Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-01-30

even joey himself, who has been gone
three years. Aunt Alice is busy in
the pantry making pies, snowy bread
and golden cake, for she expects q
hungry boy. Ellen-now a tall,
slight girl of seventeen-stands by
the open window, clipping off the
dried leaves from her favorite hello
trope, and humming a new air which
she can hardly wait until her work is
finished to practice. Still singing
she leaves the window, and begins
to dust and arrange the furniture tc
its best advantage, then opens the
door just as loaded wagon STOP
front Of tfie house. A boy Jumps
down, runs up the gravel walk, and
with "Good morning, miss J" asks
if the Widow Reed lives here.
eyes," answered Ellen, evil you
walk in?"
"No, miss ' and he gave her q
letter.
"Will you give this to the lady?
will wait here until you return," and
he stepped inside the vine-covered
veranda while Ellen went in search
! of her mother and gave heI the letter.
There must be some mistake, Ell
len; l don't know this writing. Run
and get my glasses, dear, and give
the boy chair"
"Yes, mamma, and off she darted.
Imagine their surprise on opening
the letter to find a check for 500,
with a note running thus:
Will Widow Reed please accept
this piano for her daughter Ellen,
and let her begin lessons at once, and
oblige AN OLD FRIEND.
With exclamations of surprise and
delight they FASTENED to inquire of the
boy, ''Who sent it?" "Where he got
it," etc. But to their questions he
gave no satisfactory answer, notwith-
standing there was a roguish twinkle
in his dark eyes, as he unloaded and
helped to set it up in the little parlor.
eff you could only give us some
clew so we might try to thank him,
Aunt Alice had said, as he drove off.
'Its no use, he don't know" ans
wered Harold, about the tenth time
reading the note. 81 have no idea
who sent it,"
81 would like to try it" said Ellen.
"Sure enough, here's your music.
Now give us q song," and soon the
room was filed with melody. But
Aunt Alice, in the midst of their song,
burst into a merry laugh as Rose, mi
nus her hat and almost breathless,
appeared in the doorway, dropping
her basket of flowers, and looking
from one to another in childish won
der. Then clapping her hands in
glee, she bounded in shouting, "Hur-
rah o goody goody."
"Hush, Rose," exclaimed Aunt
Alice, as Farmer Jones, hearing the
music, "stopped in a minu'e to see
what was going on" he said. For
of late he had been a frequent visit
or. And Ellen, with flushed cheeks
and beaming eyes, showed him her
present and the letter, and gave him
song. He seemed pleased, and re-
marked as he arose to go:
"Guess l will bring Martha over
to see it, ell y
eyes, do" they all answered.
"When is the boy coming?" he
asked.
s'In the morning." answered Aunt
Alice. "Will you bring your wife
over to tea tomorrow she asked,
following him to the door.
81 must be off now, girls" said
Harold, $50 you may hurry and fin
ish your work if you want a row on
the river at sunset"
"Oh, dear l can't hurry one Bit"
said Rose. 81 am so glad, Ellen
and oh, he sent it Ellen, he is so
good"
"He! Who?" asked they both in
chorus.
'Don't you know? Why, Farmer
Jones of course" answered Rose, with
a toss of her yellow curls, s'cause i
met him as i was coming home, and |
he asked me if | had seen Ellen's pi-
ano." And she ran off to tell Aunt
Alice.
And from that the secret came out.
1t was happy group that welcom-
ed Joey home the next morning. |
Even Aunt Alice could find time TO
spend an hour in the garden listening
as he praised the neat white fence
WEIGH Harold was just finishing, adj
miring her flowers, the new bird
house, the row of nice young trees in
front, and then Ellen and Rose took
him over the farm and down the riv-
er, and back in time for dinner. Then
the new piano was admired, and mu
sic followed, until later the table was
spread for tea under the shade of
the great elm in the yard Aud Rose
FASTENED away, returning soon, fol-
loved by Farmer Jones and wife, who
greeted Joey heartily and joined them
at the tea table-a bright, happy
party,
'tAnd so it's all paid, my boy"
said Farmer Jones, as after tea was
over Joey handed him roll of bills.
s.Wife and have kept track Of YOU,
and have seen how from cutting
wood you went to teaching school,
Al