Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-03-10

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worn planks Of the platform and damp
ened the pncking cases too thorough,
for occupation by the station loungcr
The bus driver, Mr.. Bennett, and tn,
proprietors Of two attendant "cut I'M
ders' and three or four other worthie,
whom business or the lack OF it called
to that locality awaited themselves o.
the shelter Of the waiting room but til,
gentlemen Of the Herald were too agi
tnted to be confined save by the limit.
Of the horizon.
They had reached the station half ar
hour before train time and consumed
the interval in pacing the platform TN
der big cotton umbrella. addressin,
ench other only in monosyllables. Thos,
IN the waiting room gossiped eagerly
ana for the thousandth time about til:
late events and particularly abo;:t tho
tremendous news of Tisbec. Judd Ecn
nett looked out through the rainy door
/ way at the latter with reverence and {
finc pride of townsmanship. lie de
! clarcd 1t to be bis belief that I'sbet
ana Parker were waiting for her now.
For all Carlow knew why t'isbee ha(
gone to meet the strange lady at .ht
station wien she had come to visi
the l;riscoes, why he had come wit,
Ter - tie lecture. why lie had taken
supper Mt the briscOcs' three times and
thinner tw.CC when she was there. Els
bee had told the story TO Parker on a
melancholy afternoon as they sat to-
.,rthcr in The Herald Office, and Parker
hHd told the town. 1t was simple
enough indeed. and Fisbcc's past was
mystery no longer. 1t might have
been revealed years before had there
been anything in particular to reveal
and If it had ever occurred to tishCn
to talk of himself and his affairs.
Things had Il habit of not occurring To
FisDce.
Mr.. Parker. very nervous himself,
felt his companions elbow trembling
against his own as the great engine.
rccking in the mist and sending great
clouds of white vapor lip 10 the sky,
sWoopcd down the track, rushed 10y
them and came 10 Il standstill beyond
til" platform i'iShcc and the foreman
made haste 20 the nearest vestihuic
and were gazing blnnkly at its barred
approaches when they heard Il silvcry
laugh behind them and an exclamation.
"JpstairS and downstairs and in NY
lady's chamber Just behind you,
dear
Turning quickly. the foreman hohcld
blushing and smiling little vision, Il
vision with light brown hair. vision
enveloped in light brown rain cloak
and with brown gloves from which
the handles of big brown travelling
bag We're let fall as the vision dis
appeared under the cotton umbrella,
while the smitten Judd Bennett recled
gnsping against the station.
Dearest" the girl cried to the old
man. "you should have been looking
for me between the devil and the deep
sea- the parOr car and the smoker.
I've given up cigars. and I've begun
to study economy, SO | didn't come on
either
The drizzle and mist blew in under
the top of the "cut under" as they
drove rapidly into town. and bright lit
tie drops sparkled on the fair hair
above the new editors forehead and on
the long lashes above the new editors
cheeks She shook these transient
gems of lightly as she paused in the
doorway of the office at the top of the
rickety stairway
Mr.. Schofied had just added the last
touch to his decorations and managed
10 slide into his coat as the party came
up the stairs, and now. pcrspiilng
proud embarrassed, he assumed an at
titude at once dcprecatory of his en-
deavors and pointedly expectant OF
concentrations for the results. Ole
was modest youth and conscious
After his first sight of her ms she stood
in the doorway it was several days be-
fore he could lift his distressed eyes
under the new editors glance or, in
deed, dare TO avail himself Of more
than hasty and futtering stare at
her when her back was turncd) As
she entered the room he sidled along
the wall and laughed sheepishly a,
nothing.
Every chair in the room was orna-
mcntcd with one Of his blue roscttes,
tied carefully and firmly 10 the middle
sat OF each chair back. There had
been several yards of ribbon left over
.uH there was hard knot OF glossy
,s,;l on each of the inkstands and on
l..e doorkuobs. A blue band passing
around the stovepipe lent II an antique
rahishucss suggestive of the charioteer
and u number of strcamers suspended
from hook in the ceiling encourage
n supposton that the employers of the
Herald were contemplating the in
triCate festivities Of May day. Ii need
ed no ghost to infer that these garni-
lures had not ombellishcd the editorial
but, on the contrary, had been pun in
place that very morning. Mr., l'i>boc
had not known of the d decorations, and
rs his eye fell upon them faint look
of pain passed over his brow. Hut the
girl examined the room with n dancing
eye and there were both tears and
laughter in her heart.
How beautiful" She cried. How
boautiful!" she crossed the room and
gave her hand to Ross. at is Mr.,
Schoiic!d, ISN'T it? The ribbons are
delightful | didn't know Mr.. ilark-
less room WAS so pretty"
Ross looked out of the window and
laughed as he took her hand, which he
shook with II long up and down motion,