Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-10-31


willy old fox. "I'll give you this
thing and dollar for your vase"
Couldn't you make it dollar and
a half, ma'am?" said the man, screw
ing his eyes down to mere slits.
''I've only dollar in change" said
Hetty "And it's all I can afford.
After all, we've plenty of vases, only
I rather liked the looks of that one" I"
And she turned indiferently away,
secretly fiattering herself that she was
maneuvering to the best stadvantage--
''Hold on minute ma'am," said
the peddler. 81 amt done much this
morning, and I'm bound to make a
trade somehow, even if 1 lose by it.
Give us the dollar and the old china
reptile, and the elegant new vase is
yourn.
And in five minutes Hetty had her
prize filled with rosebuds and honey
suckles, and silvery green sprays of
Southern wood.
"My first purchase in the new
house." said Hetty, to herself. "Won't
Cecil be pleased when he sees itr'
1t was three days, however, before
Squire Brownell was able to rejoin
his young wife; and Hetty, who had
no intellectual resources to fall back
upon-who hated practicing, and in
variably went to sleep over book
found the tlower-twined cottage dull
enough.
But when at last the squire's burly
figure appeared at the garden gate.
Hetty ran ioyfully to meet him, her
pale gold hair floating like a halo in
the sunshine, and her cheeks flushed
with the softest pink that ever painted
the inside of q seashell.
''Well, Puss!" said the squire, his
own face Frightening up at the idea of
such welcome on the threshold which
had so long been dreary and deserted,
$50 you're really glad to see me?"
"Oh, SO glad, Cecil" cried the
bride, slipping her arm through his,
and nesting close to his side. And
I've been so dismally lonesome with
out you"
"There was that edition of Dickens, "
said the squire, patting her cheek.
Dickens is so stupid" said Hetty.
'I never could understand what peo-
pie see to laugh at in Dickens"
"Well, DEAR" said the indulgent
husband, "now I've come back, well
go out on horseback, and I'll teach
you to drive that pony phaeton, and
we'll see about remodeling the garden
beds, and all that sort of thing"
He sat down as he spoke, on the
! 1-aro,,lo famine, b;o hantol fono ,;+l,
the brim of his straw hat.
Hetty vanished through the lace
curtains, which were blowing about in
the soft summer breeze. and presently
returned, holding up the gaudy gilt
vase, with its sprawling roses and big
green leaves.
''I've got surprise for you, Cecil, 4"
said she. ''See what I've bought"
The squire WINGED little. He was
Judge of ceramics, and this particular
specimen affected him in a startling
and unpleasant manner.
''Don't you like it, Cecil? Why,
thought you would be SO pleased, >"
said unconscious Hetty.
Like it? Oh, yes, my dearl ]
dare say it's very pretty" said the
squire, observing the evident disap-
pointment in her face. "But you'll
learn, after awhile, to discriminate
between real china and this sort of
thing"
''I'm sure the roses are beautiful"
said Hetty, turning the hideous thing
round and around.
Certainly, my dear" said the good
humored squire, opening his leather
travelingbag "And now let me show
you what a pleasant surprise have
prepared for you. The greatest
bargain in the world! 1 chanced to
discover it in a little secondhand
shop, down in Chatham street, and I
got it for only twenty dollars. And
what makes it more especially valuable
is that it's the dead match to one that
my grandmother brought from Paris,
in the reign of the first Napoleon.
Never saw two articles so much alike
in all my life"
All this time he was fumbling in the
depths of his travelling bag, and finally
succeeded in disinterring small
pasteboard box, which he opened in
some triumph.
But Hetty's cheeks turned pinker
still as he took out the identical
emerald-hued dragon, with the fimy
green eyes, which she had bargained
off to the china peddler three days
ago!
81 wonder how it will compare with
the other?" said he, rising and going
into the dining-room. "Why- Hell
lol Where is the thing? Dorcasl
Mary Ann! Where have the women
put it?"
"Cecil." said Hetty, taking hold of
the third button OF the squires coat,
and speaking in a very lew tone,
please don't be vexed, but-but I
traded off that very ugly old cracked
dragon to china peddler for this
vase"
"What" roared the squire.
eyes," said Hetty; 81 know it by
the oblong bit Clipped off just under
o.,oo I;I,,i+ 1-,,a,, / ,,,.a -