Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-02-14
that mysterious hidden thing

that mysterious hidden thing!
One day Uncle Peabody came down
c see me and / walked through the
village with him. We met Mr.. Dunkel-
)erg, who merely nodded and hurried
llong. Mr.. Bridges, the merchant, did
not greet him warmly and chat with
him as he had been wont to do. saw
that The Thlng-as l had come to
think of twas following him also.
How 1t darkened his facet Even now
can feel the aching of the deep,
bloodless wounds Of that day. l could
bear 1t better alone. We were trying
to hide our pain from each other when
we said good-by. How quickly my
uncle turned away and walked toward
the sheds He came rarely to the VII
lage of Canton after that.
May had returned-a warm bright
May. l had entered my seventeenth
year and the work Of the term was
finished.
Having nothing to do one afternoon,
l walked out on the road toward Og-
densburg for look at the woods and
fields. Soon l thought that heard the
sound of galloping hOofs behind me.
l looked back and l saw Sally round
ing the turn by the river and coming
toward me at full speed, the name Of
her pony flying back to her face. She
pulled up beside me just as l had
imagined she would do.
Bart, l hate somebody terribly"
said she.
"WhomT"
"a man who is coming to our house
on the stage today. Granny Barnes is
trying to get up match between us.
Father says he Is rich and hopes he
will want to marry me. I got mad
about it. He is four years older than
am. Isn't that awful? l am going to
be Just as mean and hateful to him as
l can"
81 guess they're only fooling you"
said.
mo, they mean it. l have heard
them talking it over.
He cannot marry you"
"WhyT
1t seemed to me that the time had
come for me to speak out, and with
burning cheeks / said:
Because l think that God has mar
ried you to me already. Do you re-
member when we kissed each other
by the wheat field one day last sum-
merW
"Yes."
We had faced about and were walk
ing back toward Canton, | close by the
pony's side.
"May kiss you again|
She stopped the pony and leaned
toward me and our lips met In kiss
the thought of which makes me lay
down my pen and bow my head mo-
ment while | think with reverence Of
that pure, sweet spring of memory In
whose waters l love to wash my
spirit.
81 guess God has married us again."
declared.
81 knew that you were walking on
this road and | had to see you" said
she. "People have been saying such
terrible things"
"What?'
"They say your uncle found the
pOcketbook that was lost and kept the
money. They say he was the first man
that went up the road after 1t was
lost"
ITS a lie-my uncle never saw the
pocketboOk. Some money was left to
him by a relative In Vermont. That's
how 1t happened that he bought farm
instead of going to the poOrhouse when
Grimshaw put the screws to him."
II knew that your uncle didn't do
IT," she went on. "Father and mother
couldn't tell you. So had to-"
"Why couldn't your father and moth
er tell meT
"They didn't dare. Mr.. Grimshaw
made them promise that they would
not speak to you or to any Of your
family. Iheard them say that you and
your uncle did right. Father told
mother TAT he never knew a man so
honest aS your Uncle Peabody"
just then we came upon the Silent
Woman sitting among the dandellons