Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-07-07

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hastily retreated into the hall.
II hope you'll relish my 'taters,
said she in some embarrassment, Will
l counted out her money. ''Beaut.
of Hebron they call 'em. Say,do yol
believe in praying for temporal bless
ings? Well, | give the Lord the cred
it for this. My old man and me, W.
had put about all the cash we had b.
US in that 'tater patch and then comes
that dry spell, and everything parch-
ed up like an ash-heap. No showers
and no signs of none. l got dispir
tied, and [ pumped right down oil
my knees and prayed for rain.
prayed and prayed, and it seemed
as if the Lord spread his mantle right
over that side hill. 'Twan't an hour
before a cloud riz and emptied
square on it till it soaked it through
And if you'll believe it, below us
in the village, there wasn't drop OF
rain-not enough to put in your eye p
Here she caught sight of my broth
er at the gate. s'There's company
come," cried she. "and the Widow
MIDGET square in the way. Good
day to ye!''
The next moment she was jolting
away in the cart, twitching the reins
spasmodically like a fisherman an
Cling for trout, while L, mindful of
Alexis impatient horse, threw on
my wraps with all speed, fastened
the door, and sprang into the buggy.
"In the name of all the gypsies
who was that MISUNDERSTANDING
being?" queried my brother, arrang-
lug the lap-robe.
"That woman? My dear boy, she
is one of the uncanonized saints !"
"Indeed She looks amazingly
like sinner. If [ were you, Mabel,
1 wouldn't let that class of people in
at my front door,
'ENow, Alec" l expostulated, but
here the nag dashed away like kite
in a gale, and how was | to carry on
worldly conversation when in mortal
terror?
l shall always regard it as spec
ial mercy that we reached my BROTH
er's house that evening in safety, for
his driving was like the driving of
Jehu, the son of Nimshi and be-
cause of the snow just beginning to
fall, we could not see yard before
us. Not till we were seated at the
tea table did it occur to me that in
my furry [ had left my one-hundred-
dollar bill at home! After all why
should | be troubled? Was it not as
safe behind that sheet of music on
the piano as it would be any where?
lecture on carelessness
l said nothing about the matter that
evening, but the next morning | ask
ed my brother to take me home for
[ had forgotten.
By that time the storm had cleared
away, leaving us, as Aleck remarked,
''just enough snow for a sample"
AS he helped me from the carriage at
our gate, [ remember of observing
the snowy Wilderness of the large
stone doorsteps, and of thinking
there could have been no callers dur
ing my absence. Hurrying up the
walk / unlocked the front door and
went directly to the sitting-room.
Everything was as it had been yes
5erday, even to the portiere, left half
drawn by my inquisitive guest. ]
crossed to the piano and lifted the
sheet of music upon the rack. There
vas nothing behind it absolutely
/ turned the leaves over
one'by one; | shook the piano cover;
[ searched the carpet on my knees.
All, all in vain. Then | had to go to
ell Aleck.
"Your saint of a gypsey cabbaged
he money!" was his swift verdict.
you say, Mabel, you showed it to
Ter before you put it away? Probably |
she tiptoed behind you and saw what
you did with it. Then while you were
Upstairs she quietly walked in and
oocketed it. Why, it's as plain as
B c."
Aleck would have had Mrs. Md |
llin's house searched at once, but |
mplored him to wait. With the old |
SIMPLE hearted prattle yet |
'inging in my ears. / could not bring |
myself to believe that she was thief
md though in my secret soul persuad
ID of my folly, [ spent the remainder
If the forenoon in seeking my ill-fat-
I'd banknote. When my brother took |
ne home with him at noon the only |
'esult of my labors was violent cold.
Aleck had examined Mr.. Niddlin's
account at the bank. It amounted |
% nineteen dollars and forty-two
cents, and there had been no recent |
entry but as my brother sagely re-
marked, the old woman would be too |
Ihrewd to invest the one hundred |
dollars at present.
Two days passed. [ was at home
again with Bridget, and hourly ex-
oecting Ben, when Mrs. Niddlins
llighted at the gate, with detection
n every motion of her body, and in
every line of her Wrinkled old face.
instantly OWNED the truth. that,
at my soft-heartedness,
Aleck had taken the affair into his |
own hands and charged the woman