Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-05-07

The next dly was busy one with MISS
Judith Pnphurst; she hal made up her
mind again.
4" That child's going to have decent
clothes to his blck! Ridiculous toggery
he's got on!' And the boards of the attic
floor creaked. as with lips drawn very
tight she marched over them To trunk
that had not been opened since Tom went
10 the war. Her fingers trembled, but
what she had to do she would do quickly,
and almost before The creak had died away
she was seated in her rocking chair again
with one of Toms full. grown suits in her
lap, and II paper pattern she had used for
him twenty years before in her hand.
She shook Il thread of bright golden
hair out of her scissors and began to rip:
for sensible clothes and curls did not go
together, and she had been shearng them
of until only II bristling little thickness
of tawny white was left in their place.
She drew her chair softly II little neal er 10
the blreau drawer, it was 50 hard to see
anything hat had been Tom S falling in
bits; but some things the keepers wife
had said, seemed keeping time with her
scissors us they went
| " You see, ma am, it's what might be
called Il providential accident, the snow
storm coming on and the stage going no
further, and SO that young thing being
thrown on our hands that night. She was
looking for her own folks that was plain
for she kept whispering to herself,
must see him tomorrow, for my child's
>ake;' and her very last breath was TO
cry out entreating like and sudden,
Fathern But this being an nconvenent
world, altogether not the best, why you
see by daylight she had taken Journey
quite another way"
Summer days are long, but they slip
away after all, and the evening came
when Miss Pophurst's precious cow came
home with twig of crimson maple leaves
hanging from her mouth. and the next
lay the Elm Tree school mustered its
deserlers and began again.
It's just as WELL" mused Miss Judith,
standing ut the window with a broom in
her hand and proud satisfaction in her
heart, AS she watched her new charge hur-
rying toward the school; the hey has
such an uncommon hankerng to find some
company of his age. That always sCas a
handsome pattern for pants. too; SO good
and slack in the seat and square at the
ankles-if could only cure him of that
rick of hitching ut the waistband, though"
That was hard school. rs every body
knew. They had turned out The last two
masters and were just ready for bird,
though for once it did not seem quite Ger
tain who would come out first best. "Sels
up to be II little extra" laughed Sam Heb
berton, the lalrst rebel of lust Year. but
there was only an uneasy echo of his
laugh. The new mister had been staying
II week at Squire PhiIipS's Venetian-bind-
ed. porlicoed house, that not one out of
ten of the boys had ever seen the inside of,
and the squire was II trustee into the bar
gain.
" Yes" added another tall rebel, Hal
Philips himself, " and he told my father
he intended to stay in that school room.
and if any one left, it would be The first
boy that didn't behave himself"
There was another uncomfortable pause,
and Sam turned from the stump he was
kicking. And what did the squire say
TO thatP You get out" l suppose" he
,urnod with IL half laugh.
llas eyes flashed. Everybody knew
the squire had boen II SEA captain for half
IL lifetime before coming back 70 take the
old homestead and family title together,
and that few quarter decks had seen hot.
ter temper or heard hotter words than his.
But there was IL rumor that the squire had
seen trouble in his day. His wife, and Il
'lnughter who WAS the idol of his heart,
were gone, and some mysterious change
had come over him with it all.
" It's bard tuss!e, though" said Dea-
con Bayberry one day. He the proud
est, high steppin'est man We ever had in
our place, but I've seen him fifty times when
II thing riled bim. with full five minutes
TO get fair hold Of himself, and then out
comes that terrible 'scapevalve O. hs'n,
Gtu get ou " And the deacon laughed
II satisfied little laugh; he should see the
squire fairly in the Kingdom yet.
But us Sam spoke, there was new
sensation in the crowd. A slight figure
walked toward them, giving IN uncom-
Portable pull ut the waislband, of some
very slack" trousers with one hand,
while the other was struggling 10 keep a
loose hat steady on n smooth. .shayen, Slip
perry little head.
Halo! what's your name, youngster?
Oh, he's Miss Judy boy! Judy, Judy,
where's the baby, Judy?"
}, A hot flush run up the brm of the loose
hat. but sharp, quick ring of the school
bell sent the boys swarming in like bees
into II hive, and the hum of the rst DAVIS
, work began. The hum went on pretty
quietly for week; the boys were taking
II gauge of the new masters eve and hand,
} and were too busy for much notice of the
new conner, excepting that pull ut the
waislband that Miss Judy's boy couldn't
, seem to do without. " Hitch" Hal Phil.
. ips had whispered with an imitation such
us only be could give and that was the
signal for the rest. Miss Judy's boy
couldn't raise his eyes to speak to any
body, but there it was Was this the fun
3, of going to schoolp
; Could the whispers have reached Miss
, JuLy's ears? AT any rate she stalked
grimly to the village store that night and
came back with very small parcel in her
, hand, and the next morning the shrinking
little face under the slippery hat shone
r proud and triumphant for once.
Z" Feel little extra this morning eh?"
said Hal rs pair of brown eyes flashed
up ut him with quiver at the heart they
, belonged to. 1t had had good many
quivers since school began, but this was u
new variety, II joyful one, and could not
| be kept back.
81 ue got some gailowseS."
+ Halo! gallowses! Hes got some gal
lowses! Now we've got Il ma mel" shouted
+ Hal; and the cly went round. Miss
. Jutly's boy was named. For an instant
, the wide pants AMI loose hat shrank away
| rs if from IL stab, but they were out again
and doing their share in the game, when
/ their turn came.
| There was another quiver that went
e pretty deep. rs Gallowses crept into Toms
! lorsuken bed that evening, after Miss
< Judith's crisp good night.
a Are the boys going to call me that
( dreadful name forever? But wW bear it,
. am to be good and brave for her sake,
: and-buL oh, why couldn't | have gone
r with herp 1t is so terrible here all the
t Time" and Gallowses' trembling fingers
| drew little gistening something hidden
1 at his neck, aud with one long, passionate
t kiss, he laid his check against IL without
another word.
) An hour later Miss judith walked noise
lessly in; those foolish store suspenders