The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-03-31
fFrom the Atlantic Monthly.1
Juhnss Trlaj.

(From the Atlantic Monthly.l
Johns Triai.
Just where the Wilderness road of the
Adirondack Highlands strikes the edge
Of the great Cbampaiu Valley, in lutte
clearing is lonely log house. On the
10th day Of July 1882 muscular gauut
woman stood at the door Of the house,
overlooking the vast extent OF the valley
From her standpoint. ten miles Of creeu
forest swept down to the lakes winding
shore She saw the indeHtatlou made III
the shore line BY the bay aud beyond
the wide waters cleaning in the fervid
brightness Of summer Specks were here
and there discernabe in the light, flashed
back from the blue mirror like .uliacc,
aud By long watching it could he seen
that these spcck> were moving to and fro.
The woman kuew that these dlsran
, owing atoms were boats freighting Ium.
Der through Lake ChumpIau. She knew
that there WAS but one boat that would
/ b. likely to turn aside and come into the
little bay, and that this boat would be
her sou Johns sloon.
That was why she watched so anxious.
ly a speck that neared the bay and at
length entered it. To make doubly sure,
she brought to bear an old spy glass
whose principal lens was cracked entirely
through. 1t gave her a smoky view Of
the famous sloop, The Dolly Ann. Johns
property, and then she was entirely Ger
tain that her son. who had been three
weeks absent on his voyage, was coming
home.
Jupiter, the housc.dog, who had been
watching her seemed to know it too, per-
fectly we'll; for as she turned from her
survey through the glass, his canine ua.
ture developed degree of wriggling frisk.
ness Of which thesgrave old dog seemed
half ashamed He whined and walked
about the door yard for few moments,
then gave bis mistress loug. steady.
look, and seeming satisfied with what hs
read in her face, jumped over the fence
and started down the road into the valley
at full run.
The woman knew that three or four
hours must elapse before John aud Jupi-
ter would come along the path together,
tired by their long tramp up the noun.
tain side. She thought aud waited as
lonely mothers think and wait for absent
sons.
At about four o'clock, young dark.
eyed mau and the dog came up the road
ard to the house. 'Heigho. mother, all
well ? was the mans only greeting. The
woman's greeting was only, How do you
do, John?' There was no show Of senti-
ment, not even hand.shake; but bright
look in the mans face, and tremor in
the voice Of the woman, couve7ed the i'm.
preston that these plain people felt II
great deal more than they expressed.
Two hours passed away. and after sup.
per the ueighbors who had seen John aud
the dog come up the road. dropped 10 to
have a talk with the captain as john
was called by bis friends.
Soon the inquiry was made, Where
did you leave your cousin Wilian?'
John had taken his cousin " lillian.
who lived upou the lake.shore. with him
upon this last trip, and hence the oues.
rion.
But John did not an.wer the question
directly. He seemed troubled ami unhap.
py about it, lie finally Acknowledged
that he and William had not agreed. and
that high words and blows had passed he.
tween them. and added that his cousin
had finally left the boat and had goue
away 10 huff. he knew not where. but
someShere into the piueries Of Canada.
He declared, getting warm iu his recol
lection of the quarrel, that be didn't
care darn where Will went, any way.
A month passed away it was August.
Cousin Will did not return. But Ger.
tain strange stories came up the lake from
Canada. and reached the dwellers along
the Adirondack wilderness road. No
cousin William had been seen in the pin.
cries but just across the Canada line, at
the mouth of Fish River, where the
sloops were moored to receive their lad
ing of lumber. bruised. swollen, tester.
ing corpse bad risen and fosted in the
glare of hot August day. The boat
man rescued it upon the shore. They
described it as the body of a hale. vigor
GUS young man. agreeing 10 the height
size and appearance with cousin William
And there was another story told BY
the captain of sloop which had beer
moored at the mouth Of Fish River. neal
by Johns sloop, on the fatal voyage frou
which cousin William had not returned
The captain said on the 4th of July b,
bad heard quarreling upon Johns slooI
all the afternoon, and had noticed tha
only two men were there. At night fal
there was little lull but soon afte
dark, the noise broke out again. II
could not see through the gloom, but b
heard high and angry words, aud a
length blows, and then dull crushin
thud, followed by plunge into the wa
ter, and then there was entire silence
He listened for an hour. in the stillnst
Of the summer night, but heard no furthe
. sound from the boat In the early gra
Of the next morning. the csptain. lookin
across the intervening space Of John
sloop, which he described as hardly
stones throw from bis own. saw b,
lying upon the deck, and using bis glss
was confident that he saw 'spatters ,
blood He thought it pons Of his bus
ness, and taking advantage Of = ligt
breeze, sailed away and said nothing
But when the floating corpse was foun
he felt snro there had been q murder, an