Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-04-27


took ID. :"
answer to the announcement that all
the papers were gone. He is grand
II wish could have seen It,"
'Oh, it was short! But it had point
to it-by Jove, it had! / do not sup
pose | could repeat it verbatim, but
could give you the sense of it."
TRY, John, just to give me the sense
dear boy took it. l don't mean about
the fire, but about his losses. He is
so young"
The old man threw back his head
with an air of pride In the son of his
old friend.
HE took it grandly. could not
help thinking, when was reading that
letter, how proud it would have made
Rufus. He said he did not suppose
he was the first man who had met with
disappointments just as great on the
threshold of life: that the blow was
softened in his case by the reflection
that no one would suffer by his losses
but himself; that il he could not pro-.
vide for his individual wants the mon
ey expended on his education had been
poorly placed. AS it was not at all
probable he should ever marry, the fu-
ture did not cost him an anxious
thought"
"Never marry! Why, he Was up tc
his eyes in love with Olivia Matthews
before he left here"
Eyes, but estover got in the way of
that"
= Mrs. Govan pursued her own line of
thought in an aggrieved voice.
"That would have made things lit
tie more even, and somehow I have al
ways looked forward to seeing an
other Mrs. Broxton at the old Hail."
Events have provoking way Of
| shaping their own course without any
respect for our wishes or preferences,
| Matilda"
To which sententious bit of wisdom
Matilda accorded grave affirmative.
"But go ON about Toms letter, John"
"Well, it seems that Matthews had
urged his coming here as his guest, tc
stay while they We're going over the
papers, to which Tom replied that as,
owing to the unforeseen intervention
of the elements, there were no papers
to be examined it would scarcely be
advisable for him to come to Mande-
vile just now. The visit could only
be productive of pain to him and dis.
comfort to others"
Others. | suppose, meant Ollie"
Mrs. Govan interjected.
"He wound up by telling Matthews
that he begged to assure him OF his
unaltered affection and confidence
There was no room in his heart for any
other feeling toward the man his IA
Their had loved and trusted.
Did he say that, Johnf Poor Tom
Dear BOY Poor, poor ladder
Mrs. Govans tears were dropping
fast upon the sewing she had laid upon
her lap.
Il think the reason Matthews show
ed me that letter." said the doctor re
fectively, was because lie wanted mt
| W hhON just hoN iOih hNAR NbehN
about things"
"Yes; that was natural, | see. But
Tom-where is he going TO locate
John? Did the letter state! Mrs. Spill
man was asking me this morning IL ]
knew where Tom was"
HE thinks his chances as an elec
trician will be best out west in some
growing place. He mentioned Kansas
City. Shouldn't be surprised If he
brought up there"
'And SO that Is the last of the Brox'
d ton name for Melton county. Dear.
dear, what changes one does see In a
short lifetime! Why, John, about the
time you brought me here bride the
Broxtons We're just everything In the
county. The men couldn't project any
county affairs of any Importance with
out Rufus Broxton's opinion and help
Mrs. Broxton led in all the social and
church movements, and half the I'M