Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-07-16

49, --t-7---4.' u 0oIA2 real SOOu. 1Uu
see those big boys down there. Wei,
no one Seems to want boys around. |
have noticed it III homes and else
were, and here today l have thought
that much goo1 might be done
In what way may l ask" said he,
bis face growing hard and becoming
squarer in outline at once.
- We'll, would give a little reception
every fortnight to this kind of boys
and some girls l know and your Bible
class, and in that way they would
learn to enjoy themselves in a proper
way and keep off the streets and out
of bad company"
L have listened to you patiently, but
would wish to state, and most emphat-
ically, that entirely disapprove of any
such plan. That is the duty of par
ents. Young people are too noisy. Be
sides, l shall require you to assist me
in hunting up notes and references
and looking up authorities and also to
typewrite my sermons in duplicate for
the reporters"
"Ah, and anything else?" asked
Margaret with dangerous sweetness.
Yes" said he falling into the trap,
just like any man Il have no doubt
that with the management of my
household and the line of reading
shall lay out for you, and sewing your
| clothes and doing what l have just
said, in aiding me in my arduous Ia
| bors, your time will be too much occu-
| pied for frivolous things, so there will
| be no receptions. | told you [ do not
like noise. Your sisters are very noisy,
always giggling, and call that a mark
of levity. Therefore 1 wish to have
you tell them so, and that I cannot
have your time nor mine broken in
upon by frequent visits. Once a month
us quite enough
Two red spots burned in Margarets
cheeks as she took off the ring she was
wearing and handed ii. to him, saying:
Here is your ring, sir. Our engage
ment is at an end.''
Seeing that he made no effort to take
it, Margaret threw the ring to the
ground. For moment he stood dumb;
then he looked at her, saying:
Young woman, think what you are
doing! You are losing mep'
Margaret turned away, seized by an
insanity desire to laugh at his panied
surprise. While. he was searching in
his slow brain to find some suitable
phrase Margaret had disappeared up
the winding path to the hill among the
trees until she reached dusty clump
Of bushes and crept under them to
| f6t71Iy ySTi1o+ world csfc vi
!, lat would the world say? She had
thrown away the best match of the
season, but she was glad Of it. She
was free. She hated the pompous man
who had told her what her slavery
would be. She never wanted to see
him again But what would her sis
tiers say? They We're poor, though
trying hard to appear otherwise, and
this match had meant much to them,
ana now Margaret had thrown away
her opportunity She knew what
neutrality-suspicious. and wild reproaches
from them all for her contumacy. SO
she crept under the shrubbery and
wept until she was exhausted.
The incensed clergyman left the place
- before the two sisters had found him.
lie was in a fine religious rage. He
! called to mind several OF the most
blighting maledictions in usage among
the early fathers, but they brought no
relief. His vanity was wounded.
The sisters, not finding him or Mar
, garet, thought they had doubtless gone
= alone, after the manner of. the en-
gagged, so decided to return home. They
Gid so, but no Margaret was there.
While all this was going on some
one had seen Margaret and the clergy
man as they stood together and had
! marked the return of the ring and
= drew his own conclusions. This was
the artist whose handsome face and
: genial heart had been in Margaret
mind a long time. He had on this
: great day packed up his sketchbook
9 and betaken himself to the Wissahick-
f on, perhaps to work and perhaps to
$ try to get glimpse of Margaret. He
knew that all the flags duttering among
n the trees were flying to do her honor
4 and felt that the whole picnic was for
o her. Her personality overshadowed
a everything else to him.
:. It was nearly o'clock, and the last
O load Of uncomfortable, hot and sleepy
U children had gone A few early rock
> cts began to leap into the sky in the
Il distance. Under the shade of the trees
r and bushes 1t began to seem quite
v dark, and Margaret was afraid, so sht
:. crept OUT to find herself facing thu
If young artist, who was making beFev'
~ that he was sketching.
Then Margaret began to cry again
q which made it necessary for him t,
II console her and for her to explain
a She ended her story saying:
!, "And l don't know what to do
r. ''I'll tell you. This is independence
- day. You are of age Declare you
~ independence have a brother il
y Camden. a clergyman, and We'll jus
- 60 over and be married at once"
:. "But what will my sisters say?'
= 1--WE will find out when we com