Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-08-24

uCS"u turning niiu ScicnCihC"iiy
around.
''Dear, dear" said Meta, shave
we got into the wrong road?"
"No," said John Perkins. 'Not
as l know of. But if the doctor
said you ought to stay a year, then a
year you stay"
''But where?" said Meta.
sWith u.s." said John Perkins.
"I've took a notion to you, Meta.
The first time ever set eyes on you,
I said to myself, Here's the gal for
me 7 And if you will marry me Meta,
I'll do my best to take care of you
and be good husband to YOU"
"Marry you!" repeated Meta, and
she looked timidly into John Perkins
honest gray eyes, and then she add
ed:
eyes, Mr.. Perkins, I will! !"
"Shall we go right to the parson's?"
said John.
Ell suppose so" said Meta.
"It's the best way" said John.
''If begin job, I generally like to
go on with it,
So they were married. Meta went
back to Mr.. Briggs house, until her
young husband could break the news
! to his uncle. Mrs. Briggs received
the bride with some faint semblance
of welcome.
"John Perkins is lively fellow"
said she, 'sand the deacon is the rich
est man in Yellow Plains. I will al
low that you havn't done badly for
yourself. If you'd told me what you
was calculatin' for
''But / was not calculating" said
Meta Indignantly. 81 never thought
of such thing until John asked me
to be his wife,
"That'll do to tell" said Mrs.
Briggs with dry chuckle.
Meanwhile John went bravely to
his uncle.
"Uncle," said he, 81 guess you
will have to spare me bigger room
arter this"
Deacon Perkins, a dried-up, with
cred old man, with strong likeness
to the chimpanzee tribe, looked up
from his account-book with a snarl
which revealed set of ragged yellow
teeth.
"a bigger room?" said he. "What
for !''
"There's at least dozen rooms
in the house that you don't use, "
said John, sand they'd be all the
better for being occupied; and be-
sides''-as if this were mere incl
dental fact-"Tve been getting mar
ried!'
The deacon dropped his spectacle
case, and as John picked it up and
handed it back to him he added:
s'To Meta Milton"
The deacon's little eyes glittered
like very small gas lamps, seen
through November fog.
"You've married her, have you?"
said he.
eyes, sir" said John.
"Well, then," said the deacon,
"you can take her somewhere else
and support her, for I'll never gee
nor speak to either of you again as
long as l live"
"Do you really mean it, uncle p
said John.
cam l in the habit of joking?
said Mr.. Perkins, with an ugly grin
that made him more chimpanzee-like
than ever. "If you are so very in
dependent, you 60 and hang out
your flag of freedom at your leisure. "
This was rather hard on John, who
had always been taught to regard
himself as his uncle's adopted child.
But he was too proud to sue for a
| ,:ol, ,,oo,3o fouor
'Just as you please, sir" said he.
"But won't you let me bring Meta to
see you?'
'sNo, WON'T" said the deacon.
''Oh, John, I have ruined you !!
said Meta, when he came back to tel
the tale.
sRuined me, puss?" he said cheer.
fully-"not bit of it You've beer
the making Of me. 1t amt good fol
nobody to hang on the coat-skjrts OF
rich man. I'm more independent
now than / have been for ten years.
If Mrs. Briggs will let us stay here
for few days"
81 could not possibly!" said Mrs
Briggs, freezing visibly. ''If your
good, pious uncle discountenances
you, it amt for me to set myself uE
ag'in his judgment"
"Very well" said John, s'Farmel
Drake wants hand to help clear ul
the maple hills this winter-I'll en-
gage myself to him. My Meta shall
have a good home somewhere !"
When Mrs. Briggs heard that John
Perkins had rented the little one.
storied cabin by the railroad, and
furnished it for his bride, she shook
her head forebodingly.
'sIf Meta puts up with hole like
that, she hain't no proper bride,
said she.
But Meta was as happy as lark
1t was a humble home, but it was
her own. And John came home to
it every night, with face as cheer
full as the dawn.
81 wish it was a palace, puss, fol