St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-05-27

Well, one day, or rather, afternoon,
as the shadows were lengthening out,
and robin was piping the first note of
his plaintive evening song, sat alone
in my cOzy morning room.
'If | had dealt unfairly by Il single
man in my employ, would own to the
wrong and make reparation," my dar-
ling said. "Some hands have just
cause to complain of their masters,
mine have none. | will not bulge one
inch.'
The illness of Mrs. Otway kept her n
prisoner to her own home, and day by
day | went to sit beside her couch and
talk of John, and of scarce aught else.
Women who are leal and true can give
sweet store of comfort to each other i'll
time of trouble by community of SYM
pathy, even if they be but close friends /;
how much more, then, could we two,
to each of whom the man upon whose
head SORROW had fallen was the best
and dearest.
Baby, on the day of which | now
write. and from which seem ever wan
dering in devious pathways of thought,
had seen fit to take his sleep mt an I'M
wOnted hour; so was alone i'll the
deepening twilight for once.
The house was very still just then,
for the servants were at their tea, and
n thick, green-baiZed door shut off their
premises from the rest of the rooms.
1t was so quiet that through the open
window | could hear Lassie whinny
softly in her stable across the yard /;
so quiet that the sound of my own
name. spoken hurriedly, and almost i'll
IL whisper, made me start, and seemed
as it were, to tear the mantle of silence
that was brooding over the early au-
tumn evening.
"Mistrcss Otway! Mistress Otway Y
said the voice ''for Gods sake coon
round to t door and let me in. I'm
nigh droppingm
In il moment | had reached the
porch, opened the door and was hal
supporting, half leading IL figure Sc
ghOstly, so death-like that it might al
most have been taken for Il Visitant
from the spirit world.
1t was Jim Stevens wife; Il woman
haggard and fever wasted, and whom
had seen only the day before lying
weak and wan, with her two days ole
baby by her side.
|
to my room. and, still holding my arm
i'll wild, convulsive grasp, gaspe,
ont something could not understand
"are you mad ?'
, CAV. a'most,n she whispered, raisin:
t her fever bright eyes to mine, anC
1 wiping the sweat from her poor TIM
/ face with il corner of her shawl. List
| en-, lady, she went on, ''if they mis-
t me from my bed, and jim learns ~
. I've COON oop here, I'm dead woman
$ he'll brak every bOan i'll my body, Il
' sure us theer's a God above; but
t dunnOt care. YO've been good frien'
to me, and the like O me, and | woan
= see y0' made II widder and yer httl
), one fatherless."
e The words struck me like blows, fell
ing me where | stood with their terri
D BILE force.
On my knees, with my head in tina
y poor creatures lap, wrestled with
pang so awful that as | write about
Il now, after long years, it seems to rlv
e my heart again.
E'Nay," said Lizzie, lifting my bOwe
" head with her poor, shaking hands
e "yo munna greet-yO' mum be stron
it and hale-for the sake o him as love
yo'. If summat amt done he'll b
: carried whOam to yo' dead this nee
IS wi bullet i his breast"
G "My God, my God !" | cried, stag
n gcrimg to my feet; "hclp me "
e GAY, | say amen to that, lady,
e said Lizzie, catching my hand an
n pressing it against her bosom. "Go'V
IL helpt others happen God 'ull min
that now and help yO'."
1t "What can do Tell me-tell N
= the whole truth, Lizzie. See, II
$ strong and hale now; God has helpc
IS me already. He has put courage int
W my heart"
l. ."Thoull need it, my lass" said Lii
Il zie, forgetting in her eager trouble Il
barriers of class, for pain, the gre;
l. lcyclcr. set us for the nOnce side L
/ side, just two sorrowing, timorous w
III men, and nothing more. cts Jim ;
lg is mt t bottom o it all-may God fo
at rive me for speakin' agen my mo-
lg Mistress Otway-I wudna, but it's
+ hinder murder bein' done, and afore
Is tell thee. wilt swear that ne'cr Il wol
lie shall pass thy lips to hurt him lie
ry "A bad mon, | know; but for Il that hC
Id my mon-and it's hard for ony won;
ne to speak out agen her monr
ne In sorcst anguish of impatience
IL wl1ng my hands the one i'll the oth'
and. with lips as white rs Lizzie's Ow
of swore the oath she craved for.
eel Then she told me all the shamet
III story.
ne The foreign workmen whom $50 I
:" port had it) John had decided to el
lis ploy were on their way to the Mort
there was no chance now of brlngI
ol the owner of Otway Mills on his kne,
zee The furnace of hate, heated sew
" times with the fuel of drink, seeth
De, like mighty cauldrOn. jim stirred
II" it with bitter, angry words. He h
me been at fault more than once, and
last dismissed he had wrongs to ]
III venge, he said-they all had.
Il ~ Thus the evil tongue tried to stir
lor strife but only one or two other Il
me bulent spirits like himself would
my led into plotting against the mast
n Il These then had laid foul plot
pc plot that poor, faithful Lizzie had
Sor her bed of weakness and pain to W,
my me of.
~ r5 .'You know" she said, ''the
sa wood wheer t two roads meet, i
-, way 'twixt here and t. mills ? w
NOT they're to watch for him passing
, of thecr Oh his black horse, and, oh,
nd lady, the shot 'ull COON from beh
NO the trees.
wv "When-when ~ almost shrek
oso sTo-neet," she whispered hoars,
U"S as though she feared the very w
w. would tell Jim of her great treach,
o,,, ''There's no tonne to lose. Thee m
ra 20 theeser; they'n know summat's
ppUd pU if any other body goes by. Which
the roads does the meester COON b.