St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-11-01
A BASHFUL MANS
LOVE STORY
How He Came to Win the
Girl of His Choice.

! | heard the words across the garden
wall l am Henry Teale The speak
er was Kate Harker, who was talking
with her cousin, Marion browne.
"But he knows things" replied Mar
lon.
What matters it If he does. He is
| too bashful and reserved to tell what
he knows. There isn't a girl in the
place who doesn't dread to be left
alone with him.
Don't you think some of them
might overcome their aversion If he
should suddenly become wealthy r.
II don't think / could stand him If
he were WORTH
I was lying in a hammock In the
back yard reading. l got up and went
into the house, but as this scrap of
conversation occupied but a few mo-
ments I could not very well avoid
hearing it. To do myself justice, did
not wish to hear myself discussed.
Kate Harker's remarks were intensely
painful to me, so painful that l re-
solved to leave the place of my birth
and go forth into the great world, hop
ing to forget them.
did not forget them, but had the
sensitiveness knocked out of me very
quickly. made money, made it out
of nothing, and to do this 1 was oblig-
ed to master my feelings. ITO those
who have shall be given" and by the
death of an aunt 1 inherited a for
tune. I owned the little tumbledown
house with the acre of ground about
it in which had lived with my moth
err, and since she was no longer living
I resolved to go back and dispose OF
it. The day after my arrival rugged
hammock in the back yard and lay
down in it with a cigar and a book.
Pretty soon I heard voices over the
wall.
"Have you seen himg'
Eyes; l was peeping through the
blinds when he came"
1 recognized the first voice as that OF
Marion, the second as that of Kate.
This was all 1 heard, for the two girls
passed out of hearing.
In the evening called on my neigh
Dor. Kate Harker received me as if I
were her oldest and best friend, MAX
L
had found in her eyes since she had
pronounced me a gawk. Marion was
very reserved. Indeed, had 1 been as
unsophisticated as when 1 had heard
her say "But he knows things!" I
should have concluded that she had
turned against me-. But a man can't
make money without gaining knowl-
edge of human nature. suspected
that Marion now held aloof from a
feeling that since L had become a de-
sirable "catch" it was not her place to
court me-
you young ladies must be more
careful as to your words" said BE
fore 1 went away overheard a scrap
gave me great pain"
Both looked at me uneasily.
''You two were talking In the gar
den. One said, He's a gawkv the 9TH
er, But he knows thingsv'
The two girls looked at each other
inquiringly.
II remember no such conversation"
said Kate. Marion was silent.
''Do you, Marion?' I asked.
mo, but candor compels me to say
that at that time the criticisms were
just"
''The first surely was, though 1 am
not so certain about the second. But
the business of it all could have no
effect on boy of nineteen. 1 have for
years felt harshly toward the one who
called me gawk and kindly to her
who said But he knows thingsv''
''Then you recognized their voices"
said Kate, paling slightly. Tell us
who called you a gawk"
81 may have attributed the remark |
to the wrong girl, but to whomsoever
toss this pin let her stand accused"
Taking pearl pin from my scarf, 1 |
tossed it to Marion.
The distress on Marion's face was
painful to see. Kate blushed, and the
guilty look on her face was equally
She struggled with her
self to take the blame that she knew
belonged to her, but without success.
1 waited to see if Marion would place
1t where it belonged, but she did not
She handed my pin back to me.
Keep it as a token that you are for
given" said
But she was resolute, and 1 at last
placed the jewel again in my scarf
1 waited a week, leaving the girls
free, the one to assume her just bur-
den, the other to place it upon her
friend. I paid Kate marked attention
and treated Marion with indifference.
had learned selfishness myself, but
admired that sense of honor which
prevented Marion from throwing the
blame on Kate. Meanwhile took sat
sfactfon in Marion's distress. The
fact Of having called me a gawk was
nothing to her discredit. l knew that
t was the loss of my favor that pain
I'd her. II
Marion said one day, shave you
having called me a gawk"
Che crorro mo M ,.ornIr