Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-05-15

smartest boy in the class"
THAT'S probable enough" said the
Squire. But it don't alter that he's
poor drunken wretch now. Send him about
his business, Polly; and if his time IS OF
any consequence, just let him know that
he had better not waste it coming here
after dollars
And the Squire leaned back in his chair
after a positive fashion as if the whole
matter was definitely decided.
| Mrs. Partlet went back to the kitchen,
where Luke Ruddilove was spreading his
poor thin fngers over the blaze OF fire,
his tattered garments steaming as if he
was pillar of vapor.
. He won't let you have it, Luke, said
She % thought he wouldn't"
Then I've got to starve, like any other
dog ~ said Luke Ruddiloye, turning
moodily away. And, after all, don't
suppose it makes much difference whether
[ shuttle out Of the world to-day or to-
morrow !"
&" Oh, Luke NOT 10 your wife ?"
s. She'd be better off without me, said
Luke down-heartedy.
" But she ought not to be-
Ought and is are two different things,
Mrs. Partlet Goodnight. | ain going
to the tavern, though I'll wager something
the Squire thought | was
" And isn't it natural enough he should
think so, Luke
Yes-yes. Mary, l don't say but what
it is" marmured Luke RudIIove, in the
same detected tone he had used throug ghout
the interview.
Stop Mrs. Partlet called to him,
as his hand lay on the door latch, in a low
voice Here dollar, Luke. Mr.. Part
let gave it to me for new piece of oil
cloth in froat of the dining-room stove, but
LII try and make the old one DO little
while longer And Luke, for the sake Of
old times-for the sake of your poor wife
and little ones at home-do do try to do
better
Luke Ruddilove looked vacautly first
at tho fresh, new bank bill in his hand,
and then at the blooming young matron
who had placed it there.
Thank you, Mary" he said, aud crept
out of the warm, bright kitchen into the
storm and darkness that reigned without.
Mrs. PartIet stood looking into the kitchen
fire
= dare say I've done q foolish thing,
she pondered .but indeed | could no, help
it, OF course he'll spend it all at the
public house, and | shall do without ms
new oil cloth that will be the end Of II
all.
Aud there was a conscious flush on her
check, as if she had done something wrong,
when She rejoined the Squire in the sitting
room.
Well, said Squire P4rtlet has that
eer do well gone AT last
Yes"
{" To Stokes tavern, suppose
"a l hope not, Josiah
I'm afraid its past hoping for said
the Squire, Struggling his shoulders. " And
now for pleasant evening. How it does
rain, to be sure
And Mrs. Partlet kept the secret Of the
dollar bill within her own heart
1t was six months afterward that the
Squire came into the room where his wife
was preserving great red apples into Jelly.
g Well, WELL" quoth he, wonders
never will cease, The RuddiIoves have
gone away.
Gone where "
don't know-out West somewhere. i
with 4 colony. Aod they say Luke hasn't
touched a drop in six months"
am glad of that" said Mrs Partlet
1t won't last long" said the Squire
despairingly.
Why not
OH don't know I havn't any faith
in these sudden reforms"
NJ.
thankfully that after all Luke had not /,
spent the dollar bill in liquor.
SIX months-six years-the time sped .
along, in days aud weeks. almost before
busy little Mrs. partlet knew that il was
gone. The Ruddiloves had come back to
Sequosset. Luke had made his fortune
as the story went, in the far away FL Dora.
do vaguely phrased "out West by the
simple Sequosseters.
They do say" said Mrs Buckingham,
: that he's bought that ere lot down oppo-
site the Court house, and IS goin to build
such house as never was.
lie must have prospered greatly, said
gentle Mrs. Partlet
And his wife, she wears d silk gown
that will stand alone with its own rich
ness said Mrs. Buckingham. | can
when Luke RuldlIove wa
nothin' but poor drunken creetur."
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 inlaid
floors. And he's put lot O. papers and
things under the corner one"
The corner what ? = said Mrs. Partlet,
laughing. Floor, or mantle? ?"
Stun, to be sure" said Mrs Bucking-
nam, Like they do in public buildings,
you know" "A
That natural enough. Fl
Well, its kind O. queer, but Luke
Ruddilove never wasn't like nobody else
Folks thinks it's dreadful strange he should
put a one dollar bill in With the other
things.
Mrs. Partlet felther cheek flush scarlet;
she glanced up to where the
squire was sereney checking off list of
egaI items in the bill he was making out
against some client But the Squire
never looked around, and Mrs. Bucking-
lam went on with her never -ceasing chit
shat, and so the hot color died away in !
her cheek. Alter all, the money had been /
her own to give, and the old oil cloth in {
front of the dining-room stove had an :
'wered very well.
She met Luke Ruddilove that afternoon t
or the first time since his return to Sequos- {
set-Luke himself, yet not himself-the 5
lemon of intemperance crushed out of his I
nature, and It's better, nober elements /
at last. lie looked her brightly 5
n the face, as he held out his hand.
q Mary l