St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-01-21

odds are even at last; faithful Bools
and warm-hearted Cathy can conscien-
tiously wed"
After this outbreak the weather re-
sumed the even tenor Of its way; charm
ing days rolled by, one so much like
the other that few called them singly
TO account. Locust Nest stood in the
midst of a dreamy old garden and the
hum of bee and the drone of insect
sounded by the hour. The Doctors
/ child. when she was not haunting the
stairway and window Lodges of the de-
lightsome old nest itself haunted this
garden. She started out Of nook or by
path. taking Mrs. Winters often un-
awares. and always with book in
hand.
Mrs. Winters, liking to pull beans
herself and TO fuss among her vege-
tables. stood one day under an apple
tree surveying her store, when some
thing dropped from the gnarled
branches above. "Mercy, child, where
were you? Why do you always have
| that book?"
at is not that book, it is another.
| Father and Think schools are disagree
able, so | study by myself. | learn all
over lust what wish to. and every Fri
day evening father and visit together
ard tell him what / do not know You
see when people have not got much
but each other they think a good deal
Of each other. Folks say ! have lost
my mother, but father said that | am
not real well acquainted with anybody
but old nurse, who looks like your
Cathy, and father; we cannot stay here
much longer now; ! thought ! would
tell you. We like corners; you always
find something nice around corner;
the city is full of corners, so | think
we will 90 away soon,' and blue eyes
met blue eyes. AT that instant the thud
of hoofs was heard, and away down the
drive and out into the road ran the
child. Mrs. Winters FASTENED into her
kitchen. That evening closed in early
| full of darkness and storm. Heaven
and earth seemed to shake beneath the
mighty tread of its approach. Light
ming cut the air, thunder rolled; the
creek a quarter mile above the Nest
rose defiantly so that fordng was made
impossible, and the bridge might easily
be missed in such a night. Grille, who
had been studying up thunderstorms
| - 1n+ fnt tO ,nr
stand nor to run if ever caught by one,
tall. pointed objects being fine marks"
Several persons watched from windows
the increasing gloom and fury without
when dinner was called, but scarcely
were they seated at table, when the
waitress appeared at her mistress ell
bow. The school-teachcr at the pro-
fessor's was very ILL., no doctor to be
found. Would DR.. Flint accompany the
messenger?
Grille uttered an involuntary "Oh!"
Mrs. Winters not n word nor even raised
her eyes. Cyrus Flint rose and strobe
from the room. lie reappeared be-
capped and becloaked and opened the
outer door. Boots was there with two
horses and lantern, under whose red
glover glistened the coats of rider
and horse. A fierce gust of wind met
him, but he made his way out.
"Father!' the doctor bent from his
saddle; 'ho!d this high and sit low, y
and the little figure stood on its tip
toes and reached up small sunshade-
that precious blue silk paraso-sacri-
feed by warm little heart to cleo
trio greed, confident that surrounding
that beloved head it would be quite
"tall" enough and pointed" enough
to avert attack. BLESS you, sweetheart,
Take her in" he cried; but Cathys
arms were already about her and she
was carried in while her father rode
away into the wild night.
The chime-like stroke of the great
clock was telling II when n violent
knock came on the kitchen door and
Roois' voice was heard. Cathy set the
door AGAR when Bools pushed it open
and entered, followed by neighboring
farmhands bearing rude litter upon
which was stretched a form whose gar.
ments, as did those of the other men
drpped water which trickled right
and left over the polished floor. The
cook wrung her hands
"Oh, my! Oh, my! Is he killed OF
n hnt fnt nh "a
and his fatherless babe above stairs
Oh, my! Oh, my!"
Hist. Where's the lady?" But Mrs
Winters, her eyes wide and full o.
alarm, already stood on threshoi,
reckoning Bring him this way int
the bedroom, and do you, Boots, watcl
all the trains and catch the first doc
tor who comes" Then she and Cath,
worked over the injured man until day
break, with which came Bools and DIR
Hale.
Late in the afternoon DR.. Flint wax
ened, conscious and observant. An anX
ious face was bending over him, an,
before its owner could withdraw tn
doctor grasped two small hands
"Reta! My Reta! | see all now. Some
thing has Swallowed me PERSISTENT
since the night | arrived. For tw
years | have dreamed of you by nigh
and searched for you by day. Reta
my wife,
Mrs. Winters Flint sobbed as she hi
I her face on his arm.
81 went directly to Paris where
r came to myself and solemnly abiure
! my base vanity ! did indeed! Uncl