Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-10-24

BE off, he exclaimed; ct do not
raise flowers for beggars.o
How the dark eyes of the boy flash
ed; and he was about to make some
sharp answer, but the pressure of the
girls fingers on his arm checked him.
eve are not beggars," she said
calmly; t'but our mother is dead and
we are orphans. She loved the roses,
and we love them, too. Please, give
us one apiece. 1t will seem so good
to smell flowers once more"
The hard face did not relax-the
long thin finger still pointed to the
gate; but the blue eyed petitioner did
not move She was regarding him
with an expression strangely tender
and piting, and it annoyed him more
than anything else to be pitied.
"Why do you look at me in that
way?" he demanded harshly.
because am sorry for YOU" she
said sweetly. "You are old and sad
and all alone. Where are your child
ren?'
IT have none" he answered, and
wondered at the same time why he
did so.
None! Have you no little girl to
sit on your knee and call you papa?
Pm sure pity you very much.''
"Humph!''
"But I do! Indeed I do! It must
be dreadful not to love anybody. Did
you never have anobody to love
you"
A spasm of pain shot athwart the
rigid face of Richard Steele, and his
tall frame quivered, it might be with
agony or anger, one could not decide
from his words. He pushed the child
away.
''Not another word will not lis
ten! Good heavens! that lips like
those should ask me that question"
"Pardon mel didn't mean to hurt
your feelings. You loved somebody,
and heaven took her away. Was it
your sister!"
All, yes! and memory flew back to
that gentle, fair haired child who had
chung with soft arms to his neck, and
kissed with warm lips his cheeks. His
little sister May! How well he re-
membered her, as she looked the last
time he saw her face, lying cold and
calm, like marble, in the shadow of
coffin. Yes, he remembered May, and
his eyes grew moist, with something
like tear, but it was strange visi-
tant and he dashed it away. Yet that
tear was not given to May; she had
been for years safe in heaven; it was
given to another, whose blue eyes
seemed to be looking at him out of
the orbs of the little girl before him.
He bent down over her, and scanned
her features closely. Then he asked,
s'My child, what is your name?"
"Violet Gray,
The man smothered a cry Of sur
prise, and his face grew strangely
pale even in the ruddy light ofsunset.
It must be strange emotions indeed
which could thus stir the hard heart
of Richard Steele. Presently he ask
ed:
"And what was your mothers name
before she married?T
''Violet Dale"
"And is she dead?"
He spoke the words in deep whis
per, as though fearing to utter them. |
''She is with the angels'
A silence fell upon the group, broken
only by the suppressed sobs of the
girl, and the heavy breathing Of the
man.
When he again addressed her, his |
voice had taken a softness which none !
inMilford had ever heard in its meas
ured cadence.
'And this is your brother?"
Eyes, my brother Richard.'
Orchard? For whom was he named |
thus?"
Mr.. Steele asked this question breath !
lessly, with an earnestness very strang
and foreign to his stony nature.
"For a schoolmate's of my moth
er's-''
"And this schoolmate's surname
do you remember it?''
sit was Richard Steele, sir.'
How the cold face lighted up, and
the stern mouth grew almost tender
as this proof of the power of the old
love was given him
"Did Violet--did your mother ever
mention this Richard Steele to you?u
The boy came forward and replied:
ellis name was the last on her lips
when she died; and, two days before