The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-07-24
blithe step and careless whistle, little


where in this direction that Miss Dorinda
took me that summer day. should like
to call on them while I'm down at tho
Hall. That tallest Miss Coram had =
face like the Sistine Madonna. I've al
ways secretly wished to see it again.
l do hope they'll be at Dorinda's party.
Halloa! here's my old misthtoc tree, and
the ladder lying under it, too. Well, |
should do discredit to my school-boy
training ii couldn't climb any tree 60
ing under such conditions as thisw
Like a squirrel he sprang up the lad
der and made his way into tho upper
boughs of the tree, clipping bunch after
bunch of the lovely green parasite from
the hoary- gray trunk and tlinging them
down on the frozen surface of the snow
below.
1t was a most fascinating business, TO,
even as he climbed, some still more
tempting cluster cleaned higher up.
The sun, red and round as an orange,
poised itself for second on the serrated
edge of the woods, and then dipped
down, leaving warm glow where, but
now, the level light had streamed-and,
almost in an instant, as it were, the whole
landscape seemed stepped in sober pur-
pie.
''It's growing dark" said Colonel
HAY, to himself. al believe Id better
come down."
At the same moment clear, fresh
young voice-a mezzo-soprano OF the
most approved type-called scornfully
out:
ave caught you, have II A theft !
wonder Miss Ormistan could countenance
such a contemplate action as this! Why,
do you know could put you in Jail for
thisl Stealing my mistletoe in broad
daylight! But won't have you arrested.
I'll simply teach you lesson. You may
stay up in that tree and consider it, at
your leisure, until l get ready to let you
come down."
And, balancing the ladder lightly on
her strong, young shoulder, George
Coram walked off with the ease and COM
posure of nineteenth century Amazon,
leaving the gallant colonel trans6xed with
dismay.
"Its the Madonna" he said to him
self. "Td know that face anywhere
and the sweet, full voice! What does
she mean9 l can't be trespassing, or
Miss Ormistan would have warned me. Is
it a joker or does she really mean to
leave me up here to freeze to deatha It's
too far to jump, and l don't dare to risk
a slide down the trunk. Well, there's
no help for it must just wait here
until assistance arrives on the scene. A
pretty predicament Whew! how the
west wind shrieks across the frozen lake!
Going to teach me lesson is she? Well,
I'm learning it,"
"Oh, George, how could you" cried
the more pacific Kitty, when she heard
her sisters tale of triumph. 'Why the
poor man will freeze!"
"He needed heroic treatment" said
Georgia, her brown eyes shining mirth-
fully. "The idea of his daring to steal
our beloved mistletoe!"
''But 1 dare say he only obeyed Miss
Ormistan's orders!" pleaded Kitty.
"Then he must take the consequent
ces," retorted George. "But it is grow
ing awfully, awfully cold since sunset,
and if you'll go with me, Kitty, I'll take
the ladder back and let him come down.
See how bright the moon is shining. 1t
will be regular adventure"
"Poor Miles," said Kitty, laughing.
"He'll have the worst kind of rheuma.
tism tomorrow"
81 didn't think of that" said penitent
George.
And, standing under the tree, she
called out in her sweet soprano voice:
"Miles! Miles here's the ladder! You
may come down now. l trust that this
little incident may make an impression
on you in the future!"
Slowly the culprit descended.
"And, Miles," added George, as his
foot touched the top round of the lad.
der, "my sister and have brought you
apail of hot coffee to drink, so that you
won't take cold. l wish You no harm, as
l presume you only obeyed your mis-,
tress's orders, but it's time you learned
to discriminate between our grounds and
those of Ormistan Hail."
"Thanks, awfully" said deep voice,
as the Colonel drank long and deep OF
the fragrant fluid; "only haven't any
mistress, and don't obey any ones or.
ders, and 1 hadn't any idea 1 was be.
ycnd the limits of the Ormistan prop.
erty. All the same, I'm sure l beg
pardon if I've been trespassing."
'It's-Colonel-Hay" shrieked Geor
gle.
"Yes, that's my name," said the gal
liant officer.
George would have fled promptly from
the scene, but more self-possessed Kitty
detained her by main force.
"My sister is under a misapprehen.
sion," explained she. "She supposed you
were Miss Ormistan's footman; and the
tree is really ours, and we have declined
to let Miss Ormistan gather the mistle.
toe"
"And oh, I'm so sorry!" faltered
George. "What must you think OF
me2"
"That you've done exactly right, said
Colonel Hay, melting visibly under the
troubled light of the lovely hazel eyes.
"Of course was the trespasser, and dc.
served all got-and-and-"
"But you are shivering, cried George.
ooh, what have donen'
perhaps" suggested the artful Colo
mel, ''if you would allow me to walk
home with you and get a little warm"
"Oh!" huttered George, her color va
rying enchantingly in the moonlight, 'if
you only would. Then l should know
that you had forgiven me-"
Colonel Hay went back to the old
brick house with the two girls and sat in
the orange glow of the great hickory logs
and was introduced to Aunty Anne, and
drank more coffee and enjoyed him
self thoroughly. And when he returned
to Ormistan Hall he carried all the clus-
tiers of mistletoe with him, as present
to Miss Dorinda.
''But you'll never, never tell her how
dreadfully behavedl' pleaded George.
/ IN