Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-12-25

TN VERY MUCH OBLIGED FoR TIE Eip2
upper road. and drawing near the
avenue OF elms that led TO the great
hou ..
"l cll." said the man gently, you
haven't answered YET. you know"
''Os," said Miss Christina. with a
little start.
81 had fallen into sort OF dream
lnsiG the dream. In which she beheld
hersrlf crossing and recrossing the
poll cd floors Of the great house,
pla ng the dinners for the fat house
keeg r. who now came sometimes 10
buy urollers from her; walking In the
woCls everywhere without regard 10
tres ass signs: feeding beautiful white
Orpia gtons. at 81 the sitting. In mod
ell chicken house behind the stables
and perhaps other choice varieties OF
fowl as well.
81 forgot" she said rather blaukiy.
She seemed TO he waking from both
dreams at once. A sudden sense OF
uneas mess stirred beneath her previ-
ously unbroken conten.. She realized
that the wind was chill and that Il
was long past the time for feeding her
hens. \ suspicion came TO her that her
neighbor was making fun Of her be-
cause she had talked 80 much and let
him see the poverty Of her life. She
wanted very mu,h to get home.
Il don't think there is any answer"
she said hurriedly. Il think I'd better
20 home"
NO answer" exclaimed the man
eagerly. with CONSERVATION in his tone.
In point OF fact, It had now grown
amazingly clear TO him that an an
swer-the one auswer-to his hypo-
theiical question was quite the most
Important thing In the whole world to
him.
But, Miss Christina. surely you
can't mean Then he stopped short.
He could not say 10 her that Just be-
rause she had never had another pro
posal IL was Incredible that she
shouldn't accept this one, yet that WAS
wha, he had been virtually ON the
poiut OF doing.
lear Miss Christina" he urged.
thee must be an answer because II
means SO tremendously much to me.
IL love you." He was perfectly sure
. OF It now.
! Net so Miss Christina.
! Nonsense. she said, with decision,
-trsy hal hu nd ha raj M
and bringing the horse to a standstiil
"You don't at all. I'm going to get
I out here. It's only few steps home
! through Mouse lane. It's all shoveied
and good walking. and 'twould be a
/ good mile round TO drive Yes, an"
She spoke rapidly. you only think
SO Just this minute because you took
me to ride. and I'm very much obliged.
and because told you I'd never had
q proposal. You'd be sorrier than
would II l said yes" Again Miss
! Christina was unconscious Of the way
her words might sound. Their mean.
ing was clear TO herself.
She was standing In the snow and
lifting her Christmas greens carefully
from the bottom Of the sleigh.
"I'm very much obliged for the ride. =
she repeated Il had very nice time
4 ] shan't ever forget 1t. | know how
'tis--you thought how 'twould seem e
be The FIRST one. and I'm glad you
were. never supposed Id have even
what you might call one. and now
have"
She gathered her skirts into one
hand aud. looking back, smiled-yes
smiled and nodded cheerfully to the
man In the sleigh.
Then she stepped lightly up and over
the wall beside the bars into Mouse
lane. From this elevation she could
see her hens not more than 800 yards
away wandering about the front door
yard looking for her, and she did moi
give single backward thought to the
sleighbells as they slowly tinklsd ouI
Of bearing.