The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-01-01

The next day Allie was walking along
the woodland paths near the top OF the
hill, and for awhile she stood wstfully
by the open gate through which the
road led to the house of Lochryan. 1t
was an old gate once painted blue, and
she knew exactly the way it had OF
lurchipg to the side when you swung
too Tar back on it. Gregor and little
Bob ran here and there by her side,
toddling and pulling flowers. But
light-foot Miriam secured the woods in
search of rarer blossoms and wilder ad.
ventures.
AS Allie Marchbanks stood regarding,
her father came striding solemnly up
by-path to the blue gate, and, without
word or look, he shut it in her face.
Then he turned away towards the house
of Lochryan, and not culver of his eye
lids betrayed that he had seen his only
child.
But ere he had gone dozen yards,
he met little Miriam coming flashing
like winged fairy along the sunlit
spaces.
"See. moth err" she was crying, 81
have found the Beautiful Flower that
you love-" AT sight of the tall, stern,
gray-headed man, with the bluecoat and
the broad buttons upon it, she stopped
short. Also she saw in a moment that
the gate was shut. But it was not
Miriam's way to be afraid of anything
that lived. "Open the gate for Miriam,
kind mannie," she said, imperiously,
land l was give you fowers-nice,
nice flowers"
Roger Marchbanks dropped the stern
ners of his glance upon her. 1t might
as we'll have been warm sunshine. He
frowned little at her familiar words.
BE might just as well have smiled.
Perhaps that was the reason why he
turned abruptly, and with measured
footsteps paced back again to the gate,
opened it, and stood aside like courte
Gus gentleman to let the little maid
pass
As she went out she thrust handful
of flowers into his hand.
"Thank you, kind mannie," she said :;
"here are the nice flowers promised
you"
Roger Marchbanks resumed his Sc
date walk towards his lonely house of
Lochryan. The flowers were still in
his hand when he arrived at the turn of
| Zig dNouuC WnOlO LILO uduShtCl hlllO
used, in old days, to come running to
meet him. He looked at the blossoms
between his fingers.
" Forget-me-notl" he said, bitterly.
And with that he took little Miriam's
flowers and cast them from him as far
| as he could into the wood.
The young widow wept silently as
she went homeward. But Miriam
danced like snowflake every way
about the copses, and ran races with
Gregor, shrieking with laughter, till the
bluckbirds in the hedges shrilly scolded
at the unseemly riot.
That night, as Miriam was saying hel
prayers in the window, and her mother
was putting Gregor to bed, the chile
stopped in the midst of her petitions.
80 mother" she cried, with wonder
in her voice, come and see; the stal
up yonder has broken loose and lost it,
way"
Nonsense, child! Say your prayers
and get into bed out OF the cold" sale
her mother. But, all the same, she
went to the window and saw that there
was light hickering hither and thitheI
along the hillside.
Up aloft, under the scattered trees a
the home ward end of the avenue o
Lochryan, an old man was wauderin!
about with lantern, holding the ligh
near the ground. 1t was Roger March
banks.
Haze ye lost your pocketbook?" salt
his grieve to him, after watching him
for little, " an can help ye to lool
for it?"
Go TO your bed and be ready to ris
betimes tomorrow morning. That will
fit you better!" said his master, shortly
For the grieve was no early-riser.
1t was quite half an hour after befor
Roger Marchbanks found what he hat
been seeking-a handful of scattere,
forget-me-nots thrown over the avenu
hedge and scattered athwart the dew
grass. He carried them tenderly hom
and placed them, all wet as they were
within the covers of the family Bible.
/ From that day, though Roger March
banks never spoke to his daughter no
, she to him, little Miriam was often t
be seen with her hand in her grand
fathers tripping and dancing by hi
side, her tongue running all the tim