The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-03-22
STATE JOURNAL: WEDNESDAY,


did small errands for her and other &C.
cupants of the Norman, to go with her.
To be sure, when she asked him If
he had been to dinner, he admitted
that he had been wild de gang to de
mission. But dat" he said, don't
cut no igger. kin eat jes' as we'll fer
all dat"
He verified his assertion. Rather
inc never had more satisfactory guest.
Yer bet it was bully" he said the
boys. "None o. you fellers ever seed
anything like it. Twas way.up res
trent, where dey have chany wild flow
ers onto it, an silver an glass things
wot don't know der name of. An
wife table cloths an napkins wot |
used jes like genemn does, an waited
on. nue. ies like he did de rest. He
didn't dast do nothink else wild Miss
Gray's eyes lookin' right at him. An
dere was soup an turkey an inguns,
an iell, an ice.cream, an pie am pud-
din'-an' l was on'y sorry I'd filed up
so at de mission"
Katherine sat in the early winter
twilight at her piano, singing some
She loved music, and not even the
demands of the real estate and insur-
ance business had kept her from study
and practice.
Then there came vigorous ring at
the door, 1t flashed across her mind that
possibly Mr. Browne was going to fore
stall the postman and know his fate by
word of mouth. Before going to the
door, she lighted the gas and went to
the mirror. Standing there, she said,
"Statistics show, Katherine, that
women over thirty -
Then the bell rang again. AS If
wavering a little, she glanced at the
calendar. Bravely the words shone
before her eyes: "Be more afraid of
the compsnionship that enslaves than
of the solitude that leaves you free"
"Ah, that helps" she said.
Then she opened wide the door.
1t certainly was not Mr.. Browne who
stood there. Mr.. Browne was short
and rotund, horid also. This man was
tall, of fine proportions, with clear. cut
features ard fine monstache.
"Miss Gray?" he said interrogatively
eyes"
"My name is-but perhaps you re-
member my name -; and the tall man
stepped unlimited into the room.
EYES," she said, her eyes blazing,
CT remember your name. 1t is the
name of the only man who has ever
treated me with disrespect. Go back
into the silence that has covered you
for ten yearsW
"Not yet" he said. "The morning
mail brought me this letter that you
wrote me ten years ago. You accepted
me then; you said that you loved me.
I've the proof in my hands '-and he
opened letter yellow and stained.
"You say:
GO Dear Everil-I'"
ooh, don't ~ she cried.
Listen, DEAR" he said; I" sit down
beside me while 1 tell you. The post
office in the city where we both lived,
ten years ago, has recently undergone
repairs. A package of letters has been
exhumed by the gasfitters or plumbers.
This is one of them. | only hope the
others have been forwarded to as happy
destination. For the words in the
letter-thev are true now as then, are
they not, Katherine?"
"Oh, don't know!" she said.
"Find out, dear, as quickly as you
can. The years have been long and
hard; but these last eight hours have
been torture. l had no idea where to
look for you -
what do you think l must have en-
| dured?" she asked.
6 don't dare think of it," Then he
added, as ninety-nine men out of q
hundred would have done: 1--WE won,
talk about it or think of it. We will
forget the sadness of the past, and plar
for our future"
How did you find me?" asked
Katherine.
81 saw you at the restaurant where
you were entertaining that little hood
lum. | knew you at once; there's ne
woman in the world like you. l, too
had a guest with me, and could not fol
low you. But an hour later l caugh
the boy on the street, and by my sill
very eloquence and a dollar Learned
your name and where you lived"
:" My name?"
Eyes. You might have changed i
and then-I should not be here"
| linen hdlueTlue lOlu uliu VI He
fathers death, of the reverses tina
drove her into earning her own livei
hood, of the circumstances that set he
in the business she was following, o
her modest success, and then Of Mr.
Browne.
"That is all past" he said emphati
cally, ESPECIALLY Mr.. Browne. Yol
are going TO retire from business, ant
let me set you in the dearest, sweetes
spot on earth, happy home. l dom
fancy this spirit of independence tina
possesses thewoman of the present day.
But Katherine said: Don't ia k o
subject you evidently do not full,
understand. It's too large for our dis
cussion tonight. 1t was this spirit o
independence that made it possible TO
me to be true TO my own heart so man
years. Except for it, might not hav
been able to obey the message the New
Year brought to me. This has beel
New Years day, you know"
6. This ia Nav Year's dayD he said