Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-06-21


are pretty nervous over the matter, aim
you ?" I said, watching his fdgety move
ments. Well, L should think So h'
replied Il hain't slept sound for a week
And do you know" he went on, glancing
around at the passengers and speaking il
a lower tone, " | am almost certain thi,
train will run off the track and break my
neck before [ get to Boston. Well, the
fact is, L have had too much good luck for
one man lately. The thing cant last
faint natural that it should, you know
I've watched it. First it rains, then it
shines, then it rains again. 1t rains so
hard you think it's never going to stop ;
then it shines so bright you think its al
ways going to shine; and Just as you re
settled in either belief, you are knocked
over by change, 10 show you that you
know nothing about it Well accord n
to the philosophy" said l. you will con-
tinue to have sunshine because you are
expecting a storm . It's curious" he
returned, = but the only thing which
makes me think | will get through safe,
! is because | think | Won't Well, that
is curious" said [. Lord, yes" he re-
piled. q" I'm machinist-madea discov-
/ ery-nobody believed in it; spent all my
money trying to bring it out-mortgaged
my homc-all went. Everybody laughed
at me-everybody but my wife-spunky
little woman-said she would work her
fingers off before [ should give it up.
Went to England-no better there came
within an ace of jumping off London
bridge Went into a shop to earn money
enough TO come home with there | met
the man | wanted. To make a long story
short, I've brought thirty thousand pounds
home with me, and here | am Good
for YOU :" { exclaimed Yes. said he
thirty thousand pounds and the best Of
it Is she don't know anything about 1t. I've
fooled her 50 often anddisappontod her so
much that | concluded | would say nothing
about this. When | got my money
through, you better believed struck bee
line for home. And now you viii make
her happy, ! said L.
Happy =" he replied, why, you dom
know anything about it. She's worked
ike a dog while have been gone, trying
to support herself aud the children decent
ly. They paid her thirteen cents apiece
for making coarse shirts and that's the
way she'd lived half the time She'll
come down there TO the depot TO meet me
in a gin.ham dress, and a shawl a hun
dred years old, and she'll think She
dressed up Oh. she won't have no clothes
after this-oh, no, guess not. And with
these words which implied that his wife
wardrobe would soon rival Queen Vic
torias. the stranger tore down the passage
way again, and getting in his old corner
where hc thought himself ont of sight went
through the strangest pautomlme laughing.
putting his mouth into the drolle-t shapes, /
and then swinging himself back aud forth |
in the limited space. as If he were walk /
ing down broadway full rigsed belle.
And Sc on till we rolled into the depot, |
and placed myself on the other car, |
opposite the stranger who. with port
mauteau ia each hand had descended and I
was ,taulin. on the lowest step. ready to /
jump to the platform. l looked from his |
face to the faces of the people before Us,
but saw no sign OF recognition. Suddenly |
he cried. There they are, and laughed /
but ia hy~terical sort OF q way rs he /
looked over the crowd | followed his /
eyes and saw some distance back, a~ ifI
crowded ont and ~h0uIderet away by the
wcll-dressed aud e,bowing throng. "a little
woman in a faded dress and a well wcrn
hat, with face almost painfu! in its in
tense but hopeful expression, giaucing rap
idly from W ndow 10 window as the coaches
gIdcd in. She had not yet seen the ~tran-
ger but a moment after she caught his
eye. and in another instant he had Jumped
to the platform with his two portmautc2uS
and making a hole in the crowd pushing
one here and there, and running one of his
bundles plump INTO the well-devolopei
stomach of venerable looking o+d gentle
man In spectacles ne rushed toward the
place she was standing. | think | never
saw a face assume 50 many different cx
prcssjons in so short "A time as did that OF
the little woman while her husband was
on his way to her She uidn't look pretty
on the contrary, she looked very plain,
but someway felt big lump rise in my
throat as | watched her. She was trying
to laugh but, God bless her, how COM
oletely she failed in the attempt Her
mouth got into the position but it never
moved after that, save to draw down At
he corners and quiver, while She blnked
lCE eyes ~ ~ l. iiAsAO L 81 'tt>C SUI blt y |
;aught occasional gHmpses Of the broad
5houdcred fellow who elbowed his way so
,apid Y toward her. and then, as he drew
'lose and dropped those everlasting bun
Hes, she Just turned completely round,
with her back toward him, and covered her
ace with her hands. And thus she was
when the strong man gathered her up in
lis arms as IF she had been baby. and t
leld her sob5iug to his breast. There s
we're enough gaping at them, heaven knows, .
md | turned my eyes away a moment, and 9
hen [ saw two boys in threadbare rounda- |
,outs standing near, wiping their red eyes {
md noses on their little coat sleeves, and J
bursting out anew at every fresh demonstra- y
ion on the part Of their mother. When ?
looked at the stranger again be had his o
at drawn down over his eyes but his a
7ife was looking up at him, and it seemed n
5 if the pent-up gears Of all those weary il
lonths of waiting were streaming through d
or eyelids. Il
PHoTOGRAPHs PRINTED on Power +,
-, il tbei L