Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-03-09

and SEE to nlyself-Nep, you gwne to pul
foot right dar OH dat velly spot? Aud JUS
den de wind cum Uber de bank, tell yel
thick. Sez /, dis chile don't stop long
h'yar. Git de roomatiz in de nose, or dC
knock down, or sumfin wus, if does. Sc
l jump into de XIII, and of she went for tc
kill down stream. Didn't hold on TO nul.
tin 'cept my brelf, aud when let dat go
de sploshun cum mighty nigh upsettiu' dc
skin."
Nop's energetic description brought the
"houso down." his sable friends fairly roll.
ing on the ground in an ecstasy of fan. The
negro bad no more TO tell, though cross
examined till he lost his temper, aud walk
cd Off saying, "Dey might go and smell
for demsclves, If dey liked" But every
one felt there was something in his imag-
inatiUn. is truth was not questioned, for
Nep's manner carried conviction with it,
in spite of its ludicrous accompanimenls.
No one hinted at anything suspicious, the
most likely suggestion being the simplest
that Dempton's old COW had died, and that
he had buried her near the river-bank.
So matters stood, or rather from this
point they started. Neps adventure was
repeated with variations till the whole
neighborhood heard of it. Who can tell
how the seeds OF suspicion are planted
The birds Of the air bring them. The
winds gently wait them about. Some
slight warmth of excitement is created by
an incident like that narrated above, and
all at once tinge of doubt spreads itself
over the whole community.
Such process however, takes time, and
that was community where everything
and every body took plenty of time. Weeks
passed before people began to wonder why
Elsey did not return. Dempton seldom
gave any one the opportunity of speaking
TO him. lie was frequently seen about the
house and farm, and he seemed busy. Yet
a sharper curiosity than usual noted how
little, after all, he did. Was he not trying
TO seem busy? He was regularly at the
store once week, where The group, al
ways larger when the post bag was opened,
were conscious Of growing desire 10 have
more light thrown on the point of common
interest but none OF them cared to ques-
tion Dempton, for he was eminently q man
to be let alone. There was no lack of
pluck among those people. Their slouch-
ing, lazy ways covered any amount of that
quality. The very existence OF such a
spirit, however, made them feel that when
ever things got to be serious, words had TO
be weighed on both sides, or trouble would
come Of it. So Dempton came and went,
impressing them more than ever by his
never taking step, nor speaking a word,
nor spending a moment more than what be
was doing required.
Still, even under slow fire, steam will
get up, and Dick Pender was the valve
through which it announced its pressure.
He had more occasion than any one else 10
go by Dempton's place. One day his lauky
figure on an equally lanky nag was seen
approaching the store with an evident ca
gerness to get there, regardless of risk to
man or beast. The sun was now powerful
enough to make the shady and breezy side
of the house attractive; and as this hap
pened to be the front, all the loungers,
black and white, witnessed Pender's unus-
ual style of approach. Not man Of them
uttered a word, which was itself eignfi-
cant. Before he opened his lips there was
not one OF them but thought of Dempton-
so quick is the magnetism of feeling on a
subject of engrossing interest.
"Whats up, Diek?" uttered by one OF
them was sufficient TO unlock his lips. Not
much, after all. Yet in the mood they were
in it seemed everything. Pender had been
SLOWLY ipUpinn Law hia ranninu
Demplon's house and fields from the mo-
ment they came in view, as if they were a
manuscript in unknown characters and he
were searching for the clue to read it. Sud
denly a cloud of smoke rose somewhat on
one side and toward the rear of the house
such as might be produced by Il quanti-
ty of damp rags thrown on a bed of Goals.
Pender's one Gin WAS keenness of vision
that had helped 10 give him the name of
the best hunter in all that region. Aslght
rise in the ground and the bushes by the
oadside gave him the opportunity to study
out what Dempton was about. The result
was TO satisfy Pender that he was burning
not rags simply, but clcthing and other
articles, among which he was sure were
luC lidSllCuNS VI u lhdl bcCh
pulled apart.
There would have been nothing in this
few months ago. The passer by would not
have stopped 10 notice it. Even Pender
could not then have seen so much, for there
would have been no intentness Of feeling
to bring his vision 10 its sharpest; nor was
ii Till he had told what he had seen with
uu wonted point and promptusss OF express
81 ion that he and his hearers were aware
how deep was the source of their excite
ment. He had lifled the stone from the
spring, and its waters flowed freely. Then
a nd there for the first time were the suspi-
cions that had been gathering strength in
every mind openly expressed, and the pos
sibility discussed that James Elsey had
come to violent end by Dempton's hand.
Yet l should not say it was discussed.
There was much less among those people
of the spirit that makes mischief than pre-
walls in buster, sharper community; less
readiness TO meddle; more consciousness
of responsibility in touching another mans
character. Such, at least, was the impress
sion brought away with me from two
months SoJoufn among tnenl anu I'LL the
experience of aller years has not made the
value seem less of such qualilies-be the
circumstances what they may that foster
them. The dullest-minded in the group to
whom Pender told his story felt that 1t was
not a subject for tsttle. And it must give
some elevation of spirit even to the dull
est man when he sets guard upon his
thoughts and words about possible GRIM
inal, in respect for their common man
hood.
At any rate, the seriousness that peryad-
ed that whole community from that day
onward, had something digni6ed in it
rudely as ii was sometimes indicated.
V.