News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-08-05


bring up the subject again. | came
near doing 1t. but he always steered
round it."
Hes a sensible young man." de.
clared Mrs. Barclay. ANY one can
see that by looking at him He's not
responsible for his fathers foolhardy
venture but it certainly leaves him
in bad fix as marrying man. He's
had bad luck, and he must put up with
the consequences. There are plenty Of
girls who have no money or prospects
who would be glad to have him. butt
Mother" broke in Dolly as If she
had been listening to her own trou-
| bled thoughts rather than her mothers
| words, "he didn't act as if he wanted
to see me alone. The other couples
who had engagements to talk during
that dance were sitting in windows
and out of the way corners, but he
kept me right where | was and was as
carefully polite as if we had just been
introduced. was sorry for him and
mad at the same time. l could have
pulled his ears"
He's sensible, very sensible" said
Mrs. Barclay in tone of warm adj
miration. "a man like that ought to
get along, and l reckon he will do well
some day"
But, mother" said Dolly, her rich,
round voice rising like a wave and
breaking in her throat, che may never
think about me any more"
"Well, that really would be best,
dear, under the circumstances"
"Best?' Dolly blurted out GLOW
can you say that, when-when"-
Dolly, you are not really foolish
about him, are your" Mrs. Barclays
face dropped into deeper seriousness.
Dolly looked away and was silent
for moment. Then she faltered: 81
don't know, mother. I'm afraid if
keep on feeling like | do now III never
get over it,"
,"Ah, but you'll not keep on feeling
like you do now" consoled the older
woman. "Of course, right now, just
after seeing how hard he took it, you
will kind of sympathize with him and
want to help him; but that will all
pass away. | remember when l was
about your age | had a falling out
with Will Despree, a young man my
father didn't like because his GRANDPA
Their had been an overseer. And, do
you know, thought l would actually
kill myself. refused to eat bite and
threatened to run away with viii. To |
this day l really don't know what | |
would have doneIf your grandfather |
hadn't scared him away with a shot
gun. VIII kept writing notes to me.
| was afraid to answer them, but my
father got hold of one and went after |
him on fast horse. Wills family |
heard what was up, and they kept |
him out in the swamp for few days, |
and then they sent him to Texas. The
whole Despree family took it up and |
talked scand'fous about us"
And you soon got over it, mother" |
asked Dolly almost in a tone of dis |
may.
We'll" said Mrs. Barclay reflective |
ly, ''Will acted the fool so terribly. He |
wasn't out in Texas three months be- |
fore he sent back marked paper with
an article in it about his engagement5G4l
the daughter of rich man who, we
found out afterward used to keep
livery stable; then l reckon hardly any
girl would keep caring for boy when
his folks was telling such lies about
her family"
Dolly was staring studiously at the
speaker.
Mother" she-asked, don't you be-
lieve in real love?'
Mrs. Barclay laughed as If highly |
amused. Il believe in a different sort |
to the puppy love l had for that boy.
Then after that there was another
young man that l thought more of, if
anything, than | did of VIII, but he
was as poor as jobs turkey, and my
folks was all crazy for me and your pa,
who I'd never seen, to get married.
held out against the idea, just like you
are doing with Frank, | reckon, but
when your pa come with his shiny
broadcloth coat and spotted silk vest
no, 1t was satin, think, with red spots
on it-and every girl in town was crazy
to catch him and there was no end Of
reports about the mggers he owned
and his high connections-well, as I
say, it wasn't week before | was
afraid he'd see Joe Tinsley and hear
about me and him. My father was in
for the match from the very jump, and
so was your pas folks He put up at
our house with his niger servant and
didn't want to go about town much.
reckon l was pleased to have him
pick me out, and so we soon fixed il |
up. Lordy, he only had to mention Joe
Tinsley to me after we got married to Y
make me do anything he wanted. TOT
this day he throws him up to me, fori
Joe never did amount to anything. Hel
tried to borrow money from your pa
after you was born. The neighbors hail
to feed his children
"But you loved father didn't YOU'LL r
Dolly breathed, in some relief over
what she thought was coming.
"Well, l can't say l did," said Mrs
Barclay. eve had a terrible time get
ting used to one anothers ways. You'll
see, he'd waited good while and was
some older than I WAS flor owhiIa 4 {