Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-09-11

l don't think we ought to be so nigh each
other"
He passed through the gate and entered
his house. She stood motionless on the
porch. She heard his heavy boots ringing
hollowly on the bare floor, and watched
the light in the window till it went out.
Then she went to bed.
The next day about noon the hack
brought Mrs. Molly Peevy and her little
hair trunk and carpet bag to his door.
Joel and his children were standing al the
gate, and a moment later Mary Ann and
her sister came out and shook hands with
the visitor and invited them all in to din
ner.
A tempting meal was spread in the
kitchen of the two sisters, and Mrs. Peevy
could not hide her satisfaction at thesight
of it.
"Tm as hungry as bear" she said, as
she took her seat at the table. 81 hain't
tasted bite since before today, except
piece of cold liver and some buttered bread,
and nothing makes me as hungry as jolt
ing vehicle"
All were seated and had turned up their
plates, when Matt Digby appeared at the
door.
"May l come imp" she asked with
smile. 81 just couldn't wait to come
and tell Mrs. Peevy howdy. Howdy you
do Mrs. Peevy? I'm glad to see you look
ing so hearty"
Mrs. Peevy extended her fat hand and
smiled and nodded, but did not rise. She
was trying to remember where she had
met Matt, and if she was relative OF Ma
ry Ann or Mrs. Batson.
Matt sidled along the wall and sat down
on closed chest in the chimney corner,
and tried to look as If she did not see the
dinner table. Mrs. Batson had never been
accused of inhospitalty, even to people as
unwelcome as Matt Digby, so she said;
"Shake that cat off that chair, Matt,
and pull it up and eat bite"
Matt obeyed, muttering something about
having put on some potatoes to boil, but
that they would keep for supper.
81 had Utterly forgotten that Joel had
such good neighbors," said Mrs. Peevy,
with her mouth full of turkey; I'D think
him and the children would just live over
here
Mary Ann, who sat opposite Joel and
the children, blushed scarlet, and busted
herself in helping Mats plate to the veg
etabes. Matt Digby laughed softly and
significantly, and Mrs. Peevy went on, as
she reached to the centre of the table and
broke piece off the large corn pone.
81 hain't got bit of patience with you,
Joel, nohow. l lowed you would have
had the common sense to get you another
wife before this, especially as Sarah want
ed you to-"
sit was just the other way" replied
Joel, his eyes irresistibly drawn to Mary
AIMS face. "She made me promise new
er to marry again"
4 1, In 4 60, l. I,1r
She rested her hands on the edge of the
table, and stared at him over her glasses.
81 know she did once" she said, won
deringly. "But that was before she came
to my house. Over there, during our big
meeting, me and her had long talk. She
confessed she had been narrow and spite
full, because she had heard about you and
Mary AIMS doings before you married.
A powerful change came over her. She
saw she was going to die, and she wanted
to prepare for it. Why, she told me the
chief thing she wanted to hurry home for
was to release you from that promise, and
make her peace with some folks she had
fused with. Why, Joel, didn't Sarah
mention it when she got home?"
He was pale and the hand encircling his
goblet of milk was trembling.
"She had stroke of paralysis on the
way over" he replied, "and she didn't
know a thing from then on till her death"
''My Lord And all this time you've
been a thinking Why, what a pity.
Well, that needn't be hindrance any
longer. She actually wanted you to mar
~. | can testify to that; and it's your
duty, tiff you have found anybody"
Mary Ann rose abruptly to pick up the
spoon little Joe had dropped. She did
not resume her seat, but went into the
sitting-room. There was a silence. No
one was eating except the children. Matt
Digby was smiling Internationally, half
fearfully, and watching Joels face. He
got up and awkwardly pushed his chair
under the table.
"Pm going in there to speak to her." he
said, and he went into the other room and
closed the door. Mrs. Peevy shrugged her
shoulders, and, with a very serious face,
helped herself bounteously to the apple
dumping and the sweetened milk. The
meal was finished when Joel came back, a
manly sheepishness on his face.
"You just come in the nick of time,
Aunt Molly" he said. "Tll never get
over being obliged to you. I'm going to
run over and feed my stock. reckon I'd
better not be around for awhile. Mary
Ann is nightly teased, but she's willing.
Your comm is godsend to us both"
AS he went out at the the back door,
Matt Digby rose and started to go to the
sitting-room, but Mrs. Batson detained
her.
81 wouldn't bother her just now if l was
you, Matt" she said peremptorily, and
Matt sank back into her chair.-WiU N.