. squire?' said
Uncle Phineas, with CHASTITY sort of
smile.
"lf we did, our fortunes would be
made" said the doctor. "No my
friend there's nothing in the Phar
macopria to meet your case, worse
luckw
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 the 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 side-long glance at the window
"Tell 'em to go away; won't see
nobody"
"But you will sec me, Uncle Phine-
as" cried a CHEEKY voice. "You will
see Rosamond? 2"
Rosamond it was. alive and bloom
ing, with cheeks like her name flower,
and blue eyes shining. Uncle Phineas
looked at her with "A troubled face.
"kosamond WAS drowned," said he
"How is this? Are there tpo Rosa
monds?'
"Dear uncle, l am so sorryl" ex-
planned the girl. "But never heard
until yesterday of the girl who was
buried in my name. ! met the poor
thing shiverng on the road; she
seemed to have lost her way. and l
directed her as well as | could, and
gave her my little red shawl to tie
around her neck. / took the train to
Scranton, and went to Jared. | didn't
know what else to do. And oh, uncle,
my hundred dollars has more than
quadrupled itself, and Jared's patent
stcam-saw is a success! He is rich
man, and we can pay you now for al
your kindness to us when we were
children"
81 reckon it won't take much to do
that" said Uncle Phineas, with grim
sarcasm. "But Rusamund, we've
lifted thousand-pound weight off
my heart this day! I've missed you
every hour, and every day! You'll
come back to me, RosamOnd, won't
ye, dear?" .---~---.. Gro.
"For little while, if you want me-"
the girl said blushing beautifully.
but saw George. Hand at the. depot
| ,yhan I ,,nt nff tho Snr.n tan tr,,i, II,