Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-11-28


several of his friends and acquaint-
ances, but there was something within
him that made him shrink from
closer contact with any of them. par
tcular1y as he fancied he noted on
their faces expressions of a sympathy
that was CALLING to his sensitive spirit.
so when he had taken his mail from
the little. glass faced lock box. instead
or pausing to speak to them he busted
himself with looking over the letters
and turned down toward the ware
house. One communication was from
confidential broker, informing Hill
Yer that wheat had risen to S1OS
buShei and advising him to hold on.
IS the market showed q decided up
ward tendency. Meeting the negro
porter Jake on q corner, Buckley gave
him the letters and told him to take
them Up to Hillyer and then. for lack
Of anything else to Do. lie entered the
warehouse s.Ut tie door after him
aad went b1c., to his room Here he
sat Gown Al the window il the sun
shine. AID almost before he was aware
| of it he had allowed Il feeling of utter
| Dependency to { .srpnd upon him
| What j. - L a nsi;ei himself
| How r." I =. H.. -4.ouEh:" For
! half ;,l. .1@T -. az. n the very
dregS o. ., -,.ai". "a 4 l.. :. .,.iaenly
| picture ;',',. 1'.1g- 81, .,....i-..l vision
a picture IL ID .n-t.. 80 yer as he sat
there OF =. III ia IT,. vague lamp
light, rec3AntHg the cua mistake of his
life and the grim tfcl:t he was still
| making 10 overcome the consequences,
and flush OF Shame stole over the
young man. I've promised him" he
said aloud promised him to be
man, and l SHALL Shall"
Just then the church bells began to
ring. They were all harsh in tone. being
cheap cast iron, except one which had
been struggled into the village during
the war from q larger town after the
church to which it belonged was de-
Stroyed by fire. Its tone was sweet
and mellow and rose out of the general
clangOr like a promise of peace TO sui
fering souls. 1t was ringing i'll the lit
tie belfry Of the church Lydia Cranston
attended. She was an EpiscOpaiian.
but as there was no church Of that de-
nomination at barley. and her father
was partial to the rather progressive
young minister of the Methodist church.
she and her mother went there regular
ly. And it must be confessed that
George Buckley had on many Sun
day since forming her acquaintance at
tended that particular place of wor-
ship, and chiefly for the opportunity
of seeing her. He knew that it would
be difficult thing for him to face
the little congregation. divining the
thoughts that would rise in the minds
of all, and yet he met the matter cOur-
ageously and went.
He was vaguely glad that the first
hymn had been sung and that there
were no lOiterers, as was frequently
the case, on the steps. Reaching the
door and looking in, his heart set up a
! lively beating as he saw Lydia Gran
! sion with her parents in their pew
The major was the only man in Oar
ley who sat on the ladies side of the
house. He seemed never to have re-
marked that he was acting in an eXcep
tiOnal manner in this regard. In an
6 other thing he was different from 9th
err men. He was. perhaps, the only
n male individual in the village who
u wore kid gloves. His silk hat was OF
the floor at the end of the pew, anC
across it's top lay his gold headed cane
4, upon which was engraved respectful
y tribute from his regiment. Indeed. TIT
1t Cranston family had a decided air Of
%ho AZ fhor1 onH If was
le all the more noticeable because of th'
Y. few families of quite their own rant
Id at barley. Lydia, tall, graceful ant
fair, was really a pretty girl. ana, VIVA
I'd was better, she was very well INFORMED
I'd Mrs. Dugan had often remarked tina
It nearly all the young men-and those U
t; the best barley blood t0O-Were aclua'
~ afraid of the Virginia girl. ana Wnll
n she thought it most peculiar ana ue
Id plOred the condition of things she al
e. tributed the lowborn George Buckley
standing in Lydia's estimation to TIL
at fact that he could talk to her aoou
books an the like an had the natu
e. raj cheek of his class"
ed The central aisle was carpeted, an
is George stepped softly to one of tn
n seats in the rear and sat DOWN II
was glad that his arrival was note
only by a few. The young mlnlste
ed would have been conspicuous in lal
ire ger place than barley. He was 81
in feet four in height, very dark and n
ut markably slight; his eyes were dar
blue, his features sharp, and he woI
ut his black hair long and was clea
OF shaven.
in. When the service was over Geore
Do stood and waited for Mrs Hillyer, WI
he was coming toward him. in her stl
ha black silk, with a welcoming smile.
m, Glad to see you out. young man
w. she said as she joined him. ih'
on was a rip-you-up-the-back pay-up-o
oar git-out sort of d sermon. wasn't /
IN You m Mr.. Hillyer d better pa
-er around yore bad accounts tomOrro'
he an maybe you'll git the benefit OF
=, -oaI oI6 Peter CaShpl duckin L