Connecticut western news., 1888-02-29

that, is there7 Alls fair in love, and, perhaps, if the old folks see me driving about with Becky Thorne my stock may go ur, and may be saved from the burning as Parson Amory says"
 And Becky had consented. How could she refuse to do good servica for such a true lover9 So slight thing, tool She had often traversed the same road sinco on foot, on her daily rounds of toll or mercy. Sam Eustis had married Lucy Amory years ago, and was the foremost man in tho country to-day. Strange how that friendly drive had interfered with Miss Becky's prospects; how the simple fact of carrying home Mrs. Eustis' needle work should have determined her fate and devoted her to life of hardship and tho Old Ladies' home at the endl Talk of trifes! Poor Miss Becky! She remembered that once or twics the opportunity offered when she might have made it up with Larry; butt pride or sort of fine reserve, had locked her lips-Larry ought to know that she was above silly flirtations. Oace when they met at Lucy Amory's wedding, when they all went out into the orchard while the bride planted a young tree and the guests looked for four-leaved clovers, she had found herself-whether by accident or design she could not tell -on the grass beside Larry; their fingers met on the same lucky clover, their eyes met above it, and for an instant she had it on her tongues end to confess all about the drive and its result, to put pride ia her pocket; but just then Nell Amory called to Larry
 ''Oh, horrid spider--on my arm, Larry! Kill him quick--dol Ohl-oh-- oh!--I saall dic- T shall faint!"
 And that was the end of it.
 The oll orchard with its fragrant quinco bushes, its gnarled apple trees, its four-leavcd c'overs, was thing of the past; cotton mill reared and thun- dered there all day long, where tho birds built and the trees blossomed thirty-odd years ago. It no longer blossomed except in Miss Becky's mem- ory. She had turned her thoughts to raising plants when she was left to her own resources, but one cruel winters night killed all her slips, and the capi- tai was lacking by which she might re- new her stock. Since then she had gone out for daily sewing, had watched with the sick, had been in demand for temporary houskeeper whenever tired matron wished an outing, but latterly her eyes no longer served her for fine work, and sewing machines had been introduced; she was not so alert in the sick room as of yore, she moved more slowly and her housekeeping talent was no longer in request; added to this the bank where her little earnings had been growing, one day failed and left her high and dry. Some of her friends had travelled to pastures new, somo had married away, some had ignored or for gotten her. As for Larry Rogers, he had been away from Plymouth this many year. Somebody had sent him abroad the year after Lucy Amory,s marriage, to develop his musical genius. He had grown into famous violinist, playing all over the country to crowded houses, before the first people in the land. It was beautiful roman ce to Miss Becky to read in the local paper about our ''gifted townsman;" she did not blame him because she sat in the shadow, because her life had been cool ness. She sang again the old tunes he had taught her, and made a little sum- shine in her heart. All of happiness she had ever known he had brought her. Why should she complaint And now she was going to the Old Ladies' home.
 'It isn't exactly what expected in my youth," she said to the old doctor s | wido
 ''No; but you'll have nice room and bright fire. and the neighbors will drop in to see you and make it home like. Now, there's old Mrs. Gum. Nothing can persuade her to go to the home. She says it's only genteel alms- house after all; and so she rubs along with what she can earn and what the neighbors have mind to send in, and they have to do it very gingerly, too, just as though they were asking favor of her. LOT, she doesn't earn her salt.''
 II dare say." returned Miss Becky. 'sNow, if it hadn't been for the rheu- matism could earn my living for years yet, and maybo get something ahead again; but it seems as if the rheuma. tism laid in wait for the poor and friendless" ......-..- ~..
 "You ought to have married when you were young, Becky. said the doc- tors widow. who had forgotten all about Becky's love affair, and labored under the impression that she never had a chance, an impression which matrons are apt to entertain concerning their single friends. Miss Becky had been spending some weeks with Mrs. Dr.
 Dwight who had moved away from
 Plymouth after her husbands death.
 She was there chiefly to put some
 stitches into the widows wardrobe,
 which nobody else would do treason
 ably" that lady's grief having incapaci
 tated her from holding needle or giv
 in q her mind tn materinl details of Usnam