Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-09-14
BOB

T-suaiiy she took ID a dav CID.
Somewav the good things of life had al
yyav. come a dav late TO Miss Margaret or
else moi at all. Perhaps that was the rea-
eor why her face. which had been hand
some once and full of promise had such
sbarr lines about the mouth il was
thiu. angular face. and the scaut. straight
hair above il. which used To be- go black.
was srrealea with rray
Al the other side of the small. round la
bic sal Mis-. Marraret sister Harriet,
pIacfs.y knitting ii her lace bore fewer
traces of 9lsaupO,utmeut than Margaret S.
r was moi pseause she. had mad more of the
lov. of ir. Feruap, il Wa, because She
h4. svp4cta5 les. Harriet STAPLES had
been called a very plain CIR. but now hers
wa. 81 pIaasaut face To look upol round
and psacpfr.. the touch OF rose-cUl0r il
the cheek, contrasting prettuv with the
snowy wnIteness of her soft. heavy hair.
The eve, were pleasant and friendly. al
tna corner, of fine mouth wer. the Gt-l,
wrinkles that come from smiles. and alto
rerner the race was very Iovablt
YET these TWO sisters had lived their
lives ana grown old. together For forty
wears they had not been separated for q
single might For forty wears and more
they had had the same Things To WORRY
over. and to be glad about. the same sor-
lows and the same simple pleasures.
Suddenly the paper dropped from Mis-,
Marrare.', hands. and she looked III al
Harr.at. her pale lace almost CHASTITY.
s.Nyhar is IL. sister"
uBob B.-tou S dead
..You don't say"
Even Miss Harriets calm lace showed
sirns of agitation. and her hand shook a.
sbe reached for Inc paper.
There were ouiv two lines of il. Rob
Cyl Barton mad been found dead that morn
inc I'M fine little room which was the OIL Iv
nome ne had known for ro~-v year.
The paper had lost all attractions 10,
Miss Marraret. and Harriets stocking feI
M Inc moor uuB4ad4t The room was very
stil.-oriy the little old clock ticking III
rba corns- and the nur-fr- of the grea-
gray car ON ms cusbiou Outside IN the
srrear naouI4 We're DassIng 10 and tr1
Sometimes their voices were ioud and pen
errariuc NM the sisters did n0t hear then.
They were hack III the lonr AGO. wher
handsome. Bob Barton used TO spend al
evening. now and then. ID this same Sill
1iuu-roOru which in ali these years had
never quite lost the riorv of ms presence
Nv and hv Two Tears forced tnemseIve.
RON Harriar.s eyes She w-iped then
ave. hastily and glanced frrriyeiv al ne,
sisre- Marparet mad moi seen the tears
and her fac4= wore such a softened look tina
Harriet venturad IN SNEAK
..Fatber used 10 sci sucb store bv min q"
she said softly. .'Twas YOU he AWAY
used 10 come to sec. / ALWAYS knew that.
.sMao 'Twant neither, Everybody knew
ne wanted vou-if il hadn't been Tor hi
Iniserabia father
con sisrar don't say-tbar '' Djeadad Mis-
Harriet ba- nrarrv old cheeks Wet viii
1ears which now she did not trv 10 hide
.,T.rn sur- W. all tbourbr twas Won. Il,
aivavs looked Al Won the whole evening
..Bu- he talked 10 Won and didn't b
give Won thai shell bovor
,.But ne brouphr Won flowers
Poor women For tine trst time III al
-bair iivas tbav smoke the one rhouohr Ina
mad meant more 10 them tnau evervthin
else Fven Bot Barton $ name mad neve
Dassed their Inns since that Gav when tn
1avVs came +ba- II was iisoraca5 forever M
ms farmer. : crime. They kneV IN a yyav VIVA
ha6 COM m hiTf-tnaf ne faii rba disprac
as only a sensitive SOM can fee. that viii
homes and ambitions biirhred ne had nasse
the flrTAp OF father IIlnTlSDT
meuI in hitter loneliness. and thar his hi
since rher had baeu devoted 10 the broker
old man VINO came our from the Driso1
walls enfeebIed in MIND and BODY and nell
less as a child
uEa rnnsr "a, naar av-fDl noor". Mis-
Harriet spoke again after a long silence.
~ es-I $ pose ne was
81 don't believe there's enough for q de
cent Durvin' y,
u don't believe there is.
There was silence AGAIN. The gray ca
wakened. vawned and stretched himself
then he tunnel down from his cushion
and rnhbad his slae- sides AGAINST Mis-
Harriet. She did not notice nun. and he
SURPRISED al sucb unusual uerlect. stake
10 the door and reouastaa after his fasI
ion 10 ice Ie1 ont Miss Harriet rose M
chanioaIIv picyad mn her i-nitfino an.
opened the door. She sat down again an,
siiDD45 line warn over ner finger. p1lt al tb
tirst stitch her hands dropped idiv in he
ian. The old clock licked OIL. The noise
in the street had ceased The ur4 was OH
and the room cold: but still the sisters sa
there. uumiudfuJ of all save the pas,
Finally. after much udretlnc III her chair
and many uneasy chances at her sister AFT
er opening her mouth several times oni
10 close il again. Miss Harriet broke IN
silence.