The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-09-27


chief to my temples. 1t was the lovely
stranger. | concluded | must be in a
dream, and closed my eyes again 30 as
not to dispel it. Then l learned from
the conversation what had happened,
and in order to reassure everybody,
| opened my eyes once more and spoke.
The girls tears had all gone. She was
full of plying int crest in my case. As
soon as l could command my memory
of events sufficiently, babe her leave
She stayed till | rose voluntarily and
proved that, though bewildered, was
out of danger. Then she exchanged a
few words with the physician in low
tone and disappeared.
"The next morning l received, by
mail, a check for one hundred dollars
from gentleman bearing the same
surname as herself, who said that l had
shown degree of heroism, in befriend-
| ing his daughter in her necessity, which
was out of the common; he hoped |
would allow him to pay the fee for the
telegraph message, which he begged to
enclose, as his daughter, in her anxiety,
had omitted to settle the bill. This
made me pretty indignant, and | wrote
him a somewhat curt letter, deducting
the amount which was the regular
charge for the message, and enclosing
him a receipt for that and bank notes
and silver for the balance of the amount
covered by the check. carried the
letter around in my pocket for two days
and then decided to mail it just as it
was. l heard nothing from the affair
again for nearly week. Meanwhile,
there was funeral in the village, which
l ascertained to be that of the young
man who had been so desperately ill.
| Then felt sorry that had been so
severe with the father, who probably
had meant well, and who must have
been so overwhelmed with sorrow at
the time he received my note that lis
tone would seem doubly harsh. So
down sat again and jotted off another
note, in which | expressed regret for
the style of my first, saying that l had
written it in forgetfulness of the sor-
row overhanging the family, and ex-
planning that | could not accept gift
for voluntary act of duty.
1.-TWO days later L received call
from my divinity. She seemed just a
little embarrassed at first, but after
few minutes conversation drew from
her pocket my two notes. The seal of
neither had been broken. Father has
been away ever since my brothers.
funeral said she, land these letters
have lain unopened, awaiting his re-
turn. This morning it occurred to me
that they might be about some matter
of pressing importance, aud that l had
better see if you wanted us 10 forward
them
"'I am much obliged for your
thong htfulness,' answered, but how
did you know they were from me?'
The next moment | would have given
the world to recall that question. The
quick rush of blood to her face was
painful to witness.
"'I had seen scrap of your hand
writing she replied, simply, land
thought I recognized it on the envel
opes.'
"'You were right said 1, Il wrote
both letters. AS the second was written
to make amends for the first, there is
no need of sending either of them to
your father, if you are willing that l
should open them l tore away the
envelope of my first letter, and the
money dropped into my lap. Your
father, exp aimed, was kind enough
to send me a check for one hundred
dollars, to compensate me for the tri-
fling assistance l was able to render YOU
few days ago. Acting on my first
impulse, l deducted the cost of your
message and wrote him a rather snap
pish note enclosing the balance
''Sbe had listened with evident inter
est. There was strange expression in
her face as she inquired, after brief
pause: and your second letter was to
say that you had reconsidered-?'
"'Oh, heavens! No., l cried, per-
ceiving for the first time what an inter
probation my words might fairly be
given. Il simply could not bear to pain
your father by the sharpness of my
words, when l came to realize fully
that he had acted from kindly motives
and to remember the load OF sorrow he
was laboring UNDER tore off the sec
ond envelope and handed her the note.
She took it and ran her eyes over the
few lines it contained. She did moi
hand it back, but retained it as if un.
consciously in her hand.
"' You are very considerate,' said
Sic, duu tuduh yOu. NY ldtucl
meant well. He did not understand. al
! did, that the debt We owed you was
one which no gift could repay. | viii
return the money, if you wish, or per
haps it would be better for you to keel
it till you can give it to him in person
| 1 will pave the way for your interview
by telling him how you feel about it,
"Another fortnight elapsed withou
7 event. Then one day the door of m,
, office was opened by tall, fine-lookin!
gentleman who called me by name ant
r introduced himself. 1t was the fathe
3 of my lovely visitor. l remembered
: his face, now that ! saw it, and for tn
8 first time, associating name and per
8 sonality, recognized him as enc of tn
r leading stockholders in our little tel
q egraph line. He was banker of som
prominence on Wall street.
k "'I owe you an apology said he
s coming to the point at once, for doin
o in an hour of suffering what, if ha
o my mind completely at command,
vt should not have thought of doing. M