News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-01-08
DRUOILLA'O ADVENTURE.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

DfuSlIld ndu nnlSneu making the
gay new dresses for the four Misses
Scott bony, red-haired, freckled
young ladies, who had no taste
whatever in colors, but had been very
kind to her, paid her well, and prom
ised her plenty of work And, now,
as she came along the road with the
pattern for the embroidery on Miss
Janet Scott's mantle in her hand.
which she had selected from the small
stock in the Widow Wilkins store.
she was thinking how nice it was to
be rich and comfortable, and able to
do good to other people, as those la
dies did. They were very plain, but
they had such kind faces, that it was
no wonder that they were all to be
married at the same time that fall
Il wonder if l shall ever be mar
ried ~ said Drusilla to herself ooh,
dear, | suppose not, for | never shall
meet the sort of man | like, and | will
not marry for the sake of marrying.
How nice it would be to be like those
Misses Scott, rich and able to 90
good, and nothing to do but to write
a check, if you want ever SO much
money. | suppose l shall stitch
away until | break down, and then
90 to the pOOr-hOuse, though L know
| am not ugly"
That was mild way of putting it.
Drusilla was actually n beauty. She
had yelvet-brown eyes and golden
hair, and, somehow, in her pretty
purple merinO, sheput one in mind of
pansy. All the hours she had spent
earning her trade and working at it
had not dimmed her eyes or bent her
shoulders.
To be sure, she was very young yet,
and this was the first discontented
word she had uttered in her life. But
two weeks at the Scott mansion,
where she had a beautiful little room
to herself, and the sight of luxury
and happiness continuation it was
a very affectionate household, and
full of good feeling to all the world
had made her think sadly of the hall
bedroom at Mrs. Grimms's, which
she had shared with Sarah Spratt,
who was not tidy, and told coarse
stories. She longed for refinement
and O. pretty home, and books to
read and time to read them, and
pleasant, loving companions.
At ten years of age these were all
hers, but her parents died, and she
was sent to an orphan-asylum. and
afterward to learn her trade. That
had seemed very pleasant at first,
and she liked sewing. But now she
gave a great sigh and paused upon
the bridge that crossed a pretty riv-
er, and lookt d down into the water,
and thought of old Miss Shields who
made button-holes, and whose eyes
we're going. Oh, how sad to be ola
and poor, and with no one to love or
be loved by. Oh! She was going to
cry, and there was a man coming
over the bridge She turned to walk
on, and at the instant a sudden Whit
of wind caught the little white sailor
hat with the purple band that she
wore on hergOlden head, and whisked
it away up the road.
We all know how persistently hats
run away from their owners under
such circumstances, as though they
were sensate creatures and delighted
to torment US. This hat bounced off
on it's edge and rolled like a bicycle
along the road, then Topped over on
it's crown, turned a somersault, and
whisked off again, perilOusly near the
waters edge, leaving Drusilla in de-
spair.
Suddenly, however, some one passed
her at full speed-a tall young man
with long limbs, who must have
practiced in base ball fields. 1t was
the stranger who sc appearance on
the bridge had startled Drusilla. He
was evidently bent on aiding her in
catching that sportive bit of head
gear, now skipping like a Highlander
n fling to the bag-pipes, and in a
lrieter space than it takes to tell it,
had outrun the hat, headed it off,
and came back toward Drusilla smil-
ing, not a bit out of breath, and
looking, the little dressmaker
thought, handsOmer than any one
she had ever seen before.
''Oh, thank you, sir" she said.
ct was so very kind of you"
He only answered, "NOt at all. |
enjoyed conquering that hat" But
he stood looking down upon her very
approvingly.
She was very charming-one to
take a mans eye-and as he bowed
and walked away, and she, with
another THANK your turned from
the shore road to the wood path
which led, though by a longer way,
to the ScOtts' mansion, they were
sorry not to know more of each 9th
er. In fact, the young man decided
that if this girl were a neighbor, he,
would make her acquaintance; while
Drusila said to herself tone is very
confidential with ones self some
times) There, that is the sort of
man should like. know it, and he
might like me. But | shall never see
him again, and he is a rich gentle
man, no doubt, and | poor dress
maker, and things never come about
in real life as they do in novels.
Nothing interesting will ever happen
to me-"