Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-08-06

exactly as the captain had surmised.
Inc note she had received on the even
ing or the return from the life saving
station was from the proprietor of the
blizzard saloon, and in it he limited at
some dire calamity that overshadowed
her grandfather and demanded an i'm
mediate interview. She had seen him
that night and under threat of instant
exposure had promised to pay the sum
required for silence. She had not wish
/ ed to use her grandfather's money for
! this purpose, and so had taken the posi-
ton as teacher.
WELL" said the captain, 81 wish
you'd have come to me right away and
told me the whole business. 'Twould
have saved pile of trouble"
The young lady stopped short and
faced him.
Captain Err" she said, ''how could
J 1! was sure grandfather had set the
fire. l knew how i'll he was, and l
knew that any shock might kill him.
Besides, how could 1 drag you into it
when you had done so much already?
| ~ "o0Ao nave Uccu uIcdulQ 4NO,
thought it all out and decided 1 must
face it alone
well, l tell you this, Elsie, pretty
gin'rally mean dog I'll bite if he sees
you're afraid of him. The only way to
handle that kind is to run straight at
him and kick the meanness out of him.
The more he barks the harder you
| nuOhf fn kioIy r1rn
it'll be mighty uncomf' table every
time you go past that house. But new
er mind. l caPlate this p'ticlar pup
won't bite. I've pulled his teeth, /
guess. What's your plans now? Coin
to keep on with the school or go back
to Boston?"
Miss Preston didn't know. She said
she had not yet decided and, as the
schoolhouse was reached by this time,
the captain said no more.
There was, however, another ques-
ton that troubled him and that seemed
\ to call for almost immediate settle
ment. 1t was, What should be done
with Mrs. Snow?S The housekeeper had
been hired to act as such while John
Baxter was in the house. Now he was
gone and there remained the original
marriage agreement between Captain
Jerry and the widow. Honor called
for decision one way or the other.
Mrs. Snow of course said nothing
about it, neither did Captain Jerry, and
Captain Fri felt that he must take the
. initiative, as usual. But somehow he
was not as prompt as was his wont
and sat evening after evening whit
Ting at the clipper and smoking
thoughtfully. And another week went
by.
, Captain Perez might and probably
would have suggested action upon this
, important matter had not his mind
, been taken up with what to him was
the most important of all. He had
made up his mind to ask Patience
q Davis to marry him.
Love is like the measles; it goes hard
I with man past fifty, and Captain
. Perez was severely smitten. The de
cision just mentioned was not exactly
p a brand new one; his mind had beer
,, made up for some time, but he lacked
. the courage to ask the momentous
t question. Something the lady had SAID
during the first stages Of their ac
;. Quaintance made great impression or
the captain. She gave 1t as her opin
ion that q man who loved woman
should be willing to go through fire
and water to win her. Captain Perez
! went home that night bordering deep
= ~.
Fire and waterv' he mused.. THAT'S
a turrible test. But she's wonderful
4 woman and would expect it of Teller
l wonder If 1 could do it Seems g il
a I would now, but flesh Is weak and
n might funk and that would settle it
% Fire and water! My, my! That's aw
fulv'
II So the captain delayed and Miss Pa
- thence, who had cherished hopes, founG
- need Of good share of the virtue fol
- which she was named
- But one afternoon at the end of thu
10 week following that of the funera
~ Perez set out for a call upon his in
'r tended which he meant should be a de
~ cisive one.
He found the lady alone, for old Mrs
- Mayo had gone with her son, who's
~ name was Abner, to visit a cousin il
u Harniss, and would not be back unit
late in the evening. Miss Patienc
was very glad to have company. ana
1t required no great amount of urgin
as to persuade the infatuated swain :
OF stay to tea. When the meal was over
ad they washed the dishes together. an
&C. the captain was so nervous that it
no wonder there was whole plate left
er the pair were seated i'll the pariol
he Then said Captain Perez, turning re
ut and hesitating, "Pashy, do you kno7
Jul what feiler told me bout your
&c. Now this remark was purely a plea:
ed ant fiction, for the captain was abot
lie, to undertake compliment and wa
it rather afraid to shoulder the entire r,
Ter sponsibility.