Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-05-04
Returning the Presents.
100000. 900
By ARNOLD GOLDSWORTHY.

! COPHIE MEADOWS sat in the it'll
| y parlor al the back Of her mother
shop and gazed dismally out into IN,
garden Where the last brown leave.
were falling from the limbs 10 th,
soggy footpath below
The scene was not altogether an an
/ sympathetic one for Sophie. since shs
was sad at heart that dun, ni3ty after
noon. Indeed there were signs tina
she had been crying. and when Sophie
cried, her nose grew very red indeed
and a woman win not incur risk OF
that sort without the most acute
provooation.
In the spring it had all been SO diff
ferent David Trotter, who managed
the village -four mill for his father.
and who was beside a most eligible
young man in every way, had asked
Sophie 10 be his wife, and the earth
had seemed so fair to her then.
Summer had been spring intensified:
and the brightness Of her life had
seemed quite dazzling And now
everything was cherries and damn.
the sun was cold and the fire Of true
and only love had spluttered out and
left Sophie with a bruised heart and a
red nose.
Everybody knew it was David's-
that is Mr. Trotter's-fault: or, at
least, everybody 70 whom Sophie had
mentioned the matter.
Sophies mother had perhaps not
quite grasped the full meaning Of the
awful crisis in her daughters bright
young life. The good soul had even
spoken lightly Of il, affecting to treat
il as a mere lovers quarrel, and that
at time when Sophie had been seri-
ously considering whether she ought
to go into nunnery or just pine away
and die in the back parlor of home
Sophie knew for a fact that David
or, rather, Mr.. Trotter-had been seen
flirting with Faith Duker, the creature
who set her cap at everybody. The
thing had been seen in the village
and after a likely bit of scandal had
gone the round Of village like Dun
stead its own mother would not have
it at the finish.
David had gone so far as to meet the
a second time BY appoint
nent, and that, Of course, capped his
niquity. Everybody knows that no
girl can put up with
soings-on like that.
Il would not have mattered SO much
{ he had admitted his error. and had
ndeayored to earn forgiveness by
tting display Of contrition. But David
lad had the effrontery to deny the
barge, and had actually punched
Dung Harper about dreadfully for lust
usually mentioning the matter to
ircle Of friends at the Blue Anchor.
Which Just shows you the true char
cter of people like David should !
", Mr. Trotter.
And yesterday Sophie had taken her Y
i in hand. and after laboriousiy {
70 wing the dictionary 50 as to be
re that she had got the long words
mt, he'd intimated to Mr.. Trotter in
ID and diEnified terms that ali was |
" over between them, and he would i,
seive per bearer the presents he had
lde her, and henceforth they we're
'anEers forevermore. Amen. Is
On other days Sophie would have !
en- helping her mother in the shop:
L to-day she could do nothing out !
and watch the leaves fall As it
ew dusk she got up and Ht the lamp. i
lere was her knitting on the table
The woolly squares hanging from the
.adles We're the foundations of a pair 7
socks that had been intended for
m Now, of course. they would go I
the heather via the parish church
ID the missionary society. No doubt I
e heather would be more apprecia- !
We, though perhaps wocllen socks S
the tropics might be a little trying '
the untutored savage mind. And |
EN-
"Sophie!" q
II was the voice Of Mrs. Meadows.
.lling from the shop And a moment
ter the good soul put her head into s
lie parlor and added:
Sophie! It's David. He's come to |
re YOU"
Tell him I don't want to see him. 9
lother," she said. After what's an 2
aned I don't want to speak to him
gain"
Mrs. Meadows turned back 70 her
hop. but before she could repeat the ?
1rtent0us message. David was already Z y
& the parlcr door. Mrs. Meadows was
bout 20 retire again, discreetly. when 6
ophie stopped her impadently.
Don't go mother" she said. with {
be imperousness OF the spoiled child !
hat she was.
David was a big. rosy-cheeked fellow [