St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-05-25

we'd sold of 'em-Grundell had over
SIX thousan' dollars that fall-eighteen
sixty-tive, wasn't it? 'He KEEP it in the
bank, didn't he p No, he didn't!
KEEP telling him to get it locked up !;
but No. he says, 'it's safe here. No
body knows but what it's in bank, and
Pm kinder feared o. them bank men,
anyhow. They'd cheat poor orphan
chipmunk of a hick'ry NUT But says
to him that the house might set afire or
somethin'. But he says, 'Then I'll save
the money first. Wen put it in this
shOt-pOuch'-it was an old leather one,
quite large-'and well hang it up with
the powder-hOrn and the other traps
and the rifle, over the kitchen fire, and
nobody would ever think of that |
didn't like that at all. Seemed to me
it was temptin' of Providence but my
man would have it SO. We whispered,
and did it carefully; and there them
six thousand dollars hung as nice as
you please.
'Well, one evenin'-in November,
think it was-Grundell and me was
eatin' supper; and it was dark, so we
lighted the light-it was kerrisen
lamp-and set it in the middle of the
| l'tblC. L lC'iN SoOH UHlIS DCSttu w
sputter and flicker. got kind o. scairt,
and told Grundell that lamp had acted
obstenite once or twice before like that
WELL he says, Il guess it needs new
top. That's loose. Don't screw up
tight. Wick's too small, OF somethin'
I'll have to get it fixed somehow when
| come back from Simmertown,' says
he. For you see he had to take the
cars right after supper to go there, to
he there early in the mOrnin' to meet n
man goin' through on some other cars
about six o'clock. So he says good by
just the way speck you say gOod-by
to Susanny p'raps not so much, though
and went off to the depot"
"Weren't you afraid to be left alone ~
interrupted Jones.
weren't afraid to be left alone
Not bit. | had been left alone before
that, | can tell you. | washed up the
dishes and put 'em away then | set
things to rights on the table and then
| says to myself, 'What'll | read p |
looked around the room some, and
found noosepaper or sOmethin' and
read awhile in that. Then, us the lamp
was sputtering again, thought I'd read
IL chapter in the Bible-it was in the
Gospel of Luke, | recollect-and then
Pd go to bed. | hadn't read far before
the thing began again. Flick flick !!
flick Puff! puff! puff! puff! First
very slow. l didn't mind it much.
only looked up mint and then went
on reading. 1t was interestin;-in the
twentieth chapter-abOut a certain man
who planted Il vineyard, and rented it,
and went away for long time, and af-
ter Il while he sent his servant to see
how the vineyard was dOin' and get
some of the rent; but they killed him,
and another servant, and then another !;
and at last they killed the mans son !;
and | wanted to know what the man
would do about it, and had Just read
to where it said, He shall come and
destroy these husbandmen-I think
that's how it goes-and shall give the
vineyard to others when everything
got dark. Jumped up. Flicker-tiicker
-putf-putf-p putf-very fast, and
the chimbly full of smoke, and the
fame down low and it looked awful
| Just gave one great blow at it with all
the wind had, and out it went. Well,
| tell you | was scairt But, says | to
myself, says |, You're more scairt than
hGIt.' | reckoned | wouldn't light that
light again, so | left il standin' there Oh
the kitchen table. | went round fas-
tenin' up doors in the dark, and then |
partly undIessed and got into bed. |
didn't go up stairs to bed as usual; but
| thought, bein' as | was all alone, I'd
stay down stairs in case anything should
happen for | tell you, Mister Jones,
that lamp scairt me so | couldn't get
:, | h,I l. ,, ,,i
feeling that sOmethin' awful was acOm-
in; so | didn't all undress, but | lOos-
ened things and lay down on the bed
in the little room where you see that
door Openin' out of the kitchen. / shut
the door and turned the button. You
see the door, don't you? You see that
big crack in itP Yes, in the top panel,
did you call it? Well, my boy San,
cracked that with his fist ever so many
wears ago, when he and Bill was seein
/, which could hit hardest. There's quite
hole in one place. Have some more
, russets, won't yOuP More water? No
Well. fastened the door and lay down
and pulled some blankets over me. Al
kinds of things went kitin' through my
head and then | must have got tC
sleep, for | dreamt sOmcthin' that made
me wake up lively. What it was
don't remember. But | hadn't been
, walked up more'n "A mint when ] heerc
little noise in the kitchen. like IA mattel
strikiu'; aud then some light come
through the crack sam made. We'll
. ! SAYS to myself. this is pretty how
~ i.or and wasn't | scairt, though
But dasn't lay there. And so slip
? ped down on the floor very soft an6
crep' up to the crack and pcekeo
through. And, Mister Jones, what d,
. YOU think | see G'
"Whatf"
1.-TWO mcul One knew well enough
| son of some of the first class people
too, in this very town; and the other
, didn't knew. Tie was short and stronl
{ lookin', and oh terrible mean lookin'
sour anough Ia bite YOU. o my
> knew what they was after well anougl
{ them six thousand dollars = Afte
. that didn't think much about myself
only those men goiu' to steal all tina
). land aud them crops. But | couldn'
= do nothin'. | Jest stood there like
E bedpost. They was talkin' low, but
1 could hear 'em. They stood in tia,
middle of the room together. Tb'
D mean lookin' man held the kerriseI
. lamp lighted in one haud-left, CUES
= and made the other 20 round, an'
E SAYS:
E "'Did the old woman go, too p
: Yes says the other.
{ '''Sure p says the man with th,
p lamp.
I "'Yes. went upstairs and ther
T. was no one there. And she told msthe
h and Susanny to- dag that she was goin'
fl for Won see | did think somethin' a