St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1892-02-18
ADELA YED PROPOSAL.

1t was nearly FIVE o'clock, and the
early spring twilight was fading. 1t
had been a warm day, and Miss
Nancy Wheelock had opened each of
the windows in her little parlor ex-
actly six inches. The air was filled
with early spring sweetness, and
flowers bloomed in the two little
windows The white muslin cur
tains, stiff and clean from a recent
washing, rustled gently and lazily in
the tiny breeze that had sprung up
within the last halfhour.
Miss Nancy sat by window in
her high-backed rocker, her long,
slender hands crossed in her aproned
lap. She felt the peace of it all, and
a delicious sense of comfort stole
over her. She leaned her head back,
and thoughts of old times and
thoughts of present times became
strangely mingled. Suddenly her
glasses fell off, and she woke up. 1t
was almost dark and perfectly quiet.
An old clock on the mantel struck
six She started up smoothed back
her soft hair, and. walked with
quick springy step into the kitchen,
where she FASTENED about preparing
the toast and tea. She was in the
midst of her prepare tons, when the
latch of the door which led into the
kitchen clicked and lifted. A rough,
ungainly hand, holding a letter, was
thrust into the opening. Next fol-
lowed frowzly gray head, and old
John Lane, the carpenter, said Good
evenin', Miss Wheelock, here's a let
ter for you that's just come" Miss
Nancy dropped the toasting fork
with the toast right into the fire,
and the nicely Drowned slice was
turned to a crisp in a minute. Poor
Miss Nancy was pale with fear; she
had not received a letter for three
years The last she had received had
announced the death of her only
brother. Who could have written?
She actually trembled. She took the
white missive with hasty THANK
you, TOhn," and sank into the near
est chair The gray head disappeared,
and she was left to face the news
alone At first she dared not open
it, and it was good half-hour be-
fore she mustered sufficient courage
to take pin and run it evenly along
one of the short ends. She drew the
folded sheet slowly out; then placed
the candle directly in the centre of
the table, and drew her chair up to it.
She then laid the letter out fat, and
shutting her lips together firmly
commenced reading.
Dear Nan" She started. What
could it mean? 1t has been years
-I,A 1aI M.
AS a girl it had been her nickname,
and had suited her we'll. But now
Miss Nancy was fortytwo and had
lived alone in her little house for
eighteen years. In all that time no
one had called her "Nan;" and here it
was written Her tense expression
relaxed, and she continued the read
ing:
II don't suppose you remember me, but
l remember you, Nan. Don't you recol-
lect one evening when you and me walk
ed home from the church picnick, and
you had on a pink dress, and looked
mighty purity. And don't you think 1t
might be that you'd remember how |
told you loved you, and you said you
was glad. And then you kissed me Nan,
and I amt never forgot it, and ain t
never going to forget it, nuther. Since
then I've been most round Gods world,
Nan, and it's big place and lovely.
I've thought on you always Nan, and
I've got money enough to marry. So IT
YOU could remember them old times, I'm
ready to take care OF you. Do you
think you can remember, Nan?
Truly yours, BENJAMIN CRANE"
Miss Nancy read it through five
times in quick succession, stopped
every now and then to wipe away
the big tears that would fill her eyes,
still so blue and pretty. After the
fifth reading, she carried the letter in
to the parlor, and sat down in her
own seat, and leaned her head back
against the cushion But this time
she did not go to sleep. No, she
thought of Benjamin Crane, whom
she had last seen 2Oyears ago. Her
mother had been living then, and
had said: ben Crane is a good fell
low, Nam" She thought of his six
feet two, and his broad shoulders,
and then the idea crept in somehow
it would be a comfort to see him.
When she realized what she had
thought, she blushed. and thought
oft again. This time she did not
blush She remembered well the pic
mic and the walk home. She remem-
bered just how many frills the pink
gown had. She remembered every
thing. She thought while longer
then rose and got pen, ink and paper