Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-06-09

At the moment of my onslaught he was
just moving to dismount at our door. The
frantic bound which that sable steed made
as my horrible apparition burst out upon
him, would have sufIiced TO unseat any or
dinary horseman. In the case OF this un-
fortunate man, just about to quit his sad
die at leisurely ease, the effect was to swing
him off at tangent which brought his
head against our stone doorstep, where he
lay bleeding and senseless at my very feet
The fearful shrek I gave, as my victim
fell before me brought mother to the door,
with look of alarm which changed to hor-
ror as she saw the bloody burden at her
threshold. She comprehended the affair
in flash, especially as the frightened horse
was laundering down the road at n rate the
old mare had certainly never been capable
of in her remotest youth and-dearest
and best Of women !--she wasted not a
moment in questions, reproaches, or lam
entations. In full possession of her facul-
ties, she stopped at once to examine the
strangers Injuries while 7 sinhl 9''' "'-l.. - :
looking on, frozen with horror at the sight
of the homicide had committed.
SIS he quite dead?" gasped out at last.
"Dead, goosey! no, only stunned" an
swered mother a little sharply for her ;
then looking up into my face, she softened
her tone to a motherly, comforting one.
Don't look so, dear. It's not such a terri
ble hurt, l hope. And not your fault more
than mine, Frank. Run, daughter, and
bring warm water, and the roll of linen in
my right hand upper drawer. Hand me
the scissors first. This is bad cut on his
poor head"
made what haste my trembling feet
and shaking hands could, and when I re-
turned, mother bade me prop his head
while she put away the hair and washed
the blood from gaping wound, which it
frightened me to look at looking more and
more anxious the while, as no signs of an
imation still appeared in her patient.
Most fortunately, before we had time to
realize our inability to take any further
measures for his relief sound of rapidly
approaching wheels announced father and
Wills return, while Almira, at the same
time, came dawdlng home from the next
neghbor's two miles distant), whittier she
had withdrawn herself to indulge in a gos-
sip with Malvna Ann Buster.
Then there were hurried explanations,
into which mother-with a goodness for
which ] vowed in my heart to be ever
grateful-entercd no farther than to say
that the strangers horse had "behaved bad
ly," and had thrown him. The great
chamber was hurriedly prepared for his
reception, and he was laid there, beginning
to revive enough to speak, but so incohe-
rently that his words excited only less ap-
prehension than a continued insensibiity
would have done.
The physician brought by VIII in hot
haste, shook his head over the rambling
utterances of his patient, declaring him
self for the present unable to determine the
exact amount of injury he had received,
though the wound on the head was not of
itself serious. So there was a day or two
of horrid doubt and waiting, in which II
seemed forever to hear the lament of La
mech-"I have slain a man to my hurt,
and young man to my undoing." And
mother watched me furtivey in the inter-
walls of her nursing and tried many low
ing stratagem to comfort and reassure me,
cause of all this trouble and father and
Will, man-like, never noticed that any
thing allied me, though 1 kept looking at
my hair every time pulled it down to see
if it had not turned gray, with the trouble
of my mind.
We knew who our ghost was now. Fa-
ther had found, among the papers in the
strangers pocket letter directed to him
self from an old and valued friend in Cam
ada, introducing the bearer as his son,
Robert Ransome; so there was special
cause for the anxiety that was felt for him,
and the rejoicing that ensued when the
doctor pronounced, at the end of two days,
that, with care and quiet, he saw no rea-
sonable ground for fear of any further i'll
result in the case.
What load was lifted from my mind by
these words l wanted to kiss the pudgy
little doctors button hole of mouth, as
he closed ii tightly after his oracular words
Up to this time | had not seen the strang-
er, except as the senseless man living at
my feet in the twilight. Mother had seen
how dreaded to enter the sick room, and
made excuses to dispense with my help
there; but now it was necessary | should
take some share in giving the attention his
state required, as father and VIII could not
be spared time to devote to him, now that
ii was no longer absolutely necessary that
they should, and mother needed some one
to take turns with her in nursing him.
was ready to do what / could, since
those worst fears were dispelled, and obey
ed mother-with trepidation and an un-
willing heart ii is true, but with outward a.
lacrity-when she summoned me TO sit for
an hour or two in Mr.. Ransome's room on
the morning Of the third day after his ac-
cident.
She gave me some whispered directions
about his medicine, outside the door, told
me he was asleep, and would probably
when he awakened hardly speak to me, as
he seemed disinclinod to talk. | was to be
quiet and discreet, and not chatter
Indeed, I'm not likely" I said to my
self, repressing little shudder as l entered
the room. 1t was a pleasant, south-look-
ing chamber, bright with pleasant reflec-
tions of sunlight in spite of the shaded
windows. | looked round the room, took
note of the array of phials and cups on the
white covered stand noiselessly arranged
the brands of the cheerful little wood fire,
and added fresh stick then, setting my
teeth, turned and went slowly up to tho
bed to survey the man ! had so nearly
made finish of. lie looked so pale and
helpless lying there with his closed eyes
and bandaged head, that began to pity
him. Up to this moment l had detested
him. What did he mean, asked myself
in unreasonable anger, by riding up to our
house in that way, making me think he
WAS an old stray mare? had no patience
with such folly-getting himself pitched
of on strange doorstep like sack Of
wheat! Now ! began to feel mothery
kindness towards his weakness, and to say.