Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-11-19

for redheaded girl, " the Judge said,
with a queer look in the direction of
the young man. There superstition
that redheaded girl has violent
temper. Now, that isn't always true"
ne said. after a moments silence, in
which his thought seemed to have been
far away. "Isabel's mother had as
sweet a disposition as any woman that
ever lived, and her hair was the color
OF that deep flame there"
Isabel was leaning on the back of her
fathers chair. why. father. you've
always said my hair was almost the col
or of mothers I'm sure no one would
ever think of calling mine red. "
Il don't know about that" the Judge
laughed, land don't know about the
temper either" he added, reaching ur
and pinching her cheek.
II never liked red hair, but I'm sure
! don't believe in that sign" Clint said
Clumsily. He gazed fixedly into the fire
and felt as though he were turning to
stone.
The clock struck 10 with O resonant,
defiant stroke, as though it understood
the contest in which it held the stakes,
and refused to commit itself as to
whose side would win.
At quarter past ~ the judge stood
up.
Clint felt his heart beating wildly.
The moment Of triumph was at hand.
The judge crossed to the bay window
at the other end of the room. lsabel's
eyes followed him nervously
From one side among the geraniums
and ivy he drew the chess table and
pushed it before him toward the fire.
81 think it would be pleasant for us
to have a game of chess, he said affa.
bly,.
Clint sprang to his feet.
"Oh, thank you, sir, but l think l
must be going home"
"Oh, must you? Well, come over
again and we'll get at it earlier in the
evening"
1t seemed hours before Clint finally
found himself out on the smooth snow
beaten road spinning along toward
home.
He would have been completely
wretched in his defeat if it had not been
for that look in Isabels eyes when she
handed him the corn pepper He could
endure his fathers ridicule and wait
his time, remembering that look.
And so he made a good story of it at
breakfast the next morning and added,
elevating his voice above the roaring
laugh of his father and the shrieks Of
his mother and sister:
Never you mind The judge isn't
through with me yet. I've only fired
my first gun. I'll own when came out
of the house l was out of shot, but l
haven't given up the fight yet -
"Oh, you'll let some other bantam
rooster carry her off l guess I'm safe
enough on the cash and land promised
you," his father answered, with pro-
voking laugh.
Don't you count on it, " Clint said,
springing up from the table with fire in
his eyes. "I'm not downed yet, tell
you.
"All right, sonny. Well give big
dance to celebrate your engagement and
an oyster supper. I suppose there's no
rush about ordering the oysters:"
I'm hold you to that" Clint said,
bringing his fist up against the door.
"H the things settled by Saturday
week, we'll have the dance. If it ism t.
well, it won't be. I'm going over town
after the mail"
He turned and went out of the room.
AS the door closed he heard his sister
say, tittering;
"Clint has about as hard time
counting Isabel as you had counting
mother"
This was a warm thought of comfort
to him. At least Isabel had never de-
MED him her love, and he knew that
his mother had been hardly won.
1t was bright winter morning. Be-
fore him was clear stretch of road to
the Iowa river, three miles away
The white fields on either side
sparkled in the sunlight. The great
drifts, rolled up along the fences, looked
blue in the shadows of their fantastic
terracings. The sleighing never was
better.
All at once Clint heard the noise Of
sleigh bells, and voice called to him,
"Give me the roadp'
He turned and saw Isabel Hilton
coming toward him, driving her own
bay ponies at fearful rate.
Clint drove quickly out at one side Of
the road and she sped by him.
He saw that her horses were running
away.
There had been no alarm in Isabel'f
face, though she was holding the rein'
with all her strength, and had looked
neither to the right nor the left as she
passed him. If there was one thing
more than another that the Holdermani
prided themselves in, it was theil
knowledge Of good horse and splendid
horsemanship.
Isabel Hilton's love of horses and hel
daring in driving them had been one O.
the first things that had won Clint
admiration. Her control and courage
now appealed to him tremendously. Hi
own horses seemed to have felt the spir
it of the runaway pair ahead, as the.
few along over the snow after them.
Clint knew that at any moment lisa
bells slight arms might lose the power t.
hold those tense reins so securely, anC
the horses dash to one side and tn
crash come and there was nothing h
could do. On went the cutter ahead o
him, swaying to the left and the right
INIT still xeeDinP the road. The bridg