Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-10-06
1T WAS GODS STORM.

The wind blew strong and salty from the
bay across the shore as the sun went down,
and long twilight gathered. 1t was not a
quiet sunset, but it was beautiful. On the
doorstep of one of the cottages along the
shore sat Therese, praying that she might
die She sat there with her brown little
hands clinched her eyes dry and flashing,
and two little red spots burned on her
cheeks. 1t had been hours since she had
spoken to any one, and her mother had at
last left off coaxing and scolding and ques
tioning.
After all, she knew why Therese sat
there clinching her little hands. She had
told her that it would be so, but Therese
would not listen then. The evening meal
was set. and presently the father came.
Therese moved enough to let him in at
the door, but she did not speak. He gave
her an inquiring look but went on into the
house.
''What ails the child?" he asked of the
mother as she flew about adding the finish
ing touches to the supper table.
''She has lost her lover with the curly
hair" answered the mother. zone of the
fine ladies from the city has him now. He
follows her around like little dog. The
reese is a fool to care"
"Hush" said the father. "Haye you no
hearth"
Then he went out to where the daughter
was sitting on the doorstep.
Come, little maid' he said, "let us
walk to the chair and back before we have
our supper"
The chair was a great bowlder that stood
out away down the shore near the water,
rudely fashioned during the centuries that
it had stood there into the shape of a huge
settee. Therese sat very still for a moment
after the father spoke but he put his big
hand gently on her arm, and presently she
rose to go with him, mutely comforted
"Where are you going?" called the moth
err after them. The supper is ready and
waiting"
'Then it will have to wait" called back
the father. Come, little maid"
They walsSd down the shore in silence
until they reached the chair Therese
climbed up into her favorite place, and her
father stood by her resting his gray head
on her knee.
Fine ladies are Gckle," he said. "He
may come back.
Il do not want him that way" she said.
IF he comes at all, he must leave her for
me. do not hate him, for she stole him
r with her ways that only wicked people
know But will not have her send him
back to me-"
Therese was very quiet when she came
= back with her father, but the walk had
done her good, and she was about the house
after supper was over, helping her mother
as she was used to do.
When she went to bed that night, her
eyes were still dry, but she prayed that she
might be for -iven for the wicked things
that she had thought.
For the first few weeks after she came
with her mother to stay at the old farm
house near the shore the hours and days
had dragged drearily with Eleanor South
ard She was used to being amused and
entertained, and there was nobody at the
farmhouse to entertain her.
On the other hand, she was called upon
part of the time to amuse or try to amusC
her mother, who was in perpetual ill health
Her mother enjoyed being in i'll health
but she enjoyed it in a melancholy way
that needed some one to see her suffer anC
pity her quite often.
1t was with great joy, therefore, thai
Eleanor discovered that there was in tn,
neighborhood a young man who was gooC
looking, who was intelligent above his clas
and who had curly hair. She made his &C
quaintance down by the shore where he wa
- fixing up an old boat.
, Her hat blew off into the water, and h
J. fished it out for her, and they both laughed
to see the way it was drenched.
She put it on, and the salt water ran dow
over her cheeks, and that made them laugl
again. 1t was "a very limited neighborhood
and it was easy to get acquainted.
Eleanor went back to the farmhouse AM
told her mother that she had discovered
ID type They talked it over together and Ell
D. ioyed the idea and decided that it was yer
n fortunate.
ly When they discovered few days late
- that the type could sing curious littl
r Swedish ballads quite acceptably, and tina
u after the days work was done he wor
AZ clothes that were really presentable the
a were even more pleased.
Eleanor managed to see a good deal {
her discovery, and after awhile she induce
. him to come to the house.
1t was not long before his coming thel
was quite the usual thing The two wome
flattered the young man outrageously, an
pretty soon Otto began to think that
was considerable of a fellow
1t was then that he began to neglet
Therese When he did not neglect her,
patronized her, and that hurt her eve
worse.
But Therese was an independent lit
thing, and she would not stand that. :
they had their quarrel, and Otto said thu
he was not coming to see her any more II
til she was sorry that she had talked so
him.
He meant to punish her 1t was only Il
other side of his patronizing. Therese sa
very we'll, and that was the reason she s.
on .Ae doorstep wishing that she could di
Perhaps the worst thing that he did w
, when he told Eleanor about all this 81
, listened to him just a little startled, al
then she laughed ana pretended to give hi
good advice, while all the time he knew
her tone that she was laughing at him al
I. his story.
. That made him desperately hard on III