Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-07-15
Jim Nelson's Revenge.

II Jim Nelson's Revenge.
/ | always like coming straight at things
SO if [ am going to tell you what know
about this, L ask your leave to do it in my
own way. for I'm plain man, with plain
words, and havo know lctyu Of writing
fine, so here goes.
| was married to Susan Gatey, on the
first day Of February, in the year 1868, at
St Paul's Church, Highford street, which
may be seen by looking at the books Her
father is in the butchering line. He says
to me- when | asked him for Susan:
William says he, of course have a
liking for my little girl, and like to see her
settled in life, and happy; and | ask you
as man and father what's your look
out p
.Susans father says l, l drive, as
you know, on the Great Eastern, that goes
across the country, with goo year and
fuel, and I'll take care of Susan, and be
u kind and dutiful man to her
William says he, shaking my hand
with tears in his eyes, that the bleating OF
all the lambs he'd killed in his day couldn't
bring, you can take her, and good luck to
you, though since her mother was throwed
she'd been bite and sup to me, and Eaven
help that she may be the same to you
Well, | was going away, feeling happy
along of the ease with which things was
working, when he calls me back, saying,
William | amt vicious man, nor yet a
backbite, but | must say that if you take
Susan you get an enemy along with her.
tSho,' says |, taken quite aback.
Fact says he, that Jim Nelson has
been hankering after my little girl off and
on. but she don't like him. No more do
|, and no more do you.
nodded yes.
And he told me one night he'd be an
enemy 10 him that got Susan, without
twas himself.
Never you fear; | thought it was them
lawyers that might be driving Us apart,
said |, laughing hearty; but the old fel-
ow shook his head in a doubtful style.
Well, we-that is, Susan and l-were
wedlocked, as they called it, gay and hap
py as a marriage bell; we were coming
out Of the church, when up came Jim Nell
son, white round the mouth and nose, and
he whispered to me
William Rogers, there's something be-
tween YOU and me so long as you. live.
which won't be long.
What he said he said quickly, and be-
fore | could get Susan's arm off, 50 as to
give him clinch, Susans pa-who was
walking behind, with a white rose in his
mouth-stepped up, and being strong
man he caught Jim by the shoulders, and
turned him around and gave him one with
his boot | think it was done well, for he
rolled down the steps and into a hole that
the sexton was in, and that is worse.
didn't feel like laughing. for it seemed un-
natural, and that day was to me happy,
and | wanted it so all round and it felt
a. though my engine was running over the
sleepers instead OF on the rails when Jim
got up out of the hole all covered with
dirt, and stood as pale as ghost, shaking
his fist at me and Susan, without speaking
q word.
| couldn't shake off the remembrance
Of it in all day nor the next, and kind off
Tread stuck TO me. In spite of all could
10, the thought of it would come suddenly
to me in the oldest places, and | began to
feel little strange. 1t wasn't fear for me
at all, but l kept thinking, supposing he
should do some harm to Susan when | was
away on the road, or come and scare her
with his white face. By George. thinks
to myself, Id tie him on the track length
wise, and run over him, if | thought he'd
do that l know it was a cruel thing to
think of him who done me no harm, but |
was just so savage along of thinking of his
wanting to come between me and my law
full wife.
The next day | went on my route, as
usual, which was from Croydon to Paller-
ton, Just one hundred and three miles.
drove the Nester with the Express down in
the morning, and back to Croydon again,
starting about four o'clock in the afternoon,
though it is not quiet certain as we have
to wait for passengers by the boat, and
that is kept back by storms and such like,
though on the average the time doesn't
vary more than fifteen minutes.
In the winter time, as it was when this
happened, of course it is dark as pitch
when we run into Croydon without there's
a moon and always look we'll at the
head light, and | drive with my eyes we'll
open and L generally let her go full, as
the track is we'll cleared of special trains
at that time, and the way they have of
telegraphing nowadays, keeps me well
posted about the track ahead and the sig
nal along the route. So you see l felt |
pretty safe, and knowing | was a careful |
man 1 didn't have much fear that I'd let
put anything that would show that Jim
was going to get his revenge by doing me
a harm on the road, or by spelling my
as an engineer. For, do you |
see, the idea to me, knowing the road him.
self, and all its workings, was that he |
might think it was easy to hurt me that
way, SO | kept my eyes open.
The next day l looked at Jims house,
which is twenty miles out of Croydon, in
the woods, and near the track saw him
standing by the doorway, scowling 1T me,
Or leastways where he knew | was, for he |
knew my train and habits. as we were
,hums once. He kept his eyes on the cab
window. and as we got almost out ofsight
[ looked round suddenly, and saw him
shaking his fist at the train. Thinks / to |
myself, when saw that, William Rogers
you look sharp when you come back over
this route to-nig ght; men that have spite
that lives as strong as that two days and
two nights ought to be looked after; and
more than that, Susan said to me that
when she was putting my dinner
in the pail, says she, William dear