Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-01-15
Kearney's Promise.
CHAPTER I.

aunty
"Thieves don't look for pocket-books on
the left side, burglars can't dodge a left
hand shot, man can write two love-letters
at time or shake hands with himself, Ell,
aunty2
"Now if had been right-handed man,
should never have been able to save my
self from a terrible fall, as | did last night,
when my mare bolted past the rocks and
would have whirled me out of my saddle il
| had not caught at tree bough just above
me on the left, and hung there like Absa-
lom or Mohammed's coffin between heaven
and earth.
"Couldn't have hung by my hair, though,
could II Well, Parson Allen says Absa-
lon didn't, either, so am not out of the
way, after all"
Carroll Kearney, stout strong, rich and
handsome, running his fingers through his
close-cut curls and nut.brown whiskers,
stood at the door of his lodge-keeper's cot
tage. in the early September sunshine look
ing down on quaint, fair little old woman
who sat knitting industriously. She was
the mother of his most valued farmland,
John Ellis, who, with comely wife and
child-group of three, like a clover.leaf, lived
here, where his father before him had served
a former generation of CAROLS in the big
white house on the hill above the belt of
evergreens.
"Aunty, what in the world are you think
ing about You've dropped lots of stitches,
and your glasses are as dim as old Shawan-
hunk when the storm is coming over" said
Carroll, as he looked down at the dear old
woman who loved him we'll She started
| little, and laid down her knitting as she
answered softly
"Oh was way, way back in the old
| times, Mr.. Carroll, when you were little
| yellow-haired laddie, and the wee left hand
| first had to learn its lesson. | can see you
now, all white and limp with your broken
| right arm hanging down, and your mother
crying and-and -
"Never mind, aunty. Don't talk about
| it," said Carroll, and then with his head
| turned away he was silent. He stopped to
| pick up his riding-whip, which had fallen
out of his hand, and bending its supple
length wel-nigh together he said hurTiedly ::
"Was he, mean my father, sorryP
"They say he fell down on his knees
beside you, and he vowed if God should
spare your life, he never-shall | go on,
Master Carroll 2"
Aunt Ellis looked up wistfully in the
face, darkened by bitter memories, as Car
roll answered, Gay, ay-vowed he would
never drink a drop again, and broke his
vow and his neck before the year was out
leaving mother and me to fight our own
way through life. You see know it ALL
aunty. A man finds somebody good enough
to tell him such things, whatever else he
fails to learn
"Well, well, at least / have no inheri
lance of thirst, and shall never go that road
to ruin. l can drink when | choose, and
can let it alone, can't /, aunty? All, there's
John, now am off and away"
As Carroll mounted his waiting pony
tied outside the gate aud rode off, John Ellis
turned away with heavy sigh, but his
| mothers voice arrested him.
| Pointing with her released knitting-nee-
die toward the gallant figure, lessening to
| their view, she said:
"John, is he going his fathers road p
and Aunt Ellis lifted her dimming eyes to
her sons solemn face. He took his old red
handkerchief out of the hat which he held
| in his hand and let it fall again idly, once
or twice, before he answered
"I'm afeard, yes, mother, I'm MORALLY
afeard; down to Dobbin's ev'ry night, comm
home all sorts of hours Nothin' but the
good Lords hand that saved him from
havin' his brains dashed out last night,
when the mare took her head straight past
the rocks at the turn of the road, can save
him now. It's bad, bad, bad, though he
thinks he ant a drinkin man."
John punched his handkerchief into the
old hat crown as if to relieve his mind, and
Aunty Ellis clasped her trembling old hands
as she said "Just so his father went.
Open hand and loving heart, but never a
brake to turn or stop him on his way down
hill.
"Ah, John, if you could see it as | can,
after all these years, when CAROLS father
held him up over the balcony, so all the
farm-hands and neighbors, who were keep
ing holiday in honor of CAROLS third birth
day, could see him in his little suit of navy
blue, his yellow curls a-hyin' and his bright
eyes dancing
And then, when the unsteady hands that
held him trembled and let go! The child
struck on the ground below, the right arm
on a jagged stone, and his mother, whittier
than the frock she wore, came flying to the
baby's side.
"When his father sobered by the acct
dent, came down, her blue eyes blazed as she
turned to him and shreked, Look at YOU
work, Grant Kearney,' and then fell faint
ing by the baby's side
al was sorry for him then, tell you
The tears ran down his face like rain, anc
he vowed to be man once more, but didn'
ask the Lord to help him, and he couldn'
keep to the end without that. No use. |
Miss Lilly can't keep Carroll back and hell
him get hold of that anehor-rope, he'll go
I'm afraid"
CHAPTER II.
The wild wind of November, whirlint
about the big Kearney mansion, found on