St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-12-11

work I: and So escorted her up into the
attic and down into the cellar, and kept
he1 to himself for an hour. while the
assistant foreman fumed and fretted
hall with envy and half with astonish-
ment. How charming she was to every
body. high and low, and with what
careless grace she made every man ex
plain his occupation to her, and how
the men raved about her for days after
lhc majority of them were Young and
and have reason to believe
that several of them were guilty of
sending her anonymous bouquets after
this visit; ! know that four of them
who thought that they could sing went
and chanted dolorous melodies under
her windows, one evening, while she
slept the sleep of perfect seliiShneSS and
perfect digestion within.
After this. she made me talk about
my profession continually Y and about my
She made herself mistress
of the minutcSt details of the campaigns
the variety and eXactness of her ill
formation often startled me. Ia tho>
days, no paper pretended to keep its
readers Informed of the state of feeling
i'll the remote districts. but Leshia
seemed cogniZant of the condition of
all the towns. No political meetings
were held of which she did not know
far more than some secret prcscicnce
seemed to warn her of the movements
party, and she often predicted coming
events with success that astonished
me. The night before election. | called
upon her and found her pacing up and
down in Il little room leading from the
parlor. which was her own special do
main. The table was covered with pa
pcl>. some of which wore. apparently.
letters. while others were long rows of
figures. and seemed to he careful calcu-
lati"ns; others still were covered with
newspaper slips. arranged i'll parallel
columns others were written III cy-
phrr. but in Lrsbin'S own hand.
what Is the matter !" | asked, as
She came to me. and with il manner al
together different to that which she
commonly displayed toward me. mes
tied close I" me. saving. Il am tired
and worried. ANA and oh Henry,
what shall do ," Here She broke into
Il tempest of Soh>. so"thrd her aS
well us could, and when she thought
that WAS ready for it. | suppose. she
told me her story. She WAS Il victim.
poor thing. to her >iSterlN devotion : her
brother WAS Il reckless gambler. and
had >lakcd his and her fortune i'll Wa
gers on the result of the election. He
had not done 81 until he had thought
that he Was sure of the result. hut at
fairs had taken an unforeseen turn. and
NOW he was certain Ia lose and both lac
and she would he hcgglrS "lt it were
not for two cities we should he safe.
she said. "but they will certainly 20
against Us, and. tomorrow. We shall he
pcuuIeS>. don't care for myself. but
my brother will never resign himself To
living after he has plunged me int" p"y-
crtN. lie will Kill himself: ON father
died 10y his own hand. aud his son will
initiate him.
| represented to hen that She WAS III
II" langr: "f suffering while | lived.
and that II would be Il pleasure to me
L" assist her brother hut she knew
better. she said. and again she re-
pcrtcd that il WIS her conviction that
her brother would not survive the shock
of defeat. Then gradually she unfold
ed her plan and made her proposition.
She Ncilrd it well. but even as she pre-
>cntcd it the project seemed very dark
to me. and au@IilN refused cooperation.
Eat she explained this. and >monthr,l
aWaN that. until. when | left her. /
stood pledged to Ito ~ she Wished.
What had She asked only that |
would til>iIN the returns from the tN"
cities i'll such Il WAY that the victory
should seem To lie with tine party whose
success would favor her brother.
leave !"u /" try and imagine my
mental condition for the next twenty
four honS. W;I> irNclcd and anxious
Hud full of angry rcmnr>c. but | ucNri
WaNcIcd. When the tclcglams began
Ia arrive stationed my own office hoy
and another unt hclou%ing to the paper.
but hired for the night. at the street
door, charging them To take every thing
that the telegraph boys brought. and
lay it ON my desk. answering no quc>-
ti"n> aud asking none. told the trl,.
graph edition that would excuse hin
from all responsibility in regard to Tia,
election. and worked at those tables "l
figures like IL tiger. In order to avoid
any suspicion of fraud it was necessary
to rcWritc Telegram after telegram. he
sides keeping up the tables and how
did il is Il mystery /" me. At last. IT.,
fatal point WAS passed the news wa.
received from both of the two cities
WAS adverse to LcShia'S party. ilS 81,
feared. WAS carefully altered and sem
up stains. aul then my energy began +,
flag. | was forced to call the telcgraIl
editor to my assistance To complete tn,
work. and waS compelled to silent
listen to his Sorrowiul comments on tn,
defeat of the party favored 10y the pa
per. wrote Il few lines of editorial
vigorously attacking the party declared
successful III the telcgraphic columns
and then went home.
stupid rs it may appear. declare t'
you that, in the hurry and eXcitemen
of the day. had entirely forgotten til,
/ fact that the telegraph company whicI
sent us our dispatches would hardly
bear with cguanimity the imputatiol
of having made such II blunder lis har
caused them to seem to pcrpctrate, ant
accordingly the following letter. whicl
| received when came down to break
fast. the day after election, fell like
| thunderbnlt upon me. 1t was very
short, but very easy to understand
sir" it said. The proprietors of tn,
| Morning not caring to pay fo
any dispatches that do not appear il
that paper. and not being able to falsit,
| tclrYiams, are perfectly willing to ac
cept your resignation
Two more letters lay on my plate
| The first was from the President of th'
telegraph company, informing me tha
he should take immediate measures t,
ascertain whether there was any law il
the land that would meet my case
The other was from Lesbia. "Iol
| uuSt " she Wrotp ..kuoW that | am ;