Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-11-12

such good chance to see her face in a
bright light he found that she looked
paler than she had been when he had
first taken up his abode in the house.
Then he found that the pail of milk was
heavy for her-she the strong one. Once
he offered to carry the pail for her. She
repulsed him ooldly and walked away
with it.
He believed that she had wakeful
nights and days of bitter thought, and
all because she did not love the man she
had promised to marry. Had any one
the right to interfere, to feel so interest
ed as to be more than indignant? At
any rate Polly faded more rapidly than
the month of May.
June came and the miller. He was
filled with determination. The first
visit he made he spoke of the wedding.
81 come earlier'n I'd spected, =" he
said, but I wanted to git to Memphis
after the north, n / heered the fever d
commenced early N I'd better stir my
stumps before it got headway."
1.-The fever'll be putty bad this sum
mer, announced the netmaker 1T
nigh skipped last year.
bad or not bad, 'twon't tech Polly
and me at the mill" laughed the mill
er. And now how bout the weddin,
Polly?"
EEL" she said finally, "you must
give me till August l give you my
word that 1 won't say no in August.
There, now, 1 never gave my word to it
before; twas always gran father But
now you must give me till August"
Marshall looked at her, disappointed
in her. Yet something about her inter
ested him. She appeared quite bright
and happy, although there was a wild
light in her eyes.
He was conscious of talk going ON be-
tween the two men, of argument in
which she did not take part and he
knew that she had prevailed, that the
marriage would take place in August
instead of in June. She gave the miller
her hand on it, and Marshall walked
away.
He walked down to the paddock. He
was disguised with her He wondered
why. Was it because she had excited
conjecture in him and allowed it to
lead to nothing?
He found himself comparing her with
Jane and wondering if Jane had ever
oh, no; Jane had acquiesced to every
thing her father had proposed, as had her
fiance also.
And here came Polly, marching along,
straight as an arrow, as proudly as d
princess He did not speak, nor did she.
She caught the COW and led her to the
usual spot in the paddock. When the
pail was bubbling and frothing nearly
to the brim, she put it ON her arm and
| took her way to the house.
All at once she wheeled around and
faced Marshall.
"You think I'm no sort of a woman,
don't you?" she asked.
Il think you are one sort of WON
an, be answered.
She seemed to weigh his words anC
then to comprehend them, for, shrug
ging her thin shoulders and laughing
she walked aside from him.
Next day she went about her worl
almost CHEEKY.
Women is queer" remarked he
grandfather. They're happy and IN
happy, and it's all a-one"
But Marshall had no eyes or ears fol
grandfather or lover. He could not keel
faroff Jane out of his mind, though be
fore this it had not been an insuperabl.
difficult matter. How easily had Jan,
acquiesced with her father wishes anC
the wishes of Marshall s father.
Polly frightened day by day. Day b!
day Marshall came across her whereve
he CHANGED to be- He began to think i
strange that he should meet her so of
ten, especially as he desired to be alon
and think out the maze Of doubts sh
had awakened in him regarding Jane
state of mind and affections.
All of July Polly was the cheerfules
of women, Marshall slowly growing t
be the gloomiest of men. On the frs
day of August, hot, sultry, enervatin
day, Marshall came upon her in tn
paddock. She was intently porting owe
newspaper. She started when she say
him and slipped the paper under som
leaves. She MIXED the COW and wen
away. Marshall found the paper. Sh
had folded the sheet to small size a
a glowing account of the ravages of yel
low fever in Memphis.
"She read that because that lout of
miller spoke of the fever when he cam
home in June. He is more to her tina
she will acknowledge, even to herself
suppose women grow to love the me
they've engaged themselves to after al
I'll write to Jane tomorrow, said he.
That night Marshall was robbed. II
was dimly conscious of whisking gal
ments in his room, of a face held clos
to his, and, half awake, determined
open his eyes and see what it mean
Instead he went soundly to sleep.
In the morning he found his VALE
on the table, part of its contents gon'
AS he stood there recalling his haz
night experience he heard a loud screal
in the room below. Running thither
found the old netmaker in frenz.
tearing at a sheet of paper in his hanC
He caught hold of Marshall.
, Read it to me!' he cried. but
, know what it means-Polly's wen
, She's nowheres around, and she's lie
this letter. Read it to mel Read it
mep
? Marshall took the paper. 1t told hi
} grandfather that she had gone to Men