The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-11-12
MISS NANCY'S .
EAVESDROPPING.
"MHo was that young man with
BY EBEN 3. RExFORD.

NAI nv was that young HAL WIN
w your
Miss Nancy Armstrong asked the
question Of her niece. Margery. Her
tone was sharp and her eyes had an
angry snap in them.
1T was John Markham" answered
Margery, quietly enough, as she took
off her bonnet, but the tone in which
the question had been asked brought
an extra color to her cheek and o
sparkle Of resentment to her eyes.
II thought So" responded Miss
Nancy, in her most irritating way.
"Margery Armstrong, should think
you'd be ashamed of yourself"
What for?" asked Margery. "I'm
not aware that I've done anything to
be ashamed Of"
"Oh, you needn't try to plead limo
cence," retorted Miss Nancy. you
ought to be ashamed of going with that
Markham fellow, and you know it."
II don't know any such thing" an
swered Margery, facing her aunt
bravely. John Markham is respectable
young man. You don't like him be-
cause there used to be trouble between
the Markhams and the Armstrong;.
That happened before either of us was
born, and there's no reason why we
should keep up the quarrel. If we see
fit to like each other don't know who's
going to prevent our doing So"
81 am" answered Miss Nancy, grim
ly. "You needn't think-and John
Markham needn't think-that cent of
my property II go into the hands Of
any one of that family"
"Oh, you can do just as you see fit to
about your property, of course" said
Margery. Il haven't anything to say
about that, but If you think anything
You can do about it will prevent John
aud from liking each other, you're
quite mistaken. He don't want your
property, but"-with the prettiest lit
tie blush imaginable and softening Of
the voice at the import OF the words,
''he does want me-"
"Margery Armstrong, I'd like to
know how far this matter has gone"
cried Miss Nancy, in wrathful surprise.
ITO judge by the way you talk one
would suppose it is all settled between
YOU"
ut is" answered Margery, with eyes
that never flinched before the angry
ones of her aunt. II promised John to-
night, coming home from church, that
I'd marry him as soon as he has home
for me-"
Miss Nancy fairly gasped for breath.
you're a FOOL" she said, as soon as
she could command her voice, ito take.
up with that fellow when you might
marry the squire's nephew!"
Il wouldn't marry the squire's
nephew if he was the last man on
EARTH" said Margery. Look at him
alongside John Markham and | know
that down in your heart you can't help
owning that he's an insignificant apollo
gy for man. All you can see to admire
in him is his money, I'm sure, and if he
had thousand times more than he has
I'd have just as much contempt for him
as have now"
"You may see the day when you'll
wish you had some of his money" said
Miss Nancy. "Wait till you're John
Markham's wife and poor as poverty
and things II look different to you. OF
course he thinks and you think that I'll
change my mind when l find out that
l can't prevent your marrying him.
But you were never more mistaken in
your life. Marry that fellow and I'll
see that not a penny of mine goes to
you"
please yourself about that"
answered Margery. 1--WE don't want
your money. We're both strong and
willing to work and we'll get along.
Don't worry about that"
THAT sounds well, but you'll sing a
different tune by and by" said Miss
Nancy. "Just remember what | tell
you"
"All right, will" replied Margery,
and then she went up to her room, not
to think about what her aunt had said,
but about the things she had talked of
with her lover, as they walked home
from church together.
Miss Nancy sat in the kitchen and
nursed her wrath.
Just to think that she defies mel"
she said to herself. IF she'd marry
Squire Brands nephew she'd be the
wealthest woman in town, for she'd
get all have and her husband III get
all the squire has. It's shame-a
downright shame!-that she can't be
made to behave sensibly. But then,
she's an Armstrong and they were al
ways terribly set in their way. She
takes it from our side of the family
But that doesn't make it any easier to
bear with her foolishness. I'd got nv
heart set on her marrying the squire's
nephew and hate to give it UP. But
suppose I'll have to, for know she
won't listen to reason. But maybe
when she tells that young Markham
what said about the property he'll
think twice before he decides to marry
Il girl without anything" But Miss
Nancy didn't get much comfort from
that, for down deep in her heart she
didn't believe that John Markham was
that kind of man. She had often said
to herself that "if he wasn't a Markh ham
he'd be pretty nice sort of a fellow"
1t seemed to have been tacitly agreed
on between Margery and her aunt tina,
nothing further was to be said between
them about the matter on which they
had such wide difference of opinion
So neither John Markham nor tn,
squire's nephew was mentioned by
either of them after that evening.
One day Miss Nancy decided to go K
the city to do some shopping. She wa.
always afraid Of being too late for tn,
train and generally arrived at the sta
\ ton at least half an hour before it wa.
! due. She did so on this occasion, and al
the day was very warm one she sal
down on the platform in the shade o.
some large boxes Of freight that hao
been unloaded there. thinking it NOR,
comfortable there than in the stuffy lit
lie wahing-room.