The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-03-07
n It's hardly civil Of him. lido hone

Steele isn't getting interested In any Of
those girls over Wildfell way. No, I
guess not-not after what he said to.
night, But, after all, I'm not sure |
should like Steele to be an old bachelorl
NTain't according to nature somehow
Miss Bryce parted, with wet eyes, from
her kindly hostess the next morning
81 never, never can thank you for all
your kindness!' said she.
"oh, pshaw don't talk that way"
said Mrs. Narian, trying to laugh. 81
don't know as ever took so to city
boarder before. Drive carefully, Steele.
You know the colt always SHES at the
redbrick wall by the mill DAM
Steele Varian smiled.
"lll be very careful, mother" said
he,
''De YOU mean, Steele" whispered the
old lady, as Helen went to tell Billy, the
errand-boy, good-by thst you would
have let Billy take her to the depot if
hadn't spoke upf"
''He could have driven Fan Just as
we'll as | can, mother; and the lumber
men on the hill"
''pshaw p' said Mrs. Varian. 'Lum-
bermen, indeed Good.by, Helen dear |
There is some sandwiches and an apple
turnover in the basket, and +"
Her parting words were drowned in
the rattling of the wagon-wheels.
Deep silence prevailed until He len
and Steele were we'll out of the woods
into the sunny, hardGrozen winter road.
Helen looked intently down at her
mink muif.
Steele surveyed his pony's ears.
"Well" he said, at last.
sob, Steele, how could your
elbow could what"
''Talk-as you did-llast night"
"Listen, pet, and I'll tell you story"
said VaIian, slipping the rrins into his
right hand so as to leave the left arm
free for sort of belt around her brown
cloaked waist. "There was once son
of the green aisle of Erin, and he was
driving little, curly-tailed pig, and a
countryman met him.
How far is it to Dublin 2 said he"
"Now, Steele !"
Sure this isn't the road to Dublin
at all at all, says Mike. It's the road to
Cork
"Whisht, whisht = says Paddy, if
the craytur knew it was to Cork he was
going, it's niver step he would stirp "
I Nonsense, Steele :"
$50, you see, Helen, it's to Cork am
driving my dear, kind hearted little
mother, all this time. She's like all the
rest of her blessed sex a bundle of con-
tradictions; and if once she knew how
dearly we love each other, she would set
har,olf 20 30, -
extra 6 cd reason why you and should
both marry some one else."
! 81 will never marry any man, Steele,
against his mothers Wishes" said
Helen, with spirit.
"No, dearest; and therefore l mean
she shall want GU to marry me, very
much indeed |
/ "But, oh, Steele, you made me feel
very bad for minute !" murmured
Helen.
"Dear little goosie! And to think
that you did not see through my trans
parent plot! You would never do for q
diplomatist, Helen. Wait, darling
only wait!"
The CHEEKY kitchen seemed solitary and
desolate enough when Steele Varan
came back again. Mrs. Varian sat with
her basket of patchwork before her, but
there seemed to be no more pleasure in
combining the brilliant squares of calico
and Turkey red. The pink geranium
had opened new blossom, but Mrs.
| Varian scarcely noticed it.
"Steele," said she, plaintively, 'I'm
sorry let Miss Bryce go. | didn't re-
alize that should miss her so much"
"But she has to go back to teaching,
mother"
Teaching indeed! Why should she
teach any longer?" impatiently cried out
Mrs. Varian. ooh, Steele! can't keep
it tomyself any longer, but how have
been wishing, all these past weeks, that
you would take fancy to Miss Bryce,
and and"
"a fancy, mother2"
The spectacle glasses were deluged
with tears at last.
ooh, Steele, Steele" faltered the old
lady, ''she would be the daughter in
law, of all others, l should love the
dearest"
"But, mother, I thought"
eyes, KNOW" said Mrs. Varian, hys-
terically. 'I've always said l didn't
want you to marry, but-but I've
changed my mind, Steele. Pm getting
old, my son, and can't live always; and
Helen would be all the same as a
daughter to me-"
do you think she will consent,
mother"
'Try, Steele'-piteously.
'If you were to go up to see her,
mother
"rll go, steele!" declared Mrs.
Varian, "to-morrow-to day, if you say
So"
She went, accordingly. And it may
easily be conjectured that Helen Bryce
did not long remain obdurate. At Christ
mas the young people were married, to
the great surprise of the neighborhood.
''If Mrs. Varian has told me once that
she didn't want her son ever to be mar.
ried, she's told me forty times" said the
postmaster's wife. "And here, right O
top of it, she's as tickled as never was
over that New York schoolma'ah.
"She's sensible woman" said the
postmaster.
And Steele, looking at his wife with
laughing eyes, whispered:
"You see the little pig went to Cork
after all !"
"Please, dear, don't!" pleaded Helen,
"when your mother--my mother-is sc
good and kind
"1know it, darling" said Steele "I'n
only talking in parallels. Helen Forres
Grdves