The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-12-19


bops and labeled carefully.
Arose Thorne, from her Uncle
| Henry" he said, when her turn came,
handing her an immense thick-skinned
Riverside. BE very careful to wear
it about your wrist all the evening as a
bangle, and eat it at supper time, as
you all must do"
He tied the yellow satin ribbon about
her wrist
"Too bad, little girl, about the dress
not being done. Oh, Thomas, did you
bring it back with you?"
"No, sir; she came with 1t herself"
"Ohl then she is here, Rose; it's all
right"
Then Rose skipped away to the sit
ting-room, where Miss Dean was wait
ing. Miss Dean was lonely woman,
long past her youth. Rose saw her, a.
she came into the brightly-lighted room ,
half lying on the couch, both hands
pressed over her eyes.
" Miss Dean, are you ill?"
81 believe l am. Everything has
seemed 80 strange all day. My head
has ached terribly"
She tried TO laugh as she rose to go,
but her feversh eyes and cheeks made
the attempt pitiful.
con" said Rose, forgetting her
dress, " l wish you bad not tried to fin
ish the work. was to blame for not
taking it TO you sooner. Pm afraid
your Christmas isn't very merry one"
mo, child, do not ct Christ
mas to be merry for me any more. l
am old and ugly, lonely and poor;
Christmas is not for SUCH"
Rose felt the brightness about her
growing dim as she ran up stairs for
her purse TO pay her bill. She felt like
monster of selfshness The orange
dangling from her wrist attracted Miss
Deans notice as she accepted the gold
piece thankfully.
els that new style of bangle?"
she aske /.
eyes," laughed Rose.
As she spoke an impulse suddenly
seized her. She slipped it from her
wrist and put it into Miss Deans hand
"That's my Christmas present for
you. Uncle Henry surprised US all
with Christmas tree-a real orange
| tree loaded with fruit-an6 he had one
particular orange for each of us.
have suspicion he has stuffed them
this one contains, please regard it as
my gift TO you"
"Ob, no! 1t might be pearl
necklace or diamond right. Neither
would do me any good"
Nor me either. Uncle Henry has
too good sense to buy such things for
me. 1t will be something n ce, but not
extravsgant. You may tell me what it
is when l come around to see you to
| morrow.
Roses gown was faultless. When
she came from her room, redressed,
she met her uncle, and told him what
she had done.
Really, dear uncle, if had not
done it, or something to ease my con-
science, should have been miserable
all the evening in this dress. She
made herself sick working on it,"
"You dear child! You are as good
as gold. You will ornament the golden
wedding more appropriately than all
the yellow flowers and silk sashes in
the house. You are more of novelty
than my Christmas tree. Would you
like to know what sort of seed your
orange contained?"
81 hare been little curious, since
gave it away, to know what other in
genuity you have contrived for this &C.
casion. l am afraid that | would no.
have given it away if had stopped to
think two seconds. If it was good
deed, am not to be credited with it,.
1 only hope it will do her some good"
" 1t will" said her uncle. " 1t was
the sort of thing that does good the
uorl6 nvar opd pauar onpno 90 amisa wi n
any one"
"Money?" said Rose.
"Yes; few little gold pieces in cot.
ton. Rather good seed for fruit, eh, to
fall among Thornes?"
The golden wedding was the bright
and shining event in society circles that
week. Its radiance illuminated two or
three columns in the newspapers-a
long list of guests, the decorations, the
presents, the supper, and the toilettes
of the ladies', headed by Grandma
Thorne's black silk and old point lace
the identical lace that had graced her
bridal gown half century before.
From all the household disorder sue
ceeding the great event the day follow
ing, Rose and Myrtle fled in the pony
phaeton TO Miss Deans lodgings with
a basket filled with everything, from
sandwiches tied with yellow ribbons
to gold cake, amber jellies and navel
oranges
81 do hope she will not be too ill to
enjoy any of it," said Rose, but il
proved a vain hope. Miss Dean lay
half delirious on her bed, clumsily and
ungraciously waited upon semi-occa-
sionally by her landlady.
Is it you, Miss Rose?" she ex-
claimed. "Oh, you must take back
your gift. Itwas too much to give
too much: too precious seed for an
orange to SOW on rocky SOIL"
Oh, she's crazy as loon," inter
rupted the unsympathetic landlady
"She ought to have a doctor, but she
says she can't afford it,"
have little money laid by, Miss
Rose-just little. 1t will do for one
visit, or maybe two. You must take
back those five bright new ives."
mo, indeed, Miss Dean, they are
just what you needed, after all. Myr.
tie il Won will drive for a doctor I will