St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-07-29
The CiearpOnd Stage.

1t had been storming hard all day.
The seventeen miles of hilly roadway
from Selborn to ClearpOnd We're two
feet deep i'll the snow, which was still
falling, and the evening stage was late.
1t was due in CiearpOnd ut eight
o'clock, but the pointer stood at nine
in the village "Store and post-oifice," +"
and yet the stage had not come.
The store was full, as usual, of men
waiting for the mail. There was 1.-THE
Judge" who had never held other
court than that which was now assem-
hled around him, but whose keen wit
and solid Judgment were well worthy
of a higher bench his Boswell, in the
person of "Uncle Cephas,n the village
cObblcr, from each corner of whose
mouth issued perpetually tawny o0ze
suggestive of tobacco; ''thc Deacon
| ii notorious drinker and swcarer. but
of severe and dignilied aspect !;
''Gran'pa Billin's," whose kindly smile
and venerable white beard gave ''tOne"
to the assembly; and ''Banty," the
postmaster, whose real name of Simp-
kins had been long discarded from
common use for the nickname which
his small size and strutting manner had
earned for him. Besides these, there
were a dozen young fellows and some
old ones, of more or less consequence,
the whole forming company such as
every New England post-otlice knew
well at that time. This was the place
to get ''thc newS.n as much as the
''sewin' -meetin."
''ThCy do say" rcmal llcd the Judge,
rolling quid of tobacco from one
! cheek to the other they do say, Ban
ty, that Seth amt a-gittin' so much lis
| he reely wants for takin' the mail.
! How is il ?n
| Seth Plunkett had faithfully carried
the United States mail between Sci
born and Clearpond for sixteen years.
"Guess it's so,' replied the shrewd
! little postmaster, with knowing nod.
I'D like to know said the Deacon,
''what he's a-goin' to do about it.
! Strike Pn
Banty nodded several times impress
sively.
'IIumph :" said the Judge, after a
moments pause. "fIcll be Il buntin'
his head agin' stun wall. The guv'-
ment's economizin'. Seth won't git no
riz this year"
"Think not ~ piped up Uncle Ce-
phas, making Il clean path for his
words at the expense of his hand. ole
ruthcr 'spects it. Told me so yestcr-
day"
Gle won't git no riz, | tell
you ~ repeated the Judge, pounding on
the counter to emphasize each word ;
and the weight of opinion seemed to
be on his side.
just then the door opened, and a
pretty young girl, with bright dark
eyes and a trim figure, peered i'll shyly
through the cloud of tobacco smoke
Grandpa Billin's was near the door,
and beckoncd to her reassuringly.
"Come in, Hettie," he said. "Stagc
hain't come"
"YOu don't suppose anything has
happened to father, do your said
pretty Henrietta Plmkett, coming just
inside the door.
Law, no! - replied Grandpa Billin's
while from the crowd further i'll 1
young man made his way, whose rising
color, as he pressed forward, seemed t,
greatly amuse his companions, one OF
whom said, with a sly wink: ''Pelt
Cressy1l tell her khe news, Gran'pa
Save yer breath
Hettie was about to shut the door
quickly; but the young man was toe
close behind her and was soon by hel
/ side.
"What are you a-doin' out i'll this
storm, Hettie p he asked, in a tone o
! tender reproach.
81 got real scared about father,
said Hettie Plunkett Il stood it IL
| I ,,,,ll tha,, I IT. ii
'Tisn't far, you know, Pelt. GOl
needn't go home with me. amt
afraid
'Law ~ said Pelt Cressy, facetiously
as he made her take his stout arm
How independent some folks are !!
And they walked on to Seth Plunkett'
little cottage.
Mr.. PeltOn Cressy and his sweet
heart would have told you that it wa
, but few moments before the stag
came in ; but the men at the store knew
f that it was Il long hour, and were gla'
+ enough To hear the familiar sound q
the stage-hells coming. One pair O
quick ears heard them "down te
the bend o the river" and soon
: with the light from Il dozen up
lifted curtains in the neighbOrhOOt
streaming out on the -pOwdere,
horses, and with grand flourish @
| whip and rein, the stage drew up a
the post-oflice door. Then Seth PUNK
EFT sprang from the high drivers seat
dragging after him the big leather
e mail bag, which always seemed ridicu
1 lously too large to hold the Clearpon
L mail, and burst into the bright high
e and steaming air of the long, low room
{ He wore IL great bear-skin overcoat
a which was white with snow. and hi
r fur cap and the tuft of whisker on hi
2 chin were still winter. Everybod
e cleared the way before the powerfr
= fellow, as he strobe to the counter an
1 flung the mailbag over.
d II tell you, boys" said Seth Plunb
a EFT, fiercely and with abundant profaI
= ity, turning to the eXpectant thron;
It it's an awful night. and anybody tha
e thinks I'm agoin' to carry this ma
n over that road any longer for two hun
e dred dollars year is sold. That's al
e I'll be blessed if | will ~
II "What is he goin' to do e. said IL
Judge, as Seth disappeared to put OF