Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-03-04
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s oiovls paused briefly, and replied, g would
n Hartman bolted the door. .sSitdorp ,,so !;
me- land listen. The girl has been here today
II one is pning in grievous sorrow for her detan
tion here; and longs to escape from the Retreat
1 ana regain her home where her mother lies i'll
one moved me, Clovis, by her swestly-tonet
words, and the patience with which she endure
ler suiierlngs, till was almost tempted to, ait
! her to escape have since been irving. as
told you to see what profit or advantage Il is tf
me, or you, or any ofus, to remain here. Surel,
the world holds wider and better fields for on,
efforts, than this msera5lo Retreat, w.liess W.
foli ike slaves, in a pcrilous enterprise: and
t realize only our daily bread. For one desire
aehange''
| lou talk, answered Clovis, f" like bold
} mutineer' La Motto, Phillips, Turner and
Aunt blossom, you know, make this their hiding
place from the world and dare not leave it.
Neither dare they trust one Of the gang to
withdraw, for fear he would turn honest man.
ana report them to IN officer of the Crown. This
makes me believe they killed Tom Kent when be
disappeared 50 mystariously after bis quarrel
with Aunt Blossom
" Well, Clovis, what of that? They are but
three, besides Aunt Blossom
g True; but Pellet, Kingsley, O'Neil. Haddo.
Old Mol, and half dozen more might name
would be dead against breaking up; and they
would control the rest. lido not believe ono of
the gang, besides ourselves, unless it be McDer-
mot would be willing to quit. So YOU sec,
Kolph, when you talk to them about turning
honest man, they will take it you mean to turn
niormer; and bullet through your brains will
settle that point, sooner than gill of whiskey
VIII settle the stomach of old Moll or Sail .Jen-
kinr.''
" Well, Clovis, sariouslv,'' said Hartman
4" are You disposed to quit, at the risk of your
life, and try your hand at something else?
" Are yoa, Rolph?" asked Clovis,
" Clovis, said Hartman, "Jlo We understand
each other fairly"
g We do" he replied.
" Truly and honestly, according to the filth
OF honest men?'
| We DO, by my word, Rolph.'
8 Then an, said Hartman.
" 30 n" l, conditioned that Billy AIusgraye
Aidsgrave goes with US
y" hat, Clovis, with condition annexed
4 that destroys the force Of yotr will -"
And shows YOU an ayowed traitor to tho
gang, whiis my seeming treAson is qualified bv
" condition impossible to be performed, would
you say, Rolph? . said Clovis. intemupting him.
" No, no, Roph, " he continued, II have not
sought to entrap you; and would not betray
you 1t were averse to the treason vo,l propose.
My own thoughts are wandering elsewhere than
here, and the wish Of theg girl incites them more,
But Billy Musgrave and have been compan-
ions from his carly chtEhood. More than once
have | saved his life, may almost say, and
many times with desperate will have interro-
S'd between him and the anger Of human brntes
IN the gang, whose temper is more ferocious and !
Implying than that Of the wild beasts that
nightly howl Ill our cars Billy knows it; feels
1t ls grateful for it and for what haustlons
IN his behalf, and am ready to do, he loves me !
as II We're his father or his brother; and os
such believe love him too. Somehow. Ro)nb =
ne aud are bound together, and we cannot sep -,
arate If were to leave ginl, thcs, devils =
would Kill him i'll a week, ard Musgrayo would u
be the last to shed tear Tor his loss
"D---n Musgrve," said Hartman, "ho ~
Was made without foant for tears" %
Clovis was 81 deeply absorbed in thesubject n n
o his last discourse, that he did not seem to no.
tloo the remark of Hartman and the latter con-
tlnnod " 1t would be my wish that Billy "
'hoaid 90 with us. Aside from any considera ts
1iohs OF loss or gain, he has too many rood >,
iuaiitieS' and too few bad ones, in Lis heart to +,
DO snaggcr; but no thanks does he owe to his q,
ather Tor the presence of the one, or the absence j.
II the other
=" can Judge best Of that, said Clovis. >. -
: know his father well enough to be u sufH- -
eht judge, Hartman replied, 81 and [ tell ,s
'ou, CLOVIS, that father is bent on the damua- Il,
ION OF ms child, who sends him to such ulaee u,
IS tins. of late since the stranger girl visited N,
ne, have ielt this truth as never felt It be- h.
ore'' '.'
vii
CLOVIS dropped his head as if musing on what no
hartman had said. The latter. believinr be '''
ad touched the proper chord, continued, ~
Billy 8 mother must have been an angel :,
sc the son OF such devil as his father woud \.
hend instead of what he is Did YOU ever J..
,e her, Cloyis?n
" Never, till lew days before her death :, pla
answered gravely g was present when she raj
ed and thousand times since hayeI thought tiff
lat II the forfeiture of my life would but ry.
store to Billy what he then lost its cheerful As
crlhee should afford some feoble proof of my bar
wow. Oh, Rolph, you can not think how wa,
rrlbly her death affected me; and then the har
herence between her own sorrowful and for own
wing look, as she lay cold and dead, and the ,
'kS of those bloody devils, Musgrayc and sa,
let +"
" Had she been long ailng?" Hartman en- the,
ired '''ei
q n sa,;if, bcei
GO What then --'' 'l'
9 Don't, don't ask me more, Roph,'' said Wa
oyis interrupting the former ..Had known -.
what poor Billy would come, and what a no III Ill
minded boy he would be, in spite of oil the voas
'rts to make him otherwise; Q, / would have :. !,
ed his mother for Lim--if could. So great
uld be her pride in such boy as she would ~