The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-02-15
SELECTED STORY.
The story " a Kitchen.

Della was sitting in her rocking. chair
in a corner Of the kitchen reading
aloud TO the other two girls. Maggie
was mending stocking and Bridget
was making dress out Of piece of
calico which Mrs. Rspdol had given
her. Della had found Sir Charles
Grandson in the course Of her clearing
up, and it amazed the two older girls to
hear her excited intonations and mar.
velous pronunciation, as it undoubt-
edly would have amazed Mr.. Richard
son himself. Della was a nice looking
girl, and she was intelligent; her
choice of books being, as we have seen,
faultless. The other girls were older
and stouter, but they had not outgrown
their taste for romance, aid they
listened bravely to what they could un-
derstand.
Why is it, wonder, that our servant
girls have such unfortunate surnames?
Dela's was McGonigle. Into the
mystery of the other two, we shall not
pierce.
A dark shadow appeared at the win.
dow. Della stopped reading long
enough to say: ITS only Phil
Crowley; never mind him." and then
continued. Mr.. Crowley saw that he
was discovered, and, entering the
kitchen, took chair with nod of
recognition to his three bostesses,
while Della went on. "And that will
do for tonight" she said at last, put.
ting the book down with the conscious
ness that her auditors would like to
hear more, but stopping because
well, because she pleased. Della was
an autocrat.
You might have expected the visitor
to begin a conversation, but no, Phil
Crowley looked at Della in an admiring
way, but never opened his mouth.
Maggie soon went off to bed; but
Della persuaded Bridget to stay, " just
to be kind of respectable" she said |;
"Dot that Phil an me amt all right
alone"
So Bridget sat at her work, growing
sleeper and sleepier, and there was a
pause for a while. Finally Phil spoke
in an earnest whisper, leaning forward
and looking hard at Della.
~ come up to night, Della, cause
well, cause | couldn't help it; an
might as well tell We all about it. Sure
l can't sleep o'nights for ihinkin' of We
an ! think more Of We than all the
world, an'-an'-d'ye think we can ever
care bit for me, Della?
Della looked quickly round at Bridget,
who was doing over her work, and
then said: Jaw, Phil, man, what's
got into ye? ! don't want to marry any
one, an Pm sure it's not YOU that I'd
take, if was to choose. Sure We must
"a heen out o your head when we said
that, Don't try romanticizn'. for ye
don't understand it, You're off? Well,
'Sgood-night to vel"
Phil was already at the door. Good
night, Della" SAID he. IL wish ye a
pleasaner night an better sleep than
III have, bad luck 10 mel" Then he
turned ard went away. Della sat down
again and thought awhile, then she rose.
"COme on, Bridget, it's bedtime" said
she; and the two went upstairs to.
gether.
The next evening, Della and Phil
were to have gone to dance given by
the Westminster Boat Club. AS night
came Oh, Della wondered whether her
escort would make his appearance. In
the six o'clock mail she received the fol-
lowing letter;
Miss McGonigle:-I cart take you to the
Bal tonite, as l have sumtbn else on Hand.
AS you Wos NOT very glad to see me last
night, mnyby you ucn't care.
z. CROWLEY.
Della studied over this good while.
1t took her long time to master the
spelling, for, though her own was &c.
centric, it was very different from
Phil's. The meaning, too, puzzled her.
One thing was certain; it was not pc.
lite. Miss McGonigle, indeedl Some
thing else on handl Well, Mr.. Phil
should see that she could get on with
out him.
She knew girl in the next house,
who was going 10 the ball, and some
hours after receiving Phil's letter she
called on this friend and they went to-
gether. They were little late, so that
the ball was already begun; and--oh,
shameful - there was Phil dancing
round in the happiest way with little
girl with red hair. He did not take
any notice of Della when she came into
the hall, and she pretended not to look
at him. Della was favorite, and
plenty of young men danced with her
but Phil was not one of them. AS TO
the little girl with red hair, he danced
with her great many times. Every
one sang her praises, except Della, who
was unable to see anything attractive
about her.
After the dancing had gone on fol
several hours, Phil stepped up and
asked for a dance. He was a good
dancer, but Della said she had head
ache, and then danced with the mex,
man who asked her. She was vexec
that Phil had not asked her before, anG
she wanted to punish him. But Phi
would not be punished He danced
and laughed in very lively way, es
pecially with HE little red. haired friend
Miss Sullivan of Dublin, who was Ger
aainly The belle of the evening. Delii
went home early with the girl VINO ba(
come with her. She was exhausted
and cross, and man chased them par
OF the waY.