Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-11-12

very particular about it. She never secs
any company at all till the Sunday is over
Saturday nights, does she Then she
doesn't keep Sunday night too, suppose.
| might call tomorrow evening.
Yes, sir, you might, but Miss Nita won't
be there then. She II be here. We keep
Sunday night, and the doctor is Just as par
ticular about his evening as the old lady is
about hers. He never likes Miss Nita TO
have company on Sundays
'Confound their PARTICULARLY" young
Baum said to himself at is rather too
much that they should keep both evenings.
and that they should happen TO be the only
evenings out Of the week when can get
away
He looked so blankly thwarted and disap-
pointed that Lois felt her heart soften with
compassion.
ITS real pity sir, she said If you'd
happened to come just little earlier, you'd
"a met Miss Nita walking across. She gen
orally starts about half-past five, because
the old lady begins to keep at sundown.'
Did Lois mean to give a hint If she
did, she was disappointed, for Ned Baum
seemed not to catch her meaning. He
thanked her in a sad civil way, as he handed
her his card, and walked reluctantly down
the path
Poor lad, " said Lois TO herself Its a
real shame. Miss Nita, she'll be sorry, per
haps, when it's too late
She carried the card in and laid it in Nita's
little writing desk. Within the desk, in
secret compartment, lay five other cards,
exactly similar They represented five
other occasions on which Nita had similarly
played at hide and seek with her lover
She knew that, except at these periodic in
a. e l.
away from his post of junior partner in an
over-worked business firm, and, as unwill
ing to commit herself TO a yes or a no. she
had evaded the necessity Of saying either
by enveloping herself, so to speak, in
double veil of Sabbath seclusion. 1t was
significant, however, that she had thus treas
ured Ned's cards.
Il believe, on my soul, that she does it on
purpose, he was meditating as he walked
down the embroidered street. But why .
| thought she liked meat least didn't dis
like me. Why should she wish to get out
of my way Z" The dense masculine under
standing grappled in vain with the question.
AT all events, he concluded, there shall
be an end of this l won't shilly-shally with
fate any longer. Sunday or Saturday
will see her and have an answer What
was it that old woman said = With sudden
perception-'hal an hour earlier won
der if the blessed old creature didn't mean
to help me little. Well, it's worth think
ing Of
Before thinking of it, however, there was
a chance that he might, on the morrow, sue
coed in catching his slipping ladylove some
where between her two hiding places And,
with that end in view, he betook himself
| after an early breakfast, to the lower road,
whre he lay in wait for a couple of hours in
the hope that she would appear Nita was
| earlier still, and, before Ned had reached
| his station, had climbed the hill slope with
wary swiftness and regained home by the
| back door. So Ned waited in vain till the
| church-bells began to ring, when he was
fain TO repair to the church. there to get
what comfort he could by the contemplation
of Nita's delicate profile seen across the
width of two aisles and a row of pews
There was a rose in her hat, and a still more
exquisite rose in her fair cheeks as she gave
him a shy glance and smile at the conclu-
sion of the sermon, which filled him anew
with the ardor of pursuit. So sweet a crea-
ture was surely worth waiting for, working
for and he departed, vowing to himself
that his next coming should not end in like
| defeat.
During the intervening week he reflected
deeply on the situation, and the result of
these meditations appeared in the fact made
| possible by dint of a good deal of extra
work and planning, that he took the earlier
train up the valley instead of that by which
he had usually gone This train set him
| down at the station about half-pas three
He did not ring at DR.. Bigelow's door this
| time, but, after a brief stay at the inn, be-
| took himself to the lower street where,
| from the screen of thick clump of low
| trees, he watched the path, while indulging
| in cigar. The village clock struck five.
| Ned's senses We're ON the alert, and when, a
| quarter of an hour later, light rustling
sounded on the hill slope above, it reached
his ear He moved a few steps, keeping
himself carefully hidden and caught the
fiutter of blue skirt which he seemed to
remember.
AHA, my shy beauty is that the way
you come = he said to himself as, with the
wary quiet of a deer-stalker, he moved to
intercept her, timing himself by her foot
steps. So skilfully was this effected that
Nita heard no sound, saw no person, until,
flushed with her rapid walk, she jumped
from the banks edge into the road, to find
herself almost in the arms of Mr.. Baum, as
|
down.
You ~ she cried in confused amazement
II thought you never could get away till
the late train"
This is an exception, politely Il made
great effort to come in the earlier one,
hoping to have the chance to see you before
your various Sabbath duties began, and
without coming into contact with them.
Nita bit her lips to hide smile.
How long is it," he continued, as he
slowly walked by her side, "since you took
to keeping Sundays thirty-six hours long
Is not that very large allowance for one
week p
lone can never have too much of good
thing" said Nita demurely. But do not
always keep such long Sundays only of
late I've been with grandmamma, She S
very particular about Saturday night.
80 your old servant said. And your
father is equally particular about Sunday
night y
Yes
"How singular Well, the sun doesn't
set for nearly three-quarters of an hour yet
This small secular space you can devote to
me, can you not Nita'-with a sudden
energy-"the time is short. How can
help being abrupt You won't give me
time TO be anything else, you know. You
must know what has brought me here all
these weeks have come for it again Did
you run away from me ON purpose Must
take it as a meaning that you wish hadn't
come y
ooh, no." cried Mia, unwarily Then
her cheeks dyed with sudden crimson
she tried to Tetract,
"Why do you say that l know How
can know You never told me-
Il think you do know, my dearest" said
Ned Baum, taking her hand gently, II think
you must know, for have told,it to you il
a thousand ways. But now let me tell it in
words Nita, sweetest, love you with al
my heart and soul, Can you care at all fol
me in return Will you be my wife y The
brave brown eyes looked straight into tn,
shy gray ones.
There is magic in bold wooing. As Nitl
listened TO the tender, insistent voice, fell
the strong clasp, and met the honest wist
full gaze, her relutance seemed to melt Al
at once she fell like saying yes.
II think so, she said.
Then her lovers arm folded round her
she felt his kiss on her lips, and she did no
shrink, but chung to him like a child, in hap
by silence. A wonderful sense of conten
possessed her Why had she so long avaid
ed and deferred it
My darling, | am so very happy, sai'
Ned.
$50 am l." she whispered,
- But why ON earth haven't We been hap
Ply before :"
/ II don't know