The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-08-23

| ate reinsurance. And then he accom-
panied Fred Miles down stairs, ,and, with
out leaving the house, in a few words
explained his intentions, the younger
man listening in quiet and, at first, al
most amused surprise.
George even told of Susie's expected
arrival at the Lodge as housemaid, as
well as of the lecture which the old lady
of the Lodge herself had given him less
than hour before.
And Fred Miles went away, but he
| appeared again in the evening, and then
learned that George had been to see his
former master, Mr.. Norris, and that he
was going to work again on the follow
ing morning.
And Fred Miles perseveringly came
again the next evening. He did not in
tend to lose his former friend and COM
panion go summarily Tor at all, indeed)
If he could help it.
But George was out; Mrs. Waller had
sent for him, to tell him that she had
found employment for lis evenings
The old lady had cottage which had
been standing empty for some time, and
was good deal out of repair; the gar
den, too, needed attention, and George
gladly agreed 90 do his best 10 put in
apple-pie order.
And the next piece of news that es-
pecIally concerned George and hls wife
was that the cook at the Lodge wished
to go to her far off Northern home, to
attend the wedding of her only sister;
and, possibly, after that she might be
required to remain some time with her
widowed mother. her return was there
o af
Waller, who knew that Annie was by
no means ignorant of cooking, sent for
her at once, and met ber with the re-
quest that she would, on the day of the
cook departure, come, husband, baby
and all, aud take up her abode at the
Lodge for the present. This would give
George Taylor time, as the old lady ex-
pre- -sed it, 10 turn himself round little.
And having once given up that one
miserable room in Friar's Court, George
had not the slightest intention of return.
ing To it. He was one evening thinking
the m 'lter over. as, after his tea, he was
leaving he LrdGe for his now accus-
toned work at the cottage, when Mrs.
Waller met hIm just outside her own
gales, and l"anlng on her silver knobbed
stick informed him in her usual brusque
way that sh", wanted tenant for the
cottage, and that he, might take it if he
liked.
Finally came the evening of Susie's
arrival. Little she knew the changes
hat her short and simply expressed let.
ter had been the means of bringing
about.
Instead of finding her sister telrful
and ashamed, in her wretched lodging
at Friar's Court, Susie caught sight of
her on the platform, as soon as the train
ran into Oakbridge station-respectaby
and nicely dressed, and carrying her lit
tie Growing baby in her arms. And a
little later, Susie heard all the news, as
she sat at tea with her sister and broth
er in-law in the comfortable kitchen at
the Lodge. And after tea tho three
went to look oyer the pretty cottage
which was to be George and Annie's
home as soon as the latter's services at
the Lodge could be dispensed with. And
IN the early mornings before even the
birds were astir, George had already be.
gun making more furniture.
As they were leaving the cottage, they
saw a dIsconsolate figure leaning over
the little gate.
It's Fred Miles, said George amusedly.
He wanted to see Susie.
At which Susie blushed brightly. And
as Fred Miles rather anxious eyes rested
upon her pretty, gentle face, he thought
sorrowfully-
All, she's too good for me
But all this was only the beginning of
the end.
Seven years passed away, and Fred
Miles was once again leaning over the
cottage gate in the sweet June twilight.
But he did not look disconsolate this
evening,
don't see them, Susie, he was saying
with a smile.
For Susie was mistress of the cottage
now and she had been Mrs. Miles fOr
just two years; and it was not her sister
Annie's baby, but her own, that she held
in her arms.
can hear them, thought! upon which
her husband stepped back into the lane
again, and looked along it,
Yes there they were-all in the pretty
little pony carriage together, George and
Annie, and their three little ones. And
Susie went down to the gate to welcome
them. And presently Fred got into the
pony carriage, and drove away with
| George on a business errand into the
next town; and Annie and Susie were
left to spend an hour or two together.
The two sisters found plenty to talk
about, Annie had never told Susie be-
fore, but for some reason or other, sht
felt inclined to tell her this evening oil
the effect of her letter OF a little more
than seven years ago.
But though Susie listened attentively
she did not appear surprised, only pleas
ed. And then it came out that Fred haC
told her long since that il had been thu
affect of that very letter upon Georgc
which had inclined him to consider thu
proprlety of turning over a new lea
along with his friend.
Success wor derfully covers past fail
ures There were few persons more re.
spected in Oakbridge now than Georg
Taylor. He had paid all his debts lonJ
ago, and was at this time a prosperou
mast ter builder; and Fred was his fore.
man and right hand man. George haC
striven in new born faith and constan
prayer to conquer himself first, and tha
important conquest had been the key t,
his success.
Years before old Mrs. Walters dealt
he had stood high in her favor-princi
pslly, and in the first place, perhaps, be
C cIuse he had taken her severe lecture i,
what the old lady called, such prope
spirit. And on her will being read (onl,
a few weeks previously, it was foun,
that she had left him handsome legacy
and also the little pony carriage whicl
she had used 80 constantly.
1t seems to me, rejoined Susie, senten
tiously, as she dsndIed her little one ii
her arms, that it is sometimes better Il
begin with nothing !-LChristian Red
ford in the Culver.