The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-09-27
AlDREY'S LOVE STORY.
goodbye. Audrey

| oobllbyt, AuuIt..
Audrey gave her hand to Ned Nor
roway.
Good bye" she said And yo,
came the whole way across to see mn
again Thank you.
And then she looked at him, so tai
and straight and handsome, realizint
for the first time just how she felt t,
Ned Norroway.
Il couldn't have gone without good
bye, Audrey" said Ned. "Ycsterda,
and last night, with all the strangers
about at the picnic, gave me NJ
chance. Will you think of me now anc
them
"Wc shall all think and talk about
you Il good deal. .
They sat down under the grapevine.
- have great hopes of this journey,
said Ned. ''Uncle Edward promises 10y
and by to take me into partnership.
He's very wealthy and bachelor: a
nice old fellow, Audrey You'd like
him. "
Should ~ asked Audrey, think
ing only that she should like no one
overmuch who had tempted Ned away
from Bloomand's slopes.
And I'm to board with him., sad
Ned, land we shall get on splcndidly,
I've no doubt: and when I'm junior
partner
Just then whistle sounded,
Il shall have to run for it. - said
Ned, catching up his portmanteau.
''Wcll, good bye again, Audrey
A vague disappointment thrilled
Audrey; she had thought so much
and he had said so little. Just then
he leant toward her. Zone kiss at
parting he said.
Audrey drew back. She was no
prude: she would have given her lips
to any friend leaving her, without 1t
thought of wrong; but she could not
even let the man she loved kiss her: it
might be hetraying ordeal, who
knew? Everything or nothing for Ned
Norroway and he had never uttered
one word of love to her.
Good bye. she said and gave him
her hand. And he took it and went a
little dashed, and just a little wound
ed.
When Mrs. Drew came home she
what made Audrey's eyes SO
red.
Oh. women's lives! how they glide
On, for the most part tangled in the
e I;t,I, Tho. h.,
parlor to dust, ruiies to flute and the
cake to bake; blue bow to be made
to wear with the white dress hand
kerchicfs to hem; afternoons to be
spent at friends houses: friends TO en-
tertain at home; a book mark to be
made for the Bible; very important
to be done from dawn until
lusk but through it all one thought
ana thought born of maidenhood' s
irst love, as bright and pure and ten
Ter as any ever sung by poet, though
she was but plainly reared country
yirl and he a nobody with hopeful
leart gone out to seek his fortune.
The time of roses passed away, and
srape time came,
Somebody it was Tom Pepper had
lad letter from Ned. who was very
we'll pleased with New York.
He's been to see everything, said
Tom. wait its quite what | call a
historical kind of letter, dreadful
nterestin; want to read it,
II wouldn't mind" said Audrey. !
So Tom gave her the letter. 1t was
sewing circle at Mrs. Doves, and in |
minute more Audrey slipped up into
hrs. Doves bedroom, and there read |
he letter. just such a bright account |
# himself and what he saw as any in |
man could have written: but |
O \ audrey it was miracle of genius,
nd above all. he wrote it. 1t brought |
o her soupcon of his person and |
f his soul. Under the shade of Mrs.
Doves chintz window curtains, Aud
ey kissed that letter as mothers kiss
heir babies Then she came back to
he parlor.
Smart, amt it," asked Tom.
What, ?" asked Audrey. 'Oh
the letter: very nice. And as
he spoke, she would have given TWEEN
V dollars, or fifty, all she had in the
avings bank-money she had earned
y making pot cheeses for market-all
his little hoard would Audrey Dew
ave given just to have that letter for
er very own.
A week afterward she went to see
ally Slocum, and Sally exhibited her
photograph album. Here was Uncle
iIas and Mr.. and Mrs. johnson, all