The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-10-08

Squire came into the room where his wife
was preserving some great red apples into
jelly. ,., ./ o.i.oa
well, WELL quoth he, wonders never
will cease. The liuddiloves have gone
away an -
Gone where, r. aa1rin-
Il don't know-out West somewhere
with colony. Aud they say Luke has
not touched drop in six months
I'm glad of that said Mrs. Partlet.
1T won't last long said the Squire,
dcspairingly.
why not p
'Oh, don't know. havn't any faith
in those sudden reforms
Mrs. Partlet was silent; she thought
thankfully that after all Luke had not
spent the dollar bill in liquor.
Six months-sx years-the time sped
along, in days and weeks, almost before
busy little Mrs. Partlet knew that it was
gone. The Ruddiloves had got back to
Sequosset.
Luke had made his fortune. as the sto-
ry went, 10 the far-away III Dorado
vaguely phrased "Out West" by the sim.
pie Sequosers
They do say, said Mrs Buckingham,
that he's bought that ere lot down oppo.
site the Courthouse and he is going to
build such a house as never was
He must have prospered greatly said
the gentle Mrs. Partlet.
And his wife wears silk gown that
will stand alone with its own richness,
said Mrs. Buckingham Il can remem.
ber when Luke Ruddilove was poor
drunken creatur'
All the more credit to him now,' said
Mrs Partlet emphatically.
Its to be all O. stun said Mrs. Buck.
ingham, with marble mantles and iulaid
floors. And he's put lot of papers and
:hings uuder the corner one
The corner what p said Mrs Partlet
laughing. Floor or mantle 2
Stun, to be sure said Mrs. Bucking-
ham. Like they do in public buildings,
you know
That is natural enough
well, its II kind O. queer, but Luke
Ruddilove never want like nobody else.
Folks thinks it is dreadful strange he
should put one dollar bill in with the
other things
Mrs Partlet felt hcr cheeks flush scar
let; she glanced up to where the Squire
was checking off list Of legal items in
the bill he was making out against some
client. But he never looked around, and
Mrs. Buckingham went on with her new.
er ceasiug flow Of chit.chat, and so the
color died away in her cheek. After all
the money had been her OVID to give, and
the old oil.cloth in front of the dining.
room stove had answered very well.
She met Luke Ruddiove that afternoon
for the first time since his return to Se-
quosset-Luke himself, yet not himself,
the demon Of intemperance crushed out
OF his nature. and its better, pobler cle-
nents triumph at last. He looked
her brightly in the face, as he held out
his hand.
Mary
4 am glad to see you back here again,
Luke sho said tremulously.
And well you may be- he rejoined.
DO you remember that night YOU gave
me tho dollar bill, and begged me not TO
go to the tavern
Yes
That night was the pivot on which my
whole destiny turned. You were kind
to me when every one spoke coldly; you
trusted me when all other faces were av-
crted. vowed u vow to myself to prove
worthy Of your confidence, and | kept it.
| did not spend the money! treasured
it up-and Heaven has added nightly
to my little store. l put the dollar bill
under the cornerstone OF my new house
for the house has risen from it and il
alone. won't offer to pay you back
for | am afraid" he added smiingly, 'the
luck would go from me with it; but I'll
tell you what will do, Mary; | viii
give money and words Of trust and en-.
couragement to some other poor wretch
as you gave to me-
And Squire Partlet never knew what
his wife did with the dollar bill he gave
her to buy new piece Of oil-cloth.