Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-09-14

much aCnlng OF hearts ana SulltIlHS'
But the throstle sang in the sycamore
tree. and the swallows curved and
twittered all about us, and III the rich
amber light we could see all was fair and
good Then our eyes would meet and we
thought not of evil, Doris and l. We
kpoke little our hearts being very full
and words mere idleness, Doris looked
out again to the west, leaning her head
against me and taking my hand as 1t
twined over her shoulder.
We were in the orchard by the old
green wicket, where a month ago, be-
fore the blossoms had burst their bulbs
She had allowed me TO tell her an old
tale and had said one word of her own
to give it finish. And as the throstle
sang his love song and the sun sank to
mis- bed behind the hills | thought of
then and now, and my head lowered and
kissed her forehead gently. Then Doris
sighed as if spell was broken, for had
come to tell of my windfall-that | was
no longer a poor man-that, instead OF
waiting for years, we might begin oul
married life on my return from Canada
i'll three months or so, and the sudden
happiness Of the thing had wrapped US
around and silenced us both.
Now that the first flush of it was oven
we remembered the fleeing minutes and
fell to talking. What we said is Of no
account here, but SO little did we dream
of harm or accident of nature to cross
our happiness that not once did we men
ton him, though we knew he was com
ing next day to stay perhaps for some
weeks, as sick people do?
Then we said goodby, and | opened
the wicket gate to pass through but see
ing the wet in her eyes fingered awhile
longer until she was smiling again, when
let her 60 But | looked back again
every dozen yards or So and when | got
across the second meadow and stood 10y
the stile before vaulting into the high
road | could still see the straight white
figure among the green and the waving
handkerchief. So | asked God to keep
her and went my way with the rose she
had given me. Walking home in the
pink twilight the heaviness at leaving
her wore off as | looked into the future
and saw what was there, or rather what
! pictured in it, for when love is the
warp and fortune the wool what will
not the shuttle of fancy do?
Yesterday things had been so differ
ant. OF all my airy castles there seemed
hardly one left, and l had built good
few. Before knew Doris such imagin-
ings had never troubled me, but when
had met her at Winchcomb flower show
love had touched me with its wand, and
all Of a sudden the dead wall Of my life,
like that in ChaUcer's "Romaunt"-fo
had to read thing or two i'll the long win
ter nights before the old place had been
hammered into other hauds-seemed all
aliye with pictures. Everything was lit
mp, the world seemed a new place, and
life had sweeter meanings after | had
looked into Doris eyes and she into mine.
And when after many months plucked
up courage to ask her heart how it was
and she told me, the future widened out
IN such fashion that the sight of il
nearly made me light headed.
Had | known how things were should
have held my tongue through shame
and hOpelessness. But my father never
gave a sign that ruin was near upon
him; that my comfortable heritage, as
deemed it, was mortgaged to the las
t'DNA' i4C ~ elSLl tdIl4', anu lntll lllt
sale. and then life in little cottage witt
broken down father and changed look
ont, which perhaps made me overmOody
for sometimes | despaired of ever pos
.es,ng Doris or of being able undo
many years to support her III way fit
ting to her up bringing. Everythin:
would be broken off, and it would all b.
dead wall again
1t was in some such humor that tn
hotary's letter found me that morning
| had seldom heard of Uncle Ben an,
had never seen him. He had i'll earl,
manhood deeply wronged my father il
some way, and his name was rarel
mentioned. handed the letter to father
and he was dumb like myself, his fac
working strangely between anger an,
something softer Then he put it dow
and said: Conscience money, lad, ever,
pcnny on it; but it's saved yer from IN,
folly, so TEX il, an thank God for teachil
Ben repentance an me forgiveness-n,
Easy lesson when "a brother Well
well, let it lie. Poor Benz
No wonder, then, that | saw vision
ss ! walked home in the light of tn
aftermath. Il was nearly dusk when
arrived at the cottage, and as | turned
for last look at the FURNISHED hills
bat came between me and the light an,
tuttered mockingly before NE. But
kissed my rose and laughed at the fit
termOuSe.
had lived some twenty-five years il
the world without knowing much NOR
Of il than what our valley and its neigh
burhood had to show, So that what
saw on my Ions Journey to my uncle
Canadian farm made me wonder an,
marvel, as Young people do when the
80 fer the first time beyond the noun