Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-02-01


"A warm flood Of air redoIent Of juicy meat
browning over red Goals saw the glitter Of
clean crockery and the rich, smooth gloss OF
polished pewter and copper, aud, with tho
love uf life aud liberty strong upon him.
began to writhe out feet first through the
aperture He did not pause when, as he
squeezed out, his coat was drawn up and
rumpled, or even when his watch chain
caught on bolt and snapped but he did
pause in panied surprise when, as he was
carefully working his shoulder back and
forth, he felt himself violently assailed with
a stiff, hard implement, which by the un-
yielding nature of its blows he judged to
be a poker. Each stroke was accompanied
by a loud and angry voice, crying in tri-
umph
"Aha, ye divil I've got yer. heerd
yer. Iarrumed meself and laid in wait whin
yer came crapin' out so sly and silent 1t
here occurred to Wentworth that his assal-
ant was evidently deaf for whatever else
he might have done, there certainly had
been noise enough about his descent tu prove
that it was not the soft and stealthy en-
trance of burglar IT'S not III see yer
burglarin Miss 1ina's little thraps know
/ yer, me foine Teller. I've got yer now"
The voice grew louder the blows harder
/ Wentworth, hose head was still in the
shaft, could hear Miss Lowry crying dis
tractedly from above:
ooh, Norah Justp powers Norah stop,
| stop stop her, Katie, stop her She'll hurt
| him. NOrah her voice rising to a shrek
stop, tell you The gentleman's a Wis
| itOr-a friend Of mine. Norah Katie
| Oh, mercy what ShdH do =
Wentworth, with these cries ringing in
| his ears, tore himself free and confronted
the wielder Of the poker-a brawny, bare
armed Irish woman. Her attitude was war
| like in the extreme, and it seemed to his
excited fancy that she meditated a grapple
| Driven to bay 10y this thought, he wrenched
the poker out of her hand, flung it across
the room, aud fled, shutting the door.
He found door opening on a flight Of
dark stairs, and groped his way up patting
down his hair and pulling his coat into posi-
tion. At the head of the flight he saw
! figure against the light, as he had already
seen it. The scent Of violets was waited
toward him, and added the poignancy Of
memory to his present miseries. As he
reached the top she said, in a subdued voice
suggesting repressed tears
'Oh, what can | say Are you hurt -
did that fiend hurt you How horrible it's
all been Come in, do. please, and let me
give you something. 1t is no use for me to
apologize there is nothing to say
He saw she was deeply grieved and no
ticed, "a she turned, that she held his stick,
with which she was coming down to do bat
tie ior him His heart melted as he saw
this
Don't apologize, | beseech you, " he said
gravely. There is no harm done But
as he went to find his hat she followed him,
murnuring in pale comtrition
IL don't know what to say. Oh, don't
20 Wait for papa I'm so afraid you're
hurt That fall must have bruised you
dreadfully Would YOU like some cologne
-some Ponds Extract If papa were here
he would be able to do something for YOU.
Then, as Mr.. Wentworth approached her,
hat aud stick in hand, cold. dignifed calm,
-"Oh, please don't 60. can't forgive
myself"
"Good-by, he said l must go It's late "
He felt for his watch, and instead encoun-
tered the two pendulating ends Of his brok
en- chain He slipped them out Of sight. and
bowed his way to the door. "You will find
the parcel on the table He felt paug
he would never see the contents Of that par
eel. Good bye. Ihave enjoyed paus-
ed abruptly, then added, with much presence
of mind making your acquaintance very
much.
He pressed the small, cold hand she shyly
offered bowed with superb dignity, and
opened the door On the steps he bowed
again, turning for last glance into the ten
der. wistful eyes The door closed, and Mr..
Saltonstall Wentworth's call was over.
Three months later Miss Lowry and Mr..
Wentworth very nearly had quarrel This
was the way of it
They were both seated on the brown eath
er window seat in the library, and in the
dusk Miss Lowry stole her fingers through
Mr. Wentworth's arm and softly patted his
/ hand. They had been silent, watching the
twilight deepen and listening to the foot
steps on that quiet cross street dwinde away
toward the Avenues subdued thunder; but
now Miss Lowry said, suddenly
Dearest, how would you like vioets for
/ the bouquet-white violets, mean =
She felt Wentworth start, and knew that
he looked curiously down at her head, which
| in truth rested in charming abandon against
| his shoulder.
Not at all" he answered abruptly ; Il
don't like them.
Not like violets Why, lovey -
This was in a tone of gentle remonstrance,
and in the dusk the young lady raised her
| eyebrows and pouted Then as Mr. Went
worth made no response, she added, "Why
don't you like them, Saltonstall =
Thus cornered, Saltonstall answered, with
brilliant mendacity. Il don't like their per
fume it makes me i'll.
But they're my favorite flower, insisted
the adorable Tina, still displaying the pout-
ed lips of thwarted beauty.
"Oh, l know that, he assented with much
] faelinp "the first time
She turned suddenly, and, pushing away
from him, laid soft hand on his lips. But
their eyes met, full of mutual recollection,
in that dim lovers light, and outbubbled their
laughter in duo long and loud. d.-Gerdidm,
Bonner il, Huper'S WeekiH