Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-05-21

one. left my door open that night, and
did not sleep any. | listened; no one
stirred in the night. Rufus and his wife
were UP very early in the morning, and
before o'clock left for Vermont. They
had days journey and would reach
home about 8 in the evening. Rufus
wife babe father good-by, crying, while
Rufus was getting their trunks down
stairs, but Rufus did not go near father
nor me. He ate no breakfast; his very
back looked ugly when he went out of tho
yard.
That very day, about o'clock in tho
evening, after tea, had just washed the
dishes and put them away and went out
on the north doorstep, where father was
sitting and sat down on the lowest step.
There was a cool breeze there; it had
been very hot day.
II want to know if that Fills fellow has
been to see you any lately" said father
oil at once.
"Not great DEAL" answered.
"Did he come to see you the last night
you were there2' said father.
YES SIR" said l, che did come"
"If you ever have another word TO say
to that fellow while | live I'll kick You
out of this house like u dog, daughter of
mine though you be- said he. Then he
swore u great oath and called God to
witness. "Speak to that fellow again,
if you dare while lvc!" said he.
| did not say word: just looked up
at him as | sat there. Father turned
pale, and shrank back, and put his hard
TO his throat, whore Rufus had clutched
him. There were some purple finger
prints there.
IL suppose you would have been glad
If he'd killed me-" father cried out.
81 saved your life said |.
"Nhnt did you do with that pistoiy'
he asked
81 put it back in the desk-drawer."
got up and went around and sat on
the west doorstep. which is the front one
AS | sat there the bell rang for the Cues
day evening meeting, and Phoebe Dole
and Maria Woods, two old maiden la
dies. dressmakers, our next door neigh
bors, went past on their way to meeting
Phoebe stopped and asked if Rufus and
his wife had gone. Maria went around
the house Very soon they went IN, and
several other people passed. When they
lad all gone it was as still as death.
sat alone long time until | could
see by the shadows that the full moon
had risen. Then | went up to III! room
and went to bed.
lay awake Il long tiJc crying. 1t
seemed to me that all hope of marriage
between Henry and me was over. could
not expect him to wait for me. | thought
of that other girl; | could sec her pretty
face wherever | looked. But ct last |
cried myself to sleep.
At about j o'clock | woke and got up.
Father always wanted his breakfast at
q o'clock. and had to prepare il now.
When father and were alone he al
ways built the fire in the kitchen stove.
But that morning | did not hear him
stirring as usual, and | fancied that he
must be SO out of temper with me that
he would not build the fire
went to my closet for a Gark-blur cal
leo dress which | wore 10 do houscwork
in. 1t had hung there during all the
school term. AS | took ii off the hook,
my attention was caught by something
strange about the dress | had worn the
night before. This dress IVES made Of
thin summer silk; it was green in color,
sprinklcd over with white rings. II had
pcen lny lest dress for two summers;
but now | was wearing il on hot after
moons Mt home, for it is the coolest
dress | have. The night before, too,
had thought Of the possibility of Henry i
driving over from Dighy and passing the
house. lie had dcnc this sometimes dur
ing the last summer vacation, and
! wished to look nv best if lie did.
AS | took down the calico dress I saw
what seemed to be stain on the green
silk. | threw on the calico hastily and
then took the green silk ana carried it
over TO the window. 1t was covered with
specs horrible great splasLcs and
strcnAs down the front. The right sleeve,
too, was stained, and all the stains were
wet.
What have l got on my drcss:"
said |.
1t looked like blood Then | smellcd Of
it, ana it was sickening in my nostrils,
but | was not sure what the smell Of
blood was like. | thought | must have
got the stains by some accident the night
before.
IF that is blood on my Dress sail,
81 must do something to get it off at
once, or the dress will be ruined"
1t came to my mind that | had been
told that blood stains had been removed
from cloth, by an application Of -four
paste on the wrong side. | took my green
silk and ran down the back stairs. which
lead having a door ut the foot, directly
into the kitchen.
There was no fire in the kitchen stove,
as / had thought. Everything was very
solitary and still, except for the ticking
of the clock on tho shelf When crossed
the kitchen to the pantry, however the
cat ncwcd TO be let in from the shed.
She had n little door of her own by which
she could enter OF leave the shed at will
an aperture just large enough for her
maltese body to pass at ease beside the
shed door. 1t had little lid, too, hung
upon n leather hinge. On my way lot
in the cat; then went to the pantry and
got bowl of -four This i mixed with
water into q stiff paste and applied to the
under surface Of the stains on my dress.
then hung the dress up to dry in the
dark end of closet leading out of the
kitchen, which contained some old clothes
OF fathers.
Then made up the FIRE in the kitchen
- ! !