Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-08-23
said I. "I want to see the country

Too"
She smiled a little, and picked
lilac bud. holding it to her nose. She
seemed quite far away now. The first
few days of our rapid intimacy had
passed, and now she was as much a
stranger to me as on the first meeting
in the pines. I said nothing about hef
coming to the farm; don't know why.
Somehow, l was piqued. wished her
to make the first move. In some way,
it was all due to my asking her to
choose the paint for my dining room,
and that seemed to me ridiculous.
There was no sun to wake me IN tne
morning, SO that I slept till half-past
six. Outside the rain was pouring
steadily down, and I found Bert re-
joicing, for it was badly needed. After
breakfast 1 waylaid Miss Goodwin.
'No work on the trellis today" said
I, swallowing my pique; $50 I'm going
to fix up the south room. I'm going to
make twin fires out Of some Of the
nice, fragrant apple wood you haven't
sawed for me, and hang the H1rosh1ges,
and unpack the books, and have an ele-
CANT time-if you don't make me DO 1t
alone"
The girl shot a look around Mrs.
Bert's sitting room, where small
owl stood on the mantel under a glass
case and a transparent pink muslin
sack filled with burst milkweed pods
was draped over crayon portrait or
Bert as a young man. I followed her
glance and then our eyes met
"Just the same, they are dear, good
SOULS" she smiled.
"Of course l answered. "But to
SIT here on q cold, rainy day! You may
read by the fire while I work. Only
please Conner
"May 1 read The Foundation Of the
Nineteenth Century, Doctor UptonT
she said.
you may read the dictionary, if you
WISH" l replied.
She went to get her raincoat 1t was
cold out of doors, and the rain drove
! in our faces as we splashed down the
road. The painters had made fire in
! the kitchen range, and as we stepped
! in the warmth greeted us in a curious,
I friendly way. I brought several logs
of dead apple wood into the big room
! and soon had the twin hearths cheer
full with dancing flames. Then l went
back 20 the shed, and brought the two
cushions which had been on my win
dow-seats at college, to place them on
the settle. But as l came into the
room, instead Of finding the girl wait
ing to sit by the fire, l saw her with
sleeves rolled up washing the west
window. Her body was outlined
against the light, her hair making an
aura about her head. AS she turned a
little, caught the saucy grace Of hel
profile. She was so intent upon hel
task that she had not heard me enter
and I paused a full moment watching
her Then I dropped the cushions and
cried, ''Come, here's your seat! That
is no task for Pho"
81 don't want a seat" she laughed
I'm having a grand time, and dom
care to have my eruditiOn thrown II
my face. 1 love to wash windows"
'But The Foundations Of the Nine
teenth Century'?' said I.
'The whole nineteenth century is OF
these windows" she replied. eve go
to scrub here to get at its foundations.
, "But you'll get tired again."
laughed, though with real solicitude. Z"
didn't want you to come to work-onl.
to be company"
: 81 don't know how to be company
; Please get me some fresh hot water"
My piano, which had stood In tn
dining room ever since the furnitur
had arrived, we unlocked, wheeled in t.
fill the space between the small cas-
windows, and took the covers off.
l I looked around. Already the plac
was assuming a homelike air, and th
long room had contracted into int
macy. The girl dropped her rag int
the pail, and stood looking about.
ooh, the nice roomv' she cried
!, "And oh, the dirty pianor'
Invent out to begin on the books, an
e when I returned I brought the plan
: bench, as well. The girl was busy wit
the east window, and I set the benc
down in silence. She was seated upo
I it, when [ arrived with the third loaC
and through the house were dancin
the sounds of a Bach gavotte.
p She stopped playing as I entered
and looked up with a little smile {
Z apology.
please go onr' I cried.
She wheeled back and let her hand
Il fall on the keys, ripping by a natur.
8 suggestion into the old tune canary
+ lis" The logs were cracking. TT
It gay old measures flooded the room wit
lie sound. My head nodded in time, as
stacked the books on the shelves.
4 Suddenly the music stopped. ar
al with a rustic Of skirts the girl W.
10 beside me. She began to inspect title
re pulling out books here, SUBSTITUTE
others there, carrying some to 9TH