St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-06-17

IL ltll Nou hllsib wiz -.
She says it is cOnfounded mean and
small of George not to keep Il woman
here to help his wife. And when
saw the dinner to-day the pretty little
thing had got for us, all alone,
thought so too. Hang me, if l hadn't
half a mind to stop here this afternoon
and help her wash up that great pile of
dishes, and let the haying 60 to thun-
der! It's enough to kill the woman to
have all that work to do. And George
is rich. What on earth is he thinking
about But he'll be sorry for this in n
year or two hence, when we have to
come here on a different errand."
''TO carry her ont in cOf1in," said
Solomon Wyse. ayes, | suppose it
will come to that if some of us don't
talk seriously to George. She don't
look at all strong now, and her hand
trembled when she changed my plate.
It's Il burning shame-and if none of
you will talk to George about it, |
will.n
They moved off to the bayfield, talk
ing as they went.
But when George Brewster joined
them Solomon Wyse deemed it prudent
to defer the proposed talking to-" for
his brow was black us night, and he
had no more to say to his neighbOrs
now than to his wife at the dinner
table.
This, then, was the way in which
they spoke about him behind his back;
these men who labOred beside him, and
took their wages from his hand and
nretpn1p1 tn he his friends
And his wife was afraid she hated
him.
To whom could he turn for comfort
from whom could he expect true
friendship, if she who should have
been dearest and nearest was an enemy
in disguise Lost in moody reverie,
he paid little attention to his work.
And at last, ut three o'clock III the
afternoon, there was sudden uproar
in the hay -tield-a tramping of hoOfs, II
rush of terrified men, IL confusion of
voices, and among them all George
Brewster lying on the ground beneath
the moving machine, his right leg
broken by the wheels, his head cut and
bleeding with his heavy fall.
Meanwhile Lefty, in the cream
colored house, had not been idle.
Tying on Il great calico apron i'll
place of her white one, she had quietly
washed and put away the dinner dishes
and reduced the dining-rOom to order.
Tea was easily arranged, since it
was to consist of cold dishes, with
glasses of milk for the men.
She threw n clean table-clOth over
the whole as soon as it was finished,
and went up stairs into the spare
chamber to pack her trunk.
Yes, Lefty has made up her mind ut
last. She was going away.
Life had degeneratcd into slavery,
unbrightened, as she fancied, by ray
of love.
''And slavery will support one any
where" thought Lefty, as with tremb-
ling hands she locked and strapped her
trunk and fastened her few lines to
George upon the lid.
At the porch door she paused for one
last look around the house that might
have been so happy.
She did not intend to glance toward
the bayfield,.
Yet in spite of her resolution, her
eyes turned that way to single out the
tall figure that guided the rattling,
clicking moving machine.
~ wonder if he will miss me a little
Just at first ?" she mused. ''IIe can
get IL divorce, | suppose, if desert
him, and then he will marry again. |
hope he will be kinder to his next wife
than he has been to me
With tears that rose ut the thonght
of her successor binding her eyes, Let
ty failed to see the figure that she
sought.
81 am foolish to look ut him again.
| have never been more than house
keeper to him from the first,n she
thought, stumbling blindly on toward
the gate and opening it, to find herself
in the center of an excited group.
"Thcrc, don't yc take on like that
said Solomon Wyse, who came first
and saw the tears upon her checks he
fore she could wipe them away.
"Werc you coming out to meet us
We were i'll hopes you didn't see any
thing of it. It's IL bad accident, but
George is so strong and hearty that he
will he up and around again almost be-
fore you know it. We've sent Ben
Hill of on one of the colts for the doc
tor, and if you will only tell us where
to carry him"
Garry him ?" repeated Lefty.
Solomon stepped aside. She saw be
hind him litter roughly made of hay
rales and covered over with coats, anC
on that litter George was lying, pal,
and bleeding, with his eyes closed.
"Oh, Mr.. Wyse, is he dead ~ sh,
asked, turning even paler than George
"Not bit of it! Worth twelve doz
en- dead men yet! Only Il bit of ;
break in one arm and one leg, and ;
little knock on the head when he fell
The horse didn't kick, and he'll be al
right as soon as the doctor sees him
Shall we take him Upstairs, or where
''Bring him in here,n said Lefty, re
covering herself.
She led the way into the bedroom Ol
the ground floor, and helped to shit
the MANNED figure from the litter t.
the bed.
Her soul was dying within her TO
fear, yet not Il word passed her lips.
When the doctor came he found
capable nurse, dressed in a dark print
who listened intelligently to his direc
tions and promised to carry them on
fully.
And so it happened that as GeOrg
Brewster returned to life the tirs
words that fell upon his ear were ut
tered by the doctor outside the window
as he mounted his gig;
eyes, he will do, Mr.. Wyse he wi
pull through finely if his wife nurse
him. And she can do so nicely if som
of you will send some one to tax
charge of the house. She is IA wOma
in Il thousand. | hope he knows ho'
to value her"
The doctor drove away.
Ta++,, h.nIinC, over tho haJ ahSnrl