Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-01
81 have no claim on you Nick, know. But


we had the same mother-once."
Ncholas's pale eyes flashed 1--WE had n
mother yes. Who was IL that brought her
gray hairs TO the grave? have no faith in
you, John Harbour. I knoo yOu. This
whining cant of repentance is q clever trick,
but it does not impose upon me- You want
me to bring you here--here, at the sacrifice
of every chance of happiness l have in life,
and TO carry you dead weight while you
fool me with promises of reform. Reform
Bah :"
Captain Harbour waited immovable until
this TRADE was over II occurred to the cler-
gyman that the slouched, bloated figure had
certain dignity of bearing at the moment, and
he was startled by n quick glance which re-
minded him Of Jack, his brother Jack, with
whom he had slept and played when they
were very little boys
That will do, Nick" The captain put on
his cap. "We'll drop the subject now If you
please ! was mistaken. Good bye"
Mr.. Harbour waited a moment irresolutely.
Where are you going now" he called
roughly.
TO the shop in the village. They've some
capital Bourbon there. feel like going on
big drunk tonight"
stop :" walking to his side. I'm see you
in the morning, and pay your way to New
York. I'll send you stated sum monthly. AZ
long as you remain there"
NO. I'll take no more money from you,
Nick" with n quietness which startled his
brother, and curiously added to his irritation.
1T won't take much whiskey to put an end
to it."
What do you mean z"
But the captain, with his halfsoldierly
half-drunken strut, was already out of hear
! ing, crossing the swampy meadow.
The young clergyman watched him. There
was a whisper in his heart-"If thy brother
sin against the, thou shalt forgive him. I'm
| til seventy times seven"
He adjusted his hat impatently, told him.
self there never was so worthless a sot on
| Gods earth, so damnable an incubus on a de.
| cent mans life. Which was, probably, true
enough. Nicholas had been sorely tried and
had borne his trial with patience for years.
The meadow was n stretch of dark. deep
weeds. one or two old cedars grew in the cen
| ter. and then gloomy shadow
Mr.. Harbour suddenly remembered its
name. The Cedar Pasture. What was it that
/ he had heard of an old shaft sunk for iron,
and not properly covered? What if poor Jack
should fall into it He started TO run after
him and then stopped suddenly
Bah He's not born to that sort of i'll
| luck. I'll send him to New York tomorrow.
and remit TO him regularly. He'll live to n
| goodly old age, to blacken my life"
He turned and walked towards town. skirt
ing the field. His pace was angry and hur-
riCd. Captain Harbour paused and looked
back AZ him. Ia the red evening glow the
figure crossing the dreary field stood ont clear
and dark.
And that is my mothers SON" muttered
John bitterly. "and my last chance"
He heard stihed cry. and stared with
! amaZement over the vacant meadow. The
dark figure was gone.
! Ill news fies fast in a yillape like kerr's
Ford. In ten minutes there were excited
! groups crowding from all points to the cedar
meadows and everybody knew that the min
lister had fallen into the old shaft.
They stood about the black gap from which
the bambles had been torn away by his fall
with pale faces. saying little No vulgar pre-
tention or malicious sneers now. Here was
genuine grief. genuine human feeling The
women, black and white. stood apart, sobbing
silently. Only such men spoke rs had some
practical suggestion to offer-the Judge and
the young Holts and Burwells. The men of
fashion of the village, with their coats of,
worked under Plumer the blacksmith's, or
ders. They had rigged up pulley to let a
rope down.
Colonel Caldwell on his knees. shouted into
the hole Mr.. Harbour -
No answer.
DO you hear me. sir 2"
The silence was like death. The women
shuddered.
Could the first fall have killed him :" said
Caldwell, looking up to DR. Peters
Hardly. The shaft is narrow. His fall
would be broken"
Does anybody know how deep it is :"
OldAir, Holt pressed forward. 1T was reck
oned sixty feet in my time
There was young girl standing apart from
the others. She noticed that the men uncon-
sciousE spoke in whispers, as in the presence
of the dead. She came nearer
He is not dead" she said God could
not do that. Lower the rope"
They did SO. The iron bar at the end
knocked against the sides, the stones and
clay ratified down. But no other sound came
up from the yawning pit.
The Judge leaned over. Mr.. Harbour. II
you canno1 speak. take the rope and give it
jerk
There was moment of absolute silence
but the rope hung loose.
The Judge stood upright I'VE are toe
late, Doctor
"No no. We forgot The shaft is nj
doubt. full of foul gases. The man is stupe
fed. bunch of hay quick"
The hay was lighted and sent down. 1t wa,
at once eXtinguished.
Il told you so. More. more. We mus
burn it out"
They began to let down burning bundles o.
it. The process was slow the hay had to b,
brought from distance.
In the mean time said the Doctor
Harbour will die. SOMEBODY must go down.
r Not q man spoke. In the digging of well
a year before, three laborers had been killed
by the fire-damps. They had all seen theii
limp bodies as they were dragged out. Tn,
horror of it was upon them still.
Somebody must 60" said Caldwell. look
inc around fapbly A womau laid bar hant
upon his arm. You? Poor child Wha
could you do? Mother, take Miss Clevedoi
away. This is no sight for her. Come! come
Who is going!"
Il am ready" A man stepped forward
He wore a ragged evening suit carried him
self like soldier There was dreadful pal
lor on his face, which ugly blotches mad
more conspicuous.
The Judge hesitated the ropes in his hand
''Yes-ah-you mean that you will go dow
the shaft Z"
"Of course. Go on !" holding ont his arms
, There's no time to be lost"
The Judge looped the rope about his waist
"You-you understand the risk, l suppose
: 1t is a good deal TO take for a stranger. Yo
: know Mr. Harbour, probably
! The man nodded. Il knew him. NOV
lower me. When jerk the rope once, lowe
l me farther twice, pull me up and quickly.
, They lowered him. In a moment the rop
q was jerked violently twice, and he was drag
: ged up breathless and liyid
, You see :" said Caldwell I'VE mus
4 burn more hay. No man will throw away hi
life in this way"
John had revived by this time. There
: no time to burn hay. Lower me again.
= am ready. l will not come up so soon again.
The rope went down again. Minute afte
minute passed before the signal was given.
= was feeble then. two faint pulls but tn
% weight was doubled on the rope
He has tied on the body" they muttered
tugging away.
: Two bodies-two dead bodies, as it SCENE
7 were brought out and laid on the grass.
: Strangely enough, it was Nicholas Harbou
who revived the first. His temperate life an
= .-r,,Al Anll fnrn. Auho., IL. .,.,n,,nl