Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-11-07

uDyp 1ru.u.r Tho fir-r .t~.l,- .r D,-; 81, q,
s,.;e-,.
JOHNS PROMISE.
Summer was a mushroom city which had
sprung mp on the banks of mvine that cut
through the western bluffs of the Missouri
In thickc- of oak Saplins~. high up on the
side of one of those bluffs, stood a hastily
built house. sided with rough. upright. cot
touwold b0arl~-a~ are many of it~ western
neiShbors-a rusty ~torc-Iipc Sticking
through the roof. a small window. curtain
ed by Scallopei-elgc newspaper, and q
white door taken from ~unkcn steamboat.
whose nice,y-tini~hCl panels clntrStcd
strangely with its surroundings. completing
the exterior.
One pleasant May evening. Just a- the
~hrill whistle OF q Steamboat echoed among
the hills, this door was opened by pleasan;
Young woman. who was followed Iva erwin.
child.
"ph, sammy. quit your noise. that nap
ly = little man, see the great Zig boat way
yonder; lifting him up; "don't Won see
look right sharp now, close 40 in the bank.
Does Sammy want TO 20 down town and see
the big boat, and see rappy ?' The willing
feet tJddlel down the path lst the mother
called, wait bit, and mlmmv II pack
sammy and tying on pink -anhonnet.
she took him in her arms and .,artcl lown
the steep. crooked path.
Ii was picturesque scene uat lay before
her. The sunlight, sitting through the trees
that covered the western hills. elintei the
windows here and there and reached like %
golden bar, just across the top of the forest
on the low eastern shore. Scattered through
the hollow and up the sides Of the bluffs,
were divers houses, from tie Vretcutiou>
Gothic dwelling on the northern Hill and the
brick business houses down street, 10 log
cabins and cottonwood -hauties; while tie
road that wound mp the bed of the rayine
WAS lined with a long. white train of Den
ycr-bound frci.ht-wag1n-.
She reached the steep main street % find
it filled with wagons thar had been turned
crlSs-wisc of the street, t. rest the teams.
Bat edging her way close to the CLAW bank
she reached the river Just as the steamer was
leaving the wharf The snorting of the en-
CINE and the shouting of the deck-hanis. to-
gether with the putting of the mill near bv.
was too much for baby-haycrv. and sam
iiN 4lI t'-All 10 lialAI4. AafIIlL1 MN IIt
her arms. his mother sat down on a -aw-log.
saving, There, there, honey. don't De
afcared. be pappy'~ man. now"
The tide-waye> OF the recedins boat sank
lower and lower on the sand; the gay crowd
that leaned over the guards grew indistinct,
ami she leered more and more eagerly in
among the tall cottonwood trees on the op-
posite shore. At length four men came ont
Of the woods, and entering q Skif, started
across tGc river She watched the skif
anxicuSly, for il frequently disappeared be-
tween the waves which We're raised by the
strong south wnd-Such winds belonging aS
prJyerhially TO Kansas springs. as whooping-
cough To children. or gaVcs To chickens.
-Four roughlooking men, in red wooi,en
shirts-ior lumbemen did not pretend TO
wear coats, except in the coolest weather
jumped out of the skill, and with boi~terou~
laughter and rude jeSts, entered the mill.
Presently one Of them spcd her and came
toward her, saving boistcrou~ly. ''lloorah
toryou, Nancy, Whatever brought you'
un> down ere this time Of cycnin3 Mighty
fine dolns, when You oughter be to home
gettin' your old man bite O. supper
Packed that young'un down, too, I'll bet =
Reckon you'd as well get back, right quick,
now - lie snatched the baby from her and
tossed him on his shoulder, shouting, "lIoo-
rah for pappy's man Pcertcst boy in this
ere town, Mighty proud to see his pap"
Poor Nancy Her husband was drunk
again.
She hurried up the street. pinniug her
deep sunbonnet more closely about her face,
that the passers might not See the tears that
would come. lie had kept sober SO long
that She had hoped he would come home so-
her again. She had antiriptated SD much