The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-05-02

| All, geese are silly things indeed,
But where soer their home,
The sight of them recalls the fact
That cackling geese saved Rome
THE DOCTORS NEPHEW.
Cora aIighted from Philo Wilson's
high and narrow and somewhat rattly
buggy, and sat down on log with a
sigh of relief, while Philo hitched his
horse to tree.
1t was not an enticing thing at best to
go to a picnic with Philo Wilson; but
the picnic itself was preferable to the
drive thither. There were distractions at
least, and, with good luck, chance for
brief escape. But driving six miles
with him, making spasmoGic attempts
at conversation, while he sat in his
usual open-moulhed but tongue-tie1
silence, tall and lank, uninspired and
uninsplring-dri with Philo had nc
alleviating points.
Fairly at the grounds, then, Cora
shook out her white dress and straight
ened her chip bonnet, and even smiled g
little with the bOuyancy youth. The
picnic was large, she noted gayly.
There where the older people gather
ed sedately together among a group ol
of birches. Cora's father and mother
were among them, in black broadcloth
and alapaca, and they looked over al
their pretty daughter and Philo with
placid smiles.
They approved of Philo; he was
STEADY" and their practical concern
went no further. Cora smiled back al
them. And grouped about the long
board platform, where there would be
dacing later, were all "the girls"
Cora deserted the log.
"l'll go over where the rest are" she
said,
And though Philo, who was bit of a
despot under his phlegmatism, did not
look pleased, she hurried away.
The girls were gushingly glad to see
her, after the manner of girls.
"You look lovely!" said Kate Miller.
"What did you bring?' said NJ Irgy
Fuller. "I've got an angel cake, but it's
perfectly horlid! 1t isn't white Bit, land
the frosting-"
"You know it's splendid Marcy" said
Cora laughing; "yours always are. Isn't
that DR., Sanborn's nephew"
The girls did not look around, it wasn't
necessary. They had him already wei
fixed on their mental retinas, by reason
of sundry furtive glances, the handsome
young fellow, blue. eyed and black hair
ed, IN loose jacket and sandshoes, and
a soft cap, who sat talking to Sadie San.
born and Sadie's beau at the other end
of the platform. They burst into sub.
dued inquisitOrial chorus.
"Oh, do you know him?" ave thought
of course, he's relative, because he's
with Sadie" Isn't he lovely, anyhow
He is very nice looking" said Cora
tinted as to her round cheeks, "Yet
he's the doctors nephew. He was here
last summer, but only for week or 30
and the doctor was in to see father one
evening, and brought Mr.. Hill with him
and e got pretty well acquainted. He'c
run over and play croquet real often,
and one day we went"
But little excited murmur interrupt
ed her
"He's looking at you!" "He's bowing!'
"He's coming straight over here, Coral
So he was, with the eager smile with
which young men have greeted pretty
maids since the world began, and with
an impatient, outstretched hand.
Cora's fingers smarted, in truth, under
the pressure il gave them.
MISS Gilman" he said, finding a seat
beside her land "the girls edged away
awed by the nearer presence of the doc.
tors nephew), Il have been looking fol
you, do you know? / came only yester
day, or you'd have seen me before. How
are you, Miss Gilman? You look WE'LL
And the croquet grounds-is it there?'
"Yes, it's there" she said, smiling uI
at him. (Philo had been buttonholed
by Hank Lee, at safe distance.) Give
improved, Mr.H Willy believe it?'
"You!" he cried, in humorous alarm
I"Why, you used 10 'whitewash' me
every time as it was. Well play some
thing else this year, Miss Gilman-tag or
Ijackstoes, or something I'm proficient
ln,"
They laughed delightedly.
How nice he was! she thought-so
bright and Jolly!
She was a little frightened to find how
well she remembered all about him.
And he--she couldn't tell what he was
thinking, of course-but he was looking
at her with very eager eyes and man
ner almost exciting. She dropped her
own, her cheeks pinker.
81 remember it all you see. What a
good time we had, Miss Gilman, now
didn't we, the day we went off black
berrying? You haven't forgotten III
You had an old blue dress and shaker,
and some gloves of your fathers" Mr..
Hill threw back his head in boyish glee.
And we got ten quarts, too" He grew
suddenly sober. II did enjoy that
week, Miss Gilman. I've lived it over
in my Imagination often enough since.
II it haden't been for you, Miss Gilman,
shouldn't have come here this sum
merr' he added courageously. But
I'm in for a month here now"
She looked at him breathlessly, her
heart beating hard.
Did he mean it, But she knew he did.
And he hadn't an idea Of Phllo's exist
ence. She wished that she had not.
The doctors nephew rose impulsively.
J Come, Miss Gilman" said he "don't
let's sit here pokily. We never were
poky, you know. Let's have a ramble.
Isn't there an ostensible purpose, an OBJ
ject of interest, or somethingl"
She smiled, with an inward conflict OF
gltdnsss and misgiving.
"There's the willow arbor, down by
the marsh; it's pretty there" che fiatter-
ed.
Hank Lee had released Philo; he was
turning this way, with his loose gait, his
hands in his pockets,
81 love willow arbors. cried the doc
tors nephew. "If there's anything I've
always adored and yesned for, it's a will
low az Dor. You'll goT"
L don't know" said Cora, wistfully,
But Mr.. Hill knew, Philo Wilson, at
any rate, stood the next moment star 3
t ng after their disappearing figures.
L WAS not qui'e eleven by Mr.. Hill's
hand, ONE imeliece when they started;
but il was fully one when they got back.
They had forgotten the picnic, almost,
wandering among the willows in some
thing more than contentment, and il
was dire necessity to have to come
| back to it.
"But they'll be haYing dinner, you
say ?" said Mr.. Hill. "And they'll eat
at that long table, all together? Well
I'll get seat by you, by hook or crook. i"
"But dinner was late. The fiddlers
had arrived, and been pressed into early
service. The platform was filled with
walters: to get up their appetites, they
said, while their elders waited hungrily