Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-01-29

any breakfast, and there we're stains around
her blue eyes.
"Why, what's the matter, Marcy p asked
Esther, eying her aero the little kitchen ta-
BILE.
''Nothing's the matter. l amt hungry any
to speak Of, that's all. guess I'll go right
to work on Mis- Fnller's bonnet"
''I'd try an eat something II was you.
BE sure you cut that velvet straight, IL you
go to work on IT,"
When the two we're sitting together at their
work in the little room back Of the shop
Marcy suddenly threw her scissors down.
There !" said she, "Tve done it; knew
should. I've cut this velvet bias. knew
should cut everything bias touched to day"
There was droll pucker on her mouth (;
then it began to quiver. She hid her face in
her hands and sObbed. "Oh, dear, dear,
dear !"
MARCY Wilson, what is the matter ?"
George and l had talk last night. We've
broke the engagement, an it's killing me-
40 now I've cut this velvet bias. Oh, dear,
dear, dear, desr!"
For the lands sake, don't mind anything
about the velvet What's come betwiKt you
an George p
His mother-horril old thing He said
she'd got to live with us, and l said she
shouldn't. Then be said lie wouldn't marry
any girl that wasn't wiling to live with his
mother, and said he wouldn't ever marry
me then. II George Elliot thinks more Of
his mother than he does Of me, he can have
her. l don't care I'll show him can get
along without him"
"Well, / don't know, Marcy I'm real
sorry about it. George Eot's good, like
ly young man but il you didn't want to live
with his mother, it was better to say so right
in the beginning And l don't know az
blame you much she's pretty set in her
ways"
81 guess she is. l never could bear her
l guess hell fnd out"
Marcy dried her eyes de family, and took
up the velvet again. i've spoilt this velvet.
don't see why being disappointed in love
should affect girl SOS to make her cut bias "
There Was a whimsical element in Marcy
which seemed to roll uppermost along with
her grief.
Esther looked little puzzled. Never
mind the velvet, child it amt much, any.
way" She began tossing over some ribbons
to cover her departure from her usual reti-
cence. "I'm real sorry about it, Marcy
Such things are hard to bear, but they can
be lived through. | know something about
it myself. You knew / had some of this
kind Of trouble, didn't you ?"
About Mr.. Woodman, you mean p
"Yes, about Marcus Woodman I'll tell
you what It's, Marcy Wilson, you've got one
thing to be thankful for, and that is that there
amt anything ridlckerous about this affair
Of yourn. That makes it the hardest OF any.
thing according to my mind when you know
that every body's lauRhiOg, and you eau hard
ly help laughing yourself, though you feel
most ready to die"
"Ain't that Mr.. Woodman crazy ?"
''No, he amt crazy he's got too much
will fpF hia ppm m mi n that oil Nd ba
will teeter the sense little too far into the
air | see all through it from the beginning
| could read Marcus Woodman Jest like a
book e."
II don't see how in the world you ever
come to like such a man."
well, | s'pose loves the strongest when
there amt any good reason for 1t. They say
ii is. | cant say az l ever really admired
Marcus Woodman much always see right
through him; but that didn't hinder my
thinking so much of him that never felt as
If could marry any other man And I've
had chances, though 1 shouldn't want you to
say So"
You turned him of because be went to
sitting on the church steps2"
Course did. d. you s'pose | was going
TO marry a man who made a laughing stock
Of himself that way p
''t don't see how he ever come to do it,
It's the funniest thing ever heard Of"
II know it, 1t seems so silly nobody d
believe it. Well, all there is about it, Mar
Gus Woodmans got so much mulishness in
him it makes him almost miraculous. You
see, he got up an spoke in that church meet.
ing when they had such a row about Mr..
Morton being settled here-Marcus was aw-
ful set sgin him. | never could see any rea.
son why, and | don't think he could. He
said Mr. Morton want doctrinal that was
what they all said but don't believe half
of 'em knew what doctrinal was. | never
could see why Mr.. Morton want as good as
most ministers-enough sight better than
them that treated him so anyway. / always
felt that they was really setting him in pull.
pit high over their heads by using him the
way they did, though they didn't know it.
We'll, Marcus spoke in that church meet
ing, an he kept getting more and more set
every word he said. He always had a way
Of saying things over and over, as if he was
making steps out Of EN- and raising of him-
self up on EN-, till there was no moving him
at all And he did that night. Finally, when
ne was up real high, be said, as for him, if
Mr.. Morton was settled over that church,
he'd never 60 inside the door himself as long
as be lived. Somebody spoke out then-I
never quite knew who twas, though l sus-
pected-au says, You'll have to set on the
steps, then, Brother Woodman.'
Every body laughed at that but Marcus.
He dldu't see nothing to laugh at. He spoke
out awful set, kinder grittlng his teeth, 4
will set on the steps fifty years before I'll go
into this house if that mans settled here.
II couldn't believe he'd really do it. We
were going 10 be married that spring, an it
did seem rs if he might listen to me f; but he
wouldn't. The Sunday Mr. Morton begun to
preach, he begun to set on them steps, an
hoo .
er. It's wonder it Amt killed him but l
guess it's made him tough"
"Why, didn't he feel bad when you wouldn't
marry himI
Feel bad OF course be did. He took
on terribly. But it didn't make any differ
ence he wouldn't give in a hairs breadth.
| declare it did seem as if | should die His
mother felt awfully too-shes a real good
woman. | don't know what Marcus would
have done without her. He wants sight of
tending and waiting on he's dreadful baby
lsh in some ways, though you wouldn't think
it.
"Well, it's all over now, as far as I'm con-
cerned I've got over it good deal though
sometimes I makes me jest as mad as ever
to see him setting there. But try to be rec.
onciled, and get along jest as we'll, mebbe,
as If I'd had him-I don't know. l fretted
more at first than there was any sense in,
and hope you won't"
Il amt going to fret at all, Miss Barney.
may cut bias for a while, but sha'n't do
anything worse"
How you do talk, child"
A good deal of it was talk with Marcy
she had not as much courage as her words
proclaimed. She was capable of a strong
temporary resolution, but of no enduring
one. She gradually weakened as the days
without her lover went on, and one Saturday
night she suceumbed entirely. There was
quite rush of business, but through it all
she caught some conversation between some
euslomers-two pretty young girls.
who was that with you last night at the
coucert?"
''That-oh, that was George Elliot Didn't
you know him?"
Hes got another GIRL" thought Marcy,
with a great throb.
The next Sunday night coming out of
meeting with Miss Barney, she left her sud
denly. George Elliot was one of a waiting
line of young men in the vestibule. She went
straight up to him. He looked at her in be-
wilderment, his dark face turning red.
Good evening" Miss Wilson," he STAN
mered out, finally.
Good evening" she whispered, and stood
looking up at him piteOusly. She was white
and trembling.
At last he stepped forward and offered her
his arm suddenly. In spite of his resent
ment he could not put her to open shame be.