The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1889-09-26

anu drcarY flat suD-bOnutts That com
ppsed their own open-air costumes.
1t was trulva rough home for lIctty,
used a. She had been ro the comfortable
civilization Of New EJgl-ud country ifc,
out sue tppk her lot heroicaily. aud after
day or two II very natural depression
which she managed 10 keep to herself.
she lifted herself into her plaee as II she
had ALWAYS lived there. She had the
| charming faculty of drawing out the best
oil every one, aud soon the shy auuts were
won 10 wor-hipful admiration Of her,
hat formed the excitement Of their colD'-
less lives. The old grandfather awoke to
new Interest 10 life, and the two were
soon a. devoted friends as If gulf Of
threcscore years had not stretched be-
tween them.
The enchantmeut of her presence ex-
tended even to the bleak old house.
Wild vines were planted ST lis door, and
homemade brackets aud shelves, 4 shade
for the hideous lamp, and other simple
devices for tempering its dreariness crept
in and softened the nsperities Of the big.
barren "living-room." Iu lletS's z-al
for Improvement she had preached the
question of paperlng the upholstered
walls, but her proposal was met by frank
statement OF their meagre resources from
her aunts, which filled her with dismay.
You should never have let me come"
she cried, ito add to your burdens; but
now l am here | must work for you, and
not let 1t cost you anything to keep me
can sew nicely, and | am sure ! can
earn good deal at that. Perhaps can
even earn enough to make you more com
Portable than before | came
IL was hard to make her realize that
their far-apart neighbors were either too
poor or too Indifferent to appearance to
hire sewing done.
But, at any rate somebody shall give
me work." said the pretty. determined
creature, not cast down by this discour-
aging statement of facts. "If | cannot
get it here, will write to the Women's
Exchange In some great city, and ask
them to send me some embroidery to do.
III no eX press comes so for into the will
derness, Uncle Sam will bring me tile
things In his mail-bags."
She carried out her plan successfully
and many small comforts found their way
Into the straitened household as a result
of her ga Inings.
But with all the brightness and cheer
she brought Into other lives, Hetty had
her own secret sorrow, and one day Aunt
Gin surprised her hiding away In the loft
with her lovely little face all downca.t
and tear-stained. The woe and sympathy
in the good woman's troubled eyes won
her con idence and with her flushed face
turned resolutely away, she told her
story. There had been fair and lawn
party at their church in Vermont last Sep
TENDER, where she was one of the at
tendants at the flower temple. A party
a.
the Springs, twenty miles away, and one
of them had devoted himself to Hetty 80
assduously that Mrs. Bliss, the doctors
wife, and first directress of the sewing
society, and the possessor of certain
prejudices against city young men, was
very angry. But 1t was not the devotion
of day only, for Allen Dunscombe took
daily rides over to Hettys home as long
as his vacation lasted.
1t was only to break a country heart
for pastime ere he went to town" Mrs.
Bliss said, still believing in his good in
tentions and the injustice to her lover
wounded Hetty so deeply that when on
Aliens last day he won her promise to be
his wife, she proudly kept their engage
ment secret.
No word nor sign had come from him
during the long sad winter that followed
That bright glad autumn, and poor lletty
lived through the bitter misery of her
mothers sickness and death, and the
loneliness and poverty that followed,
with the heavy underlying burden at her
feet that Aliens silence gave.
Now she said, her eyes dry, and
bright as stars, "you must stop crying,
Aunt Gin. | can't keep up if you don't
stop
But how could any man be false to
dear trusting baby like you? sobbed Aunt
Gin.
ALLEN has not been false said lletty,
impressively. Il think he must be dead
and some day shall hear all about 1t. |
should die il could not believe in him.
Now tell Aunt Min, II you like, hut new
er, never, speak to me about it again"
Nearly ali OF Hetty's embroidery was
done by the side of her grandfather, and
as he grew daily more childish, he pratt
tied to her constantly OF his old home,
where he walked on csrpeted floors.
1.-The Lord knows, child" he would
say, THAT don't gruge Him the work
I've done fur the cause, nor the hardshii's
me an your granma went through with
when we was houselcsS and homeless,
chased neither an Don by roughs an raid
ers; but jest wisht | could be quit er
hearin' folks stompin' on bare boards,
EN- set my old feet onto "a carpet wonst
more"
Hetty sympathlzcd with him, and saved
to the utmost, small sums from her scant
earnings toward the purchase OF n carpet ;
but every time the savings reached a
slightly encouraging figure, some strin-
gent need arose 10 the family, ald she
could not withhold her store.
Then winter came, and the old man rap
idly growing feeble, was quit" shut III,
aud deprived OF even the soft carpet Of
grass which his shullllug feet preferred
to tie Objectionable plauks. In every
other way he was "A marvel OF patience.
but Lis lamentations over the want or a
carpet nearly drove tile women nad win
pity.
II was a-dreanin' OF my own funeral,
child, he said TO lietty, as he reused
himself from long nap Il dolt feel
to hev much dread of IL in general, hut |
seemed to hear the trampin' " the men :
feet on the boards a. they krrried me out
at it hurt my very heart, Hetty, rely 1t
did"
| lIetty was desperate. He shall have
carpet" she said impprativcly; and
cy, that was touching from lis simple
truth, she begged for au advance snili-
cient To buy cheap carpet, piedGing ler-
self to pay for 1t in work.
I hen the women, not telling what had
been attempted, for fear of disaproint-
ment, watched for u letter long before
there was a possibility OF getting an au-
swer. AT last the teamstcr whose week
| ly trip to the far-away railroad station
and post Office was the wide neighbour
hoou's only communication with the out
side world, brought lletty a thick pack
age, from which fell ont = number of let
tiers, all directed to herself III Vermont.
| The explanation was in letter enclosed
with them, from the man she had refused
to believe false to her, and the unopened
letters were his vindication.
On reaching home, after the autumn
vacation when he net her, he had been
dispatched, at an hours notice, to Japan
by the firm who employed him. 1t was
mission OF great responsibility, all oppor-
tunty not To ne refused, hut the time al
lowed was all required to master the de-
tails, and there was not moment Tor
writing to IIetty. The first letter he had
the opportunity Of sending was 80 many
months in reaching Vermont that Mrs.
Bliss. who considered herself model Of
worldly wisdom, decided that iietty had
| better not hear from one who. she felt
Ger, ain, meant no good. She took the re-
sponsibility OF suppressing it, as well as
many which followed, till at last they
ceased to come.
On Aliens return from Japan, he wrote
Immediately, hoping tn obtain All explsna-
ton of his unanswered letters, aud Mrs.
Bliss, being somewhat pricset by her