Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-02-13


before she would return with a strange
light in those eyes / knew so well, and
many's the time il all ended with 8
night of tears.
Il know listened to the murmur-
ings of the flowers and flowers are not
safe confidants, though women folks
think they are They rustic and tell
each other all they know. One has but
to listen and the secret is out, carried
far and wide by the birds, their lovers.
cit was a dreary, bitter night, and
the little one knelt before the fire with
her slender hands, that trembled so they
stirred the lace about the wrists, out
stretched before the blaze. She seemed
to see a face in the red ashes
A" Now, she murmured IF that does
not fade for one whole minute I shall
take it as a good omen and go. [ heard
the words and trembled. Oh, how I
was torn in twol The one pride of my
life had been to tell the truth to every
one, and here was my mistress making
that a burden for the first time. 1t was
a struggle, and somehow habit won.
The minutes passed, and I announced
it in choked old voice, but she did not
seem to know that; only sigh of pleas
ure and a tear Of regret mingled, and
with pathetic gesture she threw her
hands in the air, as if throwing all care
to the winds and accepting fate Then
she came and stood before me, as she
had done so often as tiny one, and
looked up at me.
GO AT half past 10, old friend, don't
fail to tell me. [ shall be listening with
all my heart. You need not strike very
loudly. I shall hear-I shall be sure to
hearP And she had gone slowly up the
stairs. Time felt a weight upon me as
I tolled the minutes out. [ am only the
servant of time, just to speak the words
he tells me, to keep a straight, fair rec
ord of how he flies.
Click took, tick tockl I felt as if I
should smother. At 10 I struck the
number out. Never before had known
how loud was my voice. We are all of
us what we are made. Each one in this
world has so much to do, no more, no
less. Tick took! The very heaviness of
my trouble was making me dim and
uncertain.
81 heard the master of the house and
his friend and guest-the man [ liked,
the elder, quiet man-close their doors,
and everything was still except my
voice. Would that could crush it out
''They say that things like myself
can neither feel nor suffer, but the bur-
den of my thought was, Could I save
my mistress? The wish was so great
that it overpowered everything. It was
near the half hour, when suddenly
everything seemed to come to stand
still All power of movement was taken
from me. [ could go no longer.
''For the first time in my existence I
failed to tell the time.
E'My little mistress was above, wait
ing, waiting, but did not dare to stir
until the appointed hour.
''I don't know how late it was when
I found her standing in the hall, pale
as the ghosts that are said to haunt the
woods at midnight.
90 You have failed me-failed mel
was all she said. And her slender fin
gers worked at the big bolt that barred
the door. It was at length forced back
to its rest, and the maiden, all muffled
in a heavy cloak. had drawn it and was
gone.
the whispering flowers. The guest was
a learned man who thought a great
deal, then gathered the best Of these
heaven sent gifts and, setting his hand
to paper, told them to the world. On
that night he had opened the window
Of his room and was watching the clouds
as they chased each other in the old
moons light. and somehow the noise Of
the hall door closing aroused him. He
looked and saw a slender figure hurry
ing across the lawn.
'EIn a moment he was out In the
sweet scented garden where the high
wall rises against the banks Of the river,
and where little boat rocked upon the
tide, he found the maiden on the grass
with the young lovers head upon her
knee. The young man had waited for
her to come with the key to unlock the
door, which was half hidden by the
vines which covered all the wall. I'm
patiently he had paced to and fro; then
tried to climb in order to hasten to his
lady's window and give signal. He
had slipped and fallen and in some way
turned his foot.
cat a glance the elder man took in
all the scene, and a touch Of pain tight
ened the firm mouth as he said: You
heard cry of distress and came to find
the cause. So did l. Let me help you,
my child, for this is no place for you. :
And the young man was as brave in
that moment as the elder and replied:
Tt is my fault. 7 was going home late
and tried to shorten my road across the
garden.
GO 'Trespassing,' said his senior, SIS
not the worst of sins. Sir, I will help
you, and being very strong he lifted
up the young man and made him lean