News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-06-30

SnQIth's haPort DaIrg," Nor
it could be made quite comfortable
with a few pine boards and pound
or so of nails, so long as che weather
don't turn cold, and if Mr.. Tucker
would allow me to live there thi'
fall"
"Tain't fit for even foxes to live in 7
cried Mrs. Tucker, hurriedly.
"Why," more slowly spoke hel
spouse, | was calkilatin' to store my
pumpkins an cabbages there, but, o
course. if you've took a notion tC
the place"
'I was born there, Mr.. Tucker, y
said Kitty, in low voice. "Long
before father and mother were obliged
to sell the old place. Long before
poor old Aunt Ruhamah wandered
away and went to relations out
West"
YES" observed Mr.. Tucker ner-
vously scratching his head, "and un-
til | get your Aunt Ruey's signature
to MY title deeds they won't be worth
more than so much waste paper.
At least so lawyer Goodrich says.
For she had some sort of a share in
the property sane or crazy"
Miss Ritchie colored
"Father sold the farm to you Mr..
Tucker" said she, and it's my busi-
ness to see that the transaction is le-
gal. Aunt Ruey is coming back"
"Ehl" cried the farmer and his
wife, in chorus.
81 had aletter from her yesterday"
said Kitty. That's one reason L am
here to-day The cousins in Ohio
won't have her any longer. She is
getting more eccentric every day,
and they say-what is quite true
that it is my business to care for her.
And the poor thing expects to come
back to the old Ritchie farmhouse
just as if she had left it yesterday
SO if Mrs Tucker will lend me few
articles of furniture, I'll try to make
it habitable for her." =.
'And you're kindly welcome to 'em
my DEAR" said the farmers wife.
"There is plenty of old furniture up
in the garret that we can rub up
with a little oil and make decent.
And it's our business to help you all
we can, seein' it's Gideon's fault
''It's nObody's faultp' quickly in
terrupted Kitty Ritchie. "And if the
trustees raise my salary, as they
talk of doing if that extra class of
mathematics is started, | shall soon
be able to pay little rent for the
place."
i guess we shan't dun YOU much
for rent chuckled Tucker. AN
you're welcome to the milk ofthe red
cow if you an the old aunty wantit.
A cows a dreadful help in housekeep-
in"
Miss Ritchie thanked them and
went on her way, slowly limping.
"I'd a hitched up old Jack and
took her the rest of the way home"
observed Tucker, as he stretched his
neck to look after the departing figure,
''if hadn't seen Harry Waits car
penter wagon comm down the road.
And 1 guess l amt one to spoil
sport"
"Twon't never be match if Kitty
Ritchie shoulders the burden O that
old crazy aunt O. her'n," said Mrs.
Tucker.
"a man can't be expected to mar
ry whole madhouse."
81 guess Kitty s worthit" declared
Tucker.
''She's a good girlp' said his wife.
"And there was one time folks sup
posed that she was going to be an
heiress-when the old sea captain
uncle came home with the prize mon
ey he gained in the war"
II don't believe there ever was any
prize moneyr said Mr. Tucker, re-
suming his task of denuding the
plump duck of it S feathers. "Therep'
81 know there was!" nodded his
wife. "Mrs. Ritchie should it to me
herself All gold eagles, tied up in a
shammy bag with a leather string.
The captain gave it to her for nuss-
in through that fever
"What S the reason you never said
anything about it before ?" question
ed Tucker
"Mrs. Ritchie made me promise
not to tell. She was afeard o. bein'
robbed"
"And what ever came of it?"
"That's what nobody knows. Jest's
likes not old Eben Ritchie put it in
to that iron-mining concarn, that
honey-combed Blne mountain, and
never done no good. Or p'r'aps he
invested it iii lottery tickets. He
never had no Judgment. Now, don't
go to chatterin' about this, Gid
Tucker. Mind, that's dead and
buried"
"Some promises are better broken
than kept" said Gideon.
But Mrs. Tucker knew that the Sc
cret was safe with her uncommuni-
cative spouse.
Meanwhile the builder wagon had
stopped before the old one-storied
ruin of the Ritchie house, strongly
silhouetted by the red smolder of the
September sunset.
'Kitty," said young Wait, steal
ing his arm coaXingly around her
waist, ''you can't live in an old shell
like this Give up your false pride
lOVel Let me make home for you.
Kitty bit her lip.
"And have 1T said, said she, THAT
Henry Wait was the only one of the
Wait family that had made Il bad
match -
4 don't care what people say"
81 do"
"Kitty, let's go to the parson to-
night, Let's be married !"
Kitty shook her head.
Not until have saved up enough
to buy a decent outfit" said she.
Not until I've paid the last debt
that poor father owed"
III pay 'em Kitty"
mo, Harry, you won't. l can be
as unselish as you camp cried the
girl. Oh, hushl Who is that?"
A board in tine old floor had creaked
softly, a shadowy little form had
come forward, with a sliding motion
into the light.
''Be you Kitty" asked soft, high
pitched voice. "Is this home? I've
come a good ways and Pm sort o.
turned round"