St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-03-15

she threw from those d, ep eyes, gray
as steel that night.
GAS for Harmon, he turned white to
the lips, and for a mile hardly answer
ed the banter that Virginia kept up.
After that he seemed to grow perfectly
reckless, laughed and jOked louder
than any of the rest, and was so care
less that he drove on a stone wall and
we, following, were all upset in a heap
together, and had hard work to get
up so as to make our way home toward
morning, more dead than alive.
at was a sorry day for Harmon
Page. He was waited upon by a
church committee, headed by Deacon
Avery, who denounced his whole con-
duct toward Mercy as unchristian and
highly Inconsistent in a church mem
Der.
"He didn't have much to say for
himself, and they churched him on the
spot. He was pretty down in the
mouth, but kept up some hope, till he
saw Mercy Avery.
she had refused to see Virginia
Wake, and that night he went up the
familiar hill to Deacon Avery's stone
house.
"Mercy herself came to the door,
calm and self possessed as if nothing
had happened, and showed him into
the sitting-room. There was a certain
steady light in her gray eyes. though,
that made Harmon tremble, and, with
out beating about the bush a bit, he
came right to the point, and asked if
all might be forgiven and forgotten,
and they become as good friends as
before. He worked himself into a
passion, cried, and took on like a child
they said.
"But law, it didn't move her an
atom. She had the genuine old Avery
grit, if she was mild-mannered, and
she told him that rs long as the church
had put him out, she, of course, could
not in conscience take him back.
"He pleaded and %entreated till ten
O'Clock at night, Il late hour in them
days, but it didn't make a mite of diff
ference. She wouldn't overlook what
the church had considered n gross
breach of faith. He went out a crush
ed man, and from that time his spirit
seemed to leave him utterly"
"But what about Virginia Wake ?"
| interrupted, unconsciously cutting
my finger in my eager interest.
ooh, after the girl had done all the
mischief possible, public opinion to-
ward her changed 'mazin' quick, and
she left town in a few days, and was
never heard from in these parts again."
"And Harmon Page; what became
of him ~
HI never got over the shock. He
became silent and melancholy and
finally had to be taken to a Retreat.
He grew worse and the sight of a
handsome woman with red cheeks and
black curls would always throw him
into his most violent tantrums. He
died in the asylum ut last"
"Now, l think that was real mean,"
said |, wrathfully winding cotton
around my bleeding thumb. eff Mer
cy Avery hadn't turned him off, his
life might not have ended so sadly. |
think she ought to have taken him
back"
"Ah, ha said Grandpa West, quiz
%zically edo you mean that 2"
"Certainly," said l with dignity,
"why shouldn't 2"
"Oh, nothing" he replied, "only if
she had, Harmon Page would have
been your grandfather instead of me-"
"My grandfather-why them" said
|, in some confusion, "Mercy Avery
must be"
"Mercy West, your grandmother"
said grandpa, chuckling me under my
chin. "Confess now that 'alPs we'll
that ends WE'LL"
81 suppose So" said l, reluctantly.