Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-10-02
BRADFORD VERMONT, SATURDAY, OCT g 1875.

upon to make the life journey
easier
"My heart didn't break, though
till she got to lovin' Tom-a good
for-nOthin', worthless scamp-an
then all hope died within me.
took to drinkin' then. | used t.
come home pretty drunk sometimes
but | never laid finger on Lucy
always crept off alone till | was
myself again.
"All except that one night, when
had crept away an come back
again sudden, my brain all on fire
all except that one night when, com
in' back, found her sittin' close to
Tom; saw her givin' him handfuls
of touches on face an throat (I
would have died years before that
to have had one lovin' touch from
Lucy's tingcrtips); saw her kiSsin'
and kissed; heard her talkin' to
him in tones which woke up all the
memories Of my happy long.ago,
an croonin' to him of the bright fu.
ture comm when a drunkard's grave
should have swallowed up John
Krieff, an she an Tom Porter should
be in their own cozy home. Tom
kissed her after that am called her
his angel.
"Ihey didn't see me till | came
out to the light, with the pistol.
"'Tom,' says |, crazed with liquor
and passion, your angel in heaven,
perhaps, but never herer
81 fired then an Lucy fell dead.
"All this was indistinct while in
the body, but it comes back fresh
and clear to ne now. | could have
saved my life by dishonorin' Lucy's
name; but even if | hadn't cared
to keep her white to the world, yet
would | have kept still. l had no
desire to plead my case. was dead.
| was heart broken, an | longed to
get out of the world.
"There's some one else that's
heart broken in this world. There's
a little woman down in a dark Gel.
lar sproutin' potatoes this minute,
whose husband has killed her. Her
soul isn't free yet-but she's dead
just the same. That woman is
Townships wife. Your soul is a
hearin' of me if you ain't," pursued
Krieff, touching the cold, white face
and strengthening Townships fin
gers. "You didn't shoot your wife
with pistol but you let her die a
slow, lingerin', terrible death You
killed her in cruel, heartless man
ner. "You starved her. DO you
think if Pd had wife like yours,
Townsley, I'd have been the man |
was ?"
Tears filled Krieff'S eyes.
"You were poor man when your
jamie married yOu-poorer than |
ever was. Your social position Was
beneath hers. You were an awk-
ward, homely, verdant youth in
hose days. Folks said if ever there
vas woman as married for love it
was jamie Jordan.
"You began life humbly. jamie
vas delicate reared an dainty ; but
% do without for Philip was no
When you hit success
she kissed you. When you missed
t she kissed you just the same.
You had little heaven of it for
hree or four years. Then cOntinu-
ID prosperity made you selfish. You
rot so far ahead you couldn't stop
O come back for the love an the
,isseS of jamie. Sometimes she fol.
owed you, tlyin' to walk abreast
With you, an tryin' to keep up the
lear old times. But she wasn't wei
was in the way. You
bother to be fOolin' an kiS.
in all the time. She must settle
lown an be sensible. 'Doin' with. !
ut for Philip had been her sweet
.elight in the dark days; but now,
1hen the golden light shown around,
our mean spirit kept her 'doin'
Without just the same, that you
night win more lands an stock to
,ut between your heart an hers.
"Then more money came. Mon
V represents power. You began to
ord it over your fellow men, an at
Ome you made IA slave of the wO-
ian who adOred you. You ordered
er about as you would your mean
st servant, an gradually forced her
D take that position.
"YOu never saved her Il step or .
urden's weight. You let her tug
way, toll away, die away from