Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-06-15

DRY OF hers, so tenacious In nolulng 10
everything it should forget. 1t is Won
derful what fund of useless informa-
ton some persons accumulate and cling
to with persistent determination wor-
thy of q better cause. / thought Jane
never would forget that unfortunate,
abominable sentence spoken so gram
diloquently to Mary. | wonder what
she would have thought had she known
that l lad said substantially the same
thing to a dozen others never should
have won her in that case. She does
not know it yet and never shall If
can prevent.
So Jane halted my effort to pour out
my heart, as she always did.
There is something that greatly
troubles me-" she said.
what Is it?' l asked in some con-
Germ.
MY mistress" she answered, nod
ding in the direction of the two riding
ahead of us. II never saw her so
much interested in any one as she is in
your friend. Master Brandon. Not that
she is really in love with him as yet
perhaps, but l fear it is coming, and
dread to see it. That incident of the
loose girth is an illustration. Did you
ever know anything SO bold and trans
parent? ANY one could see through it,
and the worst of all is she seems not
! to care If every one does see. Now look
at them ahead of us! No girl is so
happy riding beside a man unless she
is interested in him. She was dull
ha To ad
in no hurry to come, so she resorted to
the fiimsy excuse of the loose girth to
bring him. l am surprised that she
even sought the shadow of an excuse,
but did not order him forward without
any pretense of one. Oh, don't know
what to do! 1t troubles me greatly.
Do you know the state of his feel
ings?'
NO" I answered, "but think he is
heart whole, or nearly So He told me
he was not fool enough to fall in love
with the kings sister, and l really be-
lieve he will keep his heart and head.
even at that dizzy height. He is a cool
fellow, if there ever was one."
HE certainly is different from other
men," returned Jane. 81 think he has
never spoken a word of love to her.
He has said some pretty things, which
she has repeated to me; has moraliZed
to some extent, and has actually told
her of some of her faults. | should
like to see any one else take that lib
erty. She seems to like it from him,
and says he inspires her with higher,
better motives and yearning to be
hJ1t no hos ode
love to her"
perhaps it would be better if he did.
1t might cure her, l replied.
ooh, no, no! Not now! At first, per-
haps, but not now. What l fear is that
if he remains silent much longer she
will take matters in hand and speak
herself. l don't like to say that = it
doesn't sound well-but she is a prin-
cess, and it would be different with
her from what it would be with an Or
binary girl. She might have to speak
first, or there might be no speaking
from one who thought his position too
far beneath her. She whose smallest
desires drive her so will never forego
so great thing as the man she loves
only for the want of a word or two"
Then it was that Jane told me Of the
scene with the note, of the little whis-
|, pered condolences upon their pillows and
a hundred other straws that showed
only too plainly which way this worst
of ill winds was blowing, with no good
in it for any one. Now, who could have
foretold this? 1t was easy enough to
!, prophesy that Brandon would learn to
70 irto
and come off crestfallen, as all other
: men had done, but that Mary should
love Brandon and he remain heart
whole was an unlocked for event, one
: that would hardly have been predicted
by the shrewdest prophet.
What Lady Jane said troubled me-
v greatly, as it was but the confirmation
of my own fears. Her opportunity to
know was far better than mine, but I
!, had seen enough to set me thinking.
:, Brandon, 1 believe, saw nothing of
Mary's growing Partially at ALL He
could not help but find her wonderful-
i ly attractive and interesting, and per-
haps it needed only the thought that
y she might love him to kindle a fame in
his own breast. But at the time of our
ride to Windsor Charles Brandon was
not in love with Mary Tudor, however
near it he may unconsciously have been
But another's trouble could not dim
the sunlight in my own heart, and that
ride to Windsor was the happiest day
of my life up to that time. Even Jane
threw off the little cloud our forebod
/ ings had gathered and chatted and
laughed like the creature of joy and
gladness she was.
Ahead of us were the princess and
!. Brandon. Every now and then hel
voice came back to us in a stave of 6
song, and her laughter, rich and low
waited on the wings Of the soft south
3 wind, made the glad birds hush to
L catch its silvery note.