The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-05-23

description, two pairs of gloves, one tiny,
plainly Ncttie's own.
Beside these lay white card. darted
forth to seize it. Frank held my arm.
"All's fair, " said l, lin love and war"
and turned it over in my hand.
On one side l read, Frank Lawrence"
on the other
DEAREST NETTIE-What am l to believer
Can 1t be that you think more of some one
else than you do of me2 Surely you will come
with me today. If l can break my cunning
little LOUIS heart, you can certainly consent to
give +. w. the slip.
A low murmur of voices came from the
conservatory.
"They are in there, Fred' cried in
great excitement. Let us wait here and
confront them"
"Nonsensel' said Fred eve done with
her forever" And he turned on his heel
and stalkcd out of the house, and l after
him, never waiting for the servant who
had taken in our names.
Then what time had with Fred He
shut himself in his own room day after
day on the prctext of study, and the even
ings, which he had used to spend with
Nettie Lee were passed in the same seclu-
sion.
Over his meals he was silent as q mute
Our parents knew nothing of what had
happened, for Fred had forbidden me to
speak of it on pain of his displeasure and
Nettie must have kept all quiet by some
excuse. At all events week passed by
without any communication between the
families, and | wondered and wondered
when the denouement would come, and
what every one would say, and whether
that dcCctful Nettie would really clopc,
and whether Fred would die of n broken
heart. This last thought troubled me most
of all, for the poor fellow was growing
thinner and paler and more woebegone
day after day.
AT last, one bright, sunny afternoon,
coaxcd him to walk out with me.
you do love me little, sis?" said
Fred in such n pitiful voice that l cried
on his shoulder
l cheercd up a little for the first time
that week when l had got him out of
doors and was just thinking that perhaps
l could save his life by all sorts of sistcrly
kindncsses, and that l would live and die
a spinstcr for his sake, when, as fate would
have it, who should we meet face to face
but Nettie Lce
Hateful little hypocrite, :" said to my
self, but the thought had hardly crossed
my mind before l noticed that she was as
pale and thin as Fred, and then, right
out in Broadway, regardless of passersby
utterly forgetting everything else in my
surprise, | screamed out, is that Frank
For, crowned with the sailors hat which
had caused us such annoyance and jaunty
cane in hand, walked IA fair damsCl side ly
side with the misjudged and slandercd
Ncttie. This individual was plump and
jolly, some inches taller than brother Fred,
who is by no means dwarfish, wore her au-
burn hair in bush all around her head
and shoulders and was dressed in the eX-
tremest extreme of everything.
Fred stared at me as if he thought me
mad, but in a moment more | saw that he
had taken in the situation at glance.
Surprises We're not over yet, however.
A gentleman, who had been walking close
behind the two girls here presented him
self to the assembled group.
"Lou!" screamed the auburn haired
damsel and broke into a hystcrical giggle.
The strange gentleman, and he alone,
seemed quite equal to the emergencies Of
the occasion. He waved his hand toward
a confectionery close by, where, around
marble table covered with refreshments,
all parties succeeded in coming to a mu-
tual understanding.
Fred and Nettie retired to window.
limited pastry and cream at an astonish-
ing rate, talking and laughing vociferous-
ly between the mouthfuls, now to me,
now to the gentlemanly stranger.
! could scarcely reprcss a smile as l
looked at the six feet of masculine perlec-
ton smiling indulgently down upon the
fair and frivolous gourmand and thought
of cunning little Lou, whom l had sup
posed to be some fairylike little creature
sinking into "A slow decline.
II am glad l happened to meet you,
Miss Frank, said he, stroking his silky
mustache to conceal lurking smile. Il
really believed my rival to be gentleman.
Let me help you to another ice. "
When Fred and Ncttie returned from
their retirement it was quite evident that
they had effected a reconciliation and
were equally rejoced thereby. 1t subse-
quently transpired that Frank was senti-
mentally inclined and had vowed eternal
friendship for Nettie; that the two had OK
changed oaths during school days to the
effect that no masculine creature should
ever interfere with their tender attach
ment.
am fully persuaded that Nettie was
rather happy on the whole to be relieved
of her feminine adorer perforce, and no.
ticed that the intimacy fell off when the
two girls were married, which happened
81, .le1