Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-10-28

| you q often see her ike, never dld.
There was girl up at that place, that
tavern there, had kind of look of her
about the eyes an forehead, but moth
ing to compare. I had friend, too
well, it amt much of story" Groom
broke off, with dry laugh, "and l
don't hardly know why I tell it at all,
only, maybe, it'll help you make out
what seems to puzzle you. The long
and short of it is that my friend-mind
that, youngster my friend cheated me
out of my sweetheart. amt much to
look at, know-never was but 1 could
care for woman just as much as If I'd
been six foot high, and fresh as rose,
and I'd take my oath she cared fer me,
too, till he come between us with false
tongue enough to turn my girls head.
Well, he come off first best she left me
and went away with him. / swore then,
boy" said Groom, looking darkly in his
listeners earnesJ face, "that if ever my
day come, I'd be even with John Sawyer ;
l never thought 'twould, but it has, and
do you think I'll let my chance slip
nova No, and the man brought down
his fist with force that shook theboat's
side.
"That was hard lines, sure enough" "
1 said Joe, thoughtfully, "but, Mr..
Groom, you was speaking just now of a
girl up at the tavern, there. She's my
sweetheart, and," added the boatman,
slowly, "sbe's Sawyer's girl, his only
child"
"Nol" exclaimed Groom, evidently
moved by the intelligence. "Hetty's
child" he muttered to himself,
:" Hetty's child 70
"Yes," said Joe, eagerly, "don't for
get whose child she is, and that you'll
make her suffer along with the old
man,"
"Ah," said Groom, "that's all very
well, but don't forget, neither, whose
child she is on the other side. No I'm
sorry for the girl, and for you, young
ster, since you've an interest in her, but
I'd have my pay out of John Sawyer,
now, if 1 was to die for it.
Joe's grasp frightened convulsively on
his oar. Was the man crazy, thus to
make boast of the misery he would
cause before one whose advantage and
opportunity it alike was to insure his
silence; who had him almost as COM
pletely at his mercy here on this un-
familiar element, as if they two had been
alone in all the earth If he were TO
die for it Every plunge of the dark
water seemed to be repeating those
words. The boatman reused himself
with a start at the sound of his passen.
gers voice.
"You're a pretty feller, amt you,
now, said the latter, resuming the sub.
ject in lighter tone, wanting to per.
suade me to cheat justice after that
fashion2"
GAS for that" answered Joe, "you
said yourself if it had been anybody
but Sawyer you wouldn't have troubled
to hunt him down, and 1 can't see as
that's any better notion of justice than
mine. Besides" he added, gravely,
"the old mans got his death sentence
already, if that's what you want; what
with the drink he amt the man he used
to be, and the night of the quarrel he
got a cough that's tearing him all tc
pieces; the doctors say he can't live
long, nohow."
He'll live long enough to make the
acquaintance of ropes end, / reckon, y
said Groom, with coarse laugh, "and
that's all I care about"
The brutal words and manner reused
the lurking devil in Joe Gorton's heart.
He stammered out curse, inarticulate
for passion.
"Eh2" said Groom, catching the
sound, but not the words, "what's that
you say?"
The boatman stopped rowing, and
leaned forward till he almost touched
Groom where he sat.
"Just put yourself in the old mans
place for q minute" he begun, with al
effort, speaking quietly. "S'pose there
was somebody'd got the chance and the
will to get shut O you, just as you have
of old Sawyer -
"What are you driving at now2" il
terrupted Groom. "There amt any
body, as know of, has got either-more
luck for me |" he ended, with laugh.
"Ain't there2" said the boatman
slowly. "You talk about justice, Mr.
Groom" he resumed, "but it amt JUS
tice you've set out to do--it's murder
You've got the law on your side, as il
happens, but all the same, as far as yor
are concerned, it's murder-as bad, fol
what can see, as if somebody-it might
be me-" said Joe, looking fixedly in the
others face through the growing dusk
somebody with motive, no matter
what, for wanting to be rid of you, get
ting you all alone--as it might be here
out of sight or help, should just put yo,
quietly out of the way
"Hey dye mean to threaten me 2
cried Groom, springing up. just thel
the breaking gust struck sharp on tn,
boats side, that, leftto her own guidance
had drifted round she gave a lurch ant
bound, that sent Groom, who in start
! ing back bad lost his balance, overheard
like a shot.
Joe stared for an instant at the empt,
place opposite, hardly comprehendinl
! what had happened SO quickly, then
sudden as the lightning darting through
/ the sky above him, it flashed into hi
mind that here were silence and safety
and that through no act of his. Why no
profit by the accident2 Why not, in tn
! mans own spirit, in his very words
"leave him to sink or swim, as Nigh
, be9" But Joe could no more be de
; ceived by his own, than by others
: sophistries voice within him cried
; eff you leave this man to die, you ar
his murderer |" A great surge of horro
and remorse for the thought that haC
| been in his heart seemed to sweep hin
+ away, and before second lightnin,
bolt could tear the clouds, hehad throw
himself after Groom.
When the two rose together, the boa
was nowhere in sight. There was moth
l ing now for it but to strike out for tn
shore. Luckily, the Milham side wa