The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-06-06
HOW TO WIN A WIFE.
NI DON'T know how to answer you.

reared by him; educated at his expense. lie
had watched him grown from a boy into
manhood, and had gloried in the bright, IN
telhgent, manly man that he had become;
glorled in it as much as though IT had been
his son instead of a nephew.
But in oil those years of care the boy had
never once taken a step of importance to
himself without consulting the uncle. He
had asked his advice in all things, and ac-
cepted 1t when given. During his boyhood
school days it was Uncle Noel who assisted
with the hard problems; it was Uncle Noel
who settled the little disputes with his boy
friends. On the farm it was Unc~ Noel
who settled upon the horse he should have
for has own, and, later, it was Uncle Noel
who helped to decide upon the college he
should attend. And in this, the most i'm.
portant of all questions Uncle Noel had not
been asked for advice.
Herman Clayton, himself the picture of
sorrowful amazement, looked at his uncle
III silence as the old man spoke with angry
vehemence
lie was a tall, stalwart young man of "a,
with a fresh, handsome face, now deeply
couded. His uncle was not over 80, but an
appearance of i'll health made him seem
much older His usual pallor crept once
more over his flushed, excited face before
he spoke again to Herman, and his angry
voice was gentle as he said:
Il was hasty Herman, hurt and surprised.
Tel me, how did it happen"
Il scarcely know how to tel you, sir, re-
Piled Herman, respectfully.
Where did you meet this girl?"
Miss Gordon" said Herman, was very
intimate with Mr. Delvine's daughters. |
b.r NJ L., !.
come in his house as soon as became, bis
clerk"
you met her at Delvine's? Well."
81 loved her-that is all"
"All? Enough, should think And she
loves you, l suppose, or should not have
heard all this"
"She loves me" said the young man, with
pardonable pride.
"Oh, Herman Why couldn't you have
fallen in love with one of the Delvine girls?
Nice, domestic, hOmehke girls, that would
have made a home for you. I know this is
an idle, stuck-up girl"
Il think you misjudge her, uncle"
"She 10 John Gordon's daughter. l can
never welcome her here-never."
Il hope you will not hold to that resolu-
ton, Uncle Noel"
81 suppose you were influenced some by
the $4,000 her mother left her"
81 didn't know that she had a cent"
"Her mother kept that safely enough and
left 1t to the daughter l knew that at the
time she died Oh, my lad, think better of
it, Money is not everything"
ct never heard of her money until this
minute, uncle. do 80 wish you would see
her"
81 see her! Never! If you marry John
Gordon's daughter you may take leave of
me and the farm"
"Will you tell me why one of Mr. Delvine's
daughters would have suited you any bet
teri"
There was dead silence in the room for
some minutes. After this Uncle Noel spoke
at last in low tones, as if he was reading
instead of conversing:
when ! was young man, Herman, not
older than you, i was working on this farm
for old Squire Haywood, who was very fond
of me- | was only farm hand, yet the old
squire always chose me to drive him out
or to do any business that required a trIsty
person. He had no family, 30 it made quite
stir when his sister died in New York and
his daughter came to live on the farm. She
was the handsomest woman / ever saw in
my life-only II, but with all the self-posses-
sion of a woman of 80. l was, as said, often
about her uncle, and met Alicia frequently.
She was so kind to me- had so many winning
ways, that she had my heart in her grasp in
less than week. Yet how was l, poor
country boy, TO know it was skillful coquet-
ry, the sport of hirt?
"Then John Gordon, the city lawyer,
came, and he, too, loved her 1 proposed to
Alicia and was rejected. Gordon proposed
and was accepted I have outgrown that
hallucination, my lad, yet at what cost.
Herman, do not ask me to welcome the child
of John and Alicia here. l cannot do it."
Her parents are dead" replied Herman.
"She lives with her fathers sister"
81 know John died insolvent and Alicia
only lived few years after her husband"
Uncle Noel, / cannot give Gladys up, but
! promise never TO bring her home as my
wife until you consent to our marriage. Will
you see herr"
mo, no, wait till l die, Herman. DR..
Dodge says / won't live long. / have never
been confined to my room, still I grow
weaker. wish had a good servant Eliza
is wasteful, impudent and inclined TO be dis
honest"
Il will drive over to Tourney tomorrow,
and secure good servant, uncle" He did
80, ana escorted MS companion TO ms uncle
home with manly pride, and introduced her
as Gladys Grey. "She has been highly rec
commended, and / am positive will suit u.s."
In about week Mr.. Clayton, Sr,, began TO
wonder how he had ever existed without his
new housekeeper. Gladys was untiring in
her efforts to please and amuse Uncle Noel,
and in his most painful moments of distress
no hand was as soothing as was Gladys.
The old man sat musing long time A
vague mistrust of Gladys had crossed his
mind, a wonder why a woman so gentle and
refined, so evidently lady, was serving in
mental capacity
When Herman came in to tea he found
his uncle flushed and excited In few
words the cause of the agitation was com
municated to the young man. "You think
Gladys is not what she seems, uncle"
you are right She is under false pre-
lenses, Herman"
"But, putting that aside, what fault have
you to fnd"
Fault? could not find fault if tried
She is the most loveable, capable, domestic
girl l ever saw, as well as lady in every
word and action"
"Then you would like her TO stay here if l
proVa IN Won he 10 xuoy-tby of ,,our oonG