The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-09-05
cried hospitable Calphurnia. Don't

Don't l, thought" said David.
And Patience, CHANGING to look sud-
denly up, caught the sparkle of his
frank brown eyes fixed full on her face.
She turned pink all over, her own eyes
fell, and she did not speak again all the
evening. Her silence was not noticed,
however. Friend Ruth, as it happened,
was descanting in her soft, slow way
on a new pattern in rag-carpet weaving,
and Patience took refuge under the
gentle murmur of her words.
The two Quakeresses had been nearly
month at the Nutting farm, and the
dreary place had gradually begun to
assume something of home-like look
when one evening David Lorn came
over across the sere stretches of
meadow-land.
Calphurnia's sent you dried-peach
pie," said he, carefully setting down
something in napkin. I" As for me,
/ moved them barrels of cider to-day"
"Did thee?" said Friend Ruth, knit
ting composedly away at a gray-yarn
stocking, while Patience made haste to
set away the pie.
But there's one l calculate you
wouldn't hev sold if you had known
what was in it," went on David.
/" sold them all to thee" said Miss
Plumb, in her gentle, decided way, :" all
nine of them at a dollar and a half a
barrel. With me, Friend David, bar
gain means bargain"
" But one of 'em hadn't no cider
in it,"
"Then," said Miss Plumb, eve will
deduct that from the rest, and thee can
give me the change. think we need
not differ as to that"
"There wasn't no cider in it'll" dog
gedly persisted the young farmer
g But there was something else-there
was money"
Money" repeated Miss Ruth, let
! ting the knitting-needles drop into her
lap.
Yes. money" nodded David Lorn !;
" fourteen rolls of gold half-eagles,
twenty in roll, all wrapped up in old
wooden stocking-legs and packed in cot
ton batting, so they shouldn't clink nor
rattle, with salt hay wedged in around
'em and the cask headed up exactly
like the eight others. Now l know
why old Ezra Nutting used to be so
cranky about keeping his cider barrels
locked up, and why he went out to
look to it himself every night, long after
he wasn't fit to cross the threshold.
That was his bank; that was where he
kept his savings-fourteen hundred dol
lars"
" Fourteen hundred dolars!" re-
peated Miss Ruth, her healthy color
paling a little. "But, Friend David,
| sold the barrels and their contents to
thee.n
Hang it ALL" shouted David, rising
to his feet, =" do you suppose / would
swindle you and Patience in that way?
Here is the money! diving into his
pockets and flinging down the packets
on the table, with a resounding clink.
" am no thief, Miss Ruth! l never
coveted my neighbours goods until now''
Friend Ruth's eyes faded, yet still
bright, sought his agitated face with
gentle questioning.
Keep the money, Friend David"
said she. Poor though l am, would
forfeit more than that sooner than
cause fellow-creature to Offend"
cit amt the money that l covet,'
said David, in desperation. Its-Pa-
tience. No, little girl, don't run away
as Patience's eyes instinctively turned
toward the door. " | think you must
have suspicioned it long ago. The
house is that lonesome since you went
away that l can't stand it no longer
If l can't have you for my wife, Pa.
tience, III sell the old place and 60 tc
sea. There!"
Patience's long-lashed eye dropped.
" lit would be pity that thee
should do that" said she.
And then she hid her face on Aunt
Ruth's plump shoulder.
So Patience went to live at the Lorr
farmhouse and Friend Ruth stayed
where she was and the money was
equally divided between aunt and niece
Miss Plumb makes a comfortable live
lihood out of the sale of the Newton
pippins, y" Gillifower" and " Northern
Spy" apples from the old orchards
planted by Ezra Nutting.
But l sell them by the barrel only
said she; "never for cider-making.
have prejudice against that sort o
thing n-HeIeu Forest GrnreS