The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-04-25

uernler resort
What's that?" asked the black
smith.
"a last resort | can't live any
longer in the city. Pm over head and
heels in debt there-owe for this very
suit have on. So I've made up my
mind to return to the home of my child
hood, marry my old sweetheart and
settle down into a quiet country gentle
man. Not bad thing to do when one
can't do anything else, is it?"
Well, l swan, you are cool card"
said Jim. But you won't find her
at the farm, but at the little red house
just this side of it. She isn't a bit
stuck up, though she has come into
fortune. You'd better go right along,
and wish you all the luck you deserve"
Palmer eyed him suspciously for
moment, and then staggered up the
road, with the gold-headed cane once
more fitted snugly across the small of
his back.
Well, swan" said jim, " if that
don't beat ALL I'd like to take that
walkin'-stick and prod him in the back
with it right out of the village. But l
s'pose she'll take him and kill the fatted
to his pooty face, whilst never even
darst but the last of the sentence
was lost in the merry clink, clink, clink
that had begun again.
Ruth Corbett was hanging out her
washing when Jack Palmer stepped on
to her front porch and raped on her
front door with his gold-headed cane.
She was tallish, slim woman, with
soft, fair hair drawn up on the top of
her well-shaped head and arranged
there in three or four large loose puffs,
and she had keen blue eyes, nose of
no particular shape, thin, rather de-
cided and yet pleasant mouth, and ears
that forced themselves upon your atten-
ton.
The clothes she was hanging on the
line were, as the Widow Crummins,
who lived in the next house, had often
remarked, " as white as the driven
snow" and Ruth. with a clothespin be-
tween her lips, had stepped back on the
grass plat to regard them complacently
when she heard the rapping on the
front door. For moment she stood
and wondered who it could be, for it
was a very unusual thing to have any
d
after the manner of country people,
preferring the back. Then she dropped
the clothespin on the grass and went
to see who the caller was.
Jack Palmer grasped her hand as she
opened the door-the thought passing
through his mind at the same time how
different it was to the soft hands he
had for years been accustomed to
grasp-and exclaimed in as imprisoned
tone as he could command: "Ruth g,
dear Ruth; and do | indeed see you
once more ?''
Miss Corbett wrested her hand from
his and looked at him in amazement
Then light began to dawn upon her.
Is it-can it be-Jack Palmer 20
1t is-it cam" he replied
And what do you want? '' Ruth
went on, with cool, calm directness.
What-do-I want ?n stammered
the caller.
Yes, what do you want?"
"What do want ?" again repeated
Mr.. Palmer. Why, Ruth, how can
you ask ? | came to see you.n
And why 2" pursued the lady.
"Why? Because my heart has re-
turned to its old allegiance. Because l
longed for my boyhood's home. Be-
cause, Ruth, | want you to forgive and
forget the past"
." And them" said Ruth.
"Then-then," replied the city gen.
tleman, shifting his hat from one hand
to the other and wincing perceptiby
under the steady glare OF those calm
blue eyes, land then | hoped, Ruth
you would become my wife"
Have you lost all your money ?"
asked Miss Corbett.
Well, yes, have lost the greater
part of it, but before | lost it | made
up my mind to seek you again. did,
upon my woodland ask your forgive
ness.n
" Sorry to say doubt that very much.
And now, Mr.. Palmer, | advise you
to return to town as soon as posi-
BILE, while | hang out the rest of my
washing"
"And you won't forgive me, Ruth?'
"Well, really, I've quite forgotten
what had to forgive you for. But
there, forgive you, if that will do you
any good, and wish you a pleasant
journey back to your city friends"
If ever city gentleman walked off a
front porch after an interview with
an elderly rustic maiden utterly dis
comfited by that elderly rustic maiden
Jack Palmer was that city gentleman.
He could not have felt more discounted
even if he had seen Miss Corbett, with
a tranquil little smile lowering about
her mouth, go placidly back to the grass
plat, pick up the clothespin she had
dropped to answer his knock and to
let him in, and proceed to fasten 6
handkerchief to the line Herewith.
jim Farlow spied his old chum com.
ing back and went to the door of the
shop Halo, said he; " what luck?'
The other never answered, but strobe
by, his jaunty manner all gone, without
word or sign.
Ha, ha! he, ho!" shouted the black.
smith, nearly doubling himself up in
the excess of his mirth. "The darnyei
raysort didn't work"
That very evening, as jim Farlow