Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-01-27
Kearney's Promise.

IAISNCo uOn AOOh AOA pONhCU UOOho
on the left side, burglars can't dodge a
left-harded shot, man can write two
love letters at time, and shake hands
with himself, eh, aunty?
"Now if had been right handed
man, should never have been able to
save myself from terrible fall, as |
did last night, when my mare bolted
past the rocks and would have whirled
me out of my saddle if l had not caught
at bough just above me on the left,
and hung there like Absalom or Moham-
med coffin, between heaven and earth.
Couldn't hang by my hair, though.
could l? Well, Parson Allen says Alb
salon didn't, either, so l am out of the
way after ALL
Carroll Kearney, stout, strong, rich
and handsome, running his fingers
through his close cut curfs and nut
brown whlskers, stood at the door of
his lodge keepers cottage, in the early
September sunshine, looking down on
quaint, fair little old woman, who sat
knitting industriously. She was the
mother of his most valued farm hand,
John Ellis, who, with comely wife
and child-group of three, like a clover
leaf, lived here, where his father before
him had served former generation of
CAROLS in the big white house on the
hill above the belt of evergreens.
"Aunty, what in the world are you
thinking about You've dropped lots of
stitches, and your glasses are as dim as
old Shawangunk when the storm is COM
ing over" said Carroll as he looked
down at the dear old woman who loved
him well. She started little, and laid
down her knitting as she answered soft
ly.
"Oh, was way, way back in old
times, Mister Carroll, when you were a
little yellow haired laddie, and the wee
left hand had first 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 we'll nigh to-
gether he said hurIiedly,
"Was he, mean my father, sorry?
"They say he fell down on HE knees
beside you, and he vowed if God should
spare your life, he never-shall | go on,
Master Carroll %
Aunt Ellis looked up wistfully in the
face, darkened by bitter memories, as
Carroll answered, SAY, ay-vowed he
would never drink 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 such
things, whatever else he fails to learn.
"Well, well, at least l have no inher
tance of thirst, and shall never 60 that
road to ruin. | can drink when l choose
and can let it alone, can't |, aunty
All, there is John, now l am off and
away"
AS Carroll mounted his waiting pony
tied outside the gate and rode off, Johr
Ellis turned away with heavy sigh
but his mothers voice arrested him.
Pointing with her released knitting
needle towards the gallant figure lessen
ing to their view, she said,
"John. is he going his fathers road 2
and Aunt Ellis lifted her dimming eye'
to her sons solemn face. He took hi
old red handkerchief out of the ha
which he had in his hand and let it fal
again idly, once or twice before he an
swered,
'1'm afeared, yes mother, I'm mortal
ly afeared; down to Dobbin's ever,
night coming home all sorts of hours
Nothln' but the good Lords hand tina
saved him from havin' his brains dash
ed out last night, when the mare tool
her head straight passed the rocks a
the turn of the road, can save him now
It's bad-bad-bad, though he think
he is not a drinking man."
John punched his handkerchief int
,, the old hat crown as if to relieve hi
mind, and Aunt Ellis clasped her trem
e bling old hands as she said: "Just a
. his father went Open hand lovin
heart, but never break to turn or sto
! him on his way down hill.
2 "Ah, John, if you could see it as
: can. after all these years, when Carroll
1 father held him up over the balcony S
all the farm hands and ncighbors, wh
. were keeping holiday in honor of Ca
e rolls third birthday could see him i
!, his little suit of navy blue, his yello
curls a fyin' and his bright eyes dan
. ing!
: "And then, when the unsteady hanc
n that held him trembling let go! III
e child struck on the pronnd halou n