Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-06-20

say to me- I dare say I shall set fire
to the house, or poison the family, or
shoot somebody by mistake. What
born under an unlucky planet?''
Bess Warden laughed cheerily.
Gather will risk it, am sure, "said
she. eve haven't a great deal of
spare room, but mother will make up
a cot bed in the room with the boys,
and if you can put up with our plain
way of living
He stopped her mouth with kiss.
'sYou are an angel, Bess!" said he.
The kindly Warden family did their
Smiths discarded relation, and to
make the last portion of his vacation
trife pleasanter than the first had
been. But Doctor Warden shook bis
frost white head.
IT don't like long engagements"
said he. "And Bess can't marry man
on any twelve dollars a week"
'EBut, father, Charley will do better
in timeu
eff it pleases the unlucky planet"
interpolated Charley.
F'Well, wait until the better times
come"
ooh, we don't mind waiting!7 cried
Bess.
"Speak for yourself, if you please"
murmured Charley.
eWe've a lifetime before us" assev-
Grated Bess; "and in the meantime,
Charley, We'll go out duck shooting
tomorrow, and I'll row you through
the Silver Channels to the best ground
on all the coast.''
On the night before Mr.. Cleve's time
was up, the lovers, talking to each
other in the autumnal starlight on the
porch, saw a red glow in the sky above
the private hedge.
t'It's BONFIRE" said Charley.
cts Miss Sarepta Smiths housed"
shrieked Bess. "Help! Help! Fire
Water! Oh, why don't somebody
comet"
"Call your father and the boys!"
said Charley, flinging off his coat! 'EI'll
Jump the fence and take the short cut.
She is all alone in the house, poor
thing.'
At Salt Inlet they had neither steam
the time the volunteer company had
dragged the rickety old engine and
hose cart out Of their shed, and hoist
ed them up the hill, the ancient house
where Sarepta Smith had been born
was in ruins; and the old woman her.
self, carried in big chair over to the
Warden house, was lamenting that
she, too, had not gone also.
'sSeems like couldn't live nowhere
else,'' said she. "And Pm an old wo-
mana very old woman
Bess Warden gave up her own room
to Miss Sarepta. Every one did what
he could to make her comfortable, but
the only sign she evinced of pleasure
was when Charley Cleve brought in
the old gray goose, stiff1y mounted on
an imitation Of messy ground. Her
dim eyes lighted up.
81 am glad you saved that, Charles"
said she.
1T found it among a heap of other
things said Charley, "and thought
you'd like to have it. See, here are
your spectacles, too, and the old Bible,
with the leaves all right, and the cover
only little charred!''
Miss Sarepta looked feebly from one
relic to another
''I'm glad" said she, every glad. 1t
was thoughtful of you, Charles. Pm
sorry I called you them names. I take
'em all back"
ooh, never mind the Names" said
Charley. "At all events, you can't lay
this fire to mel"
''No," said Sarepta, cit was the mice
playin' on the closet shelf where 1
kept the matches. I'd laid up to set a
trap, but forgot. And I should ha'
been burned in my bed, if it hadn't
been for you, Charles. I allays dread
ed death by fret"
Old Miss Sarepta lay very Quietly
for day or two, with the gray goose
folding it's wings at her beds head,
and the Bible and spectacles on stand
beside her pillow.
"Charles shall have the gray goose,o
said she, one evening. "It'n help fur
nish his house. And it'll show don't
bear no malice on account of his shoot
i'm it and the specks and the Bible
Bess must keep. An Old Bible brings
every one luck!''
She died before daybreak. If there
was any willard Miss Sarepta was
always believed to be a we'll to do