Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-11-03

| Cah JOu sup neT from IOllOWlng me r
didn't believe / could. | might have
thrown rug over Sammy and sat on him a
minute or two; but that old woman was too
much for me. l felt that directly she woke
she'd see what was thinking of, and stran-
| gle me before l could stir The precious
minutes were hying-the miles were hurrying
past US in the outside gloom-the girls big
woeful eyes were fixed on me in desperate
appeal.
II have friends who will save Inc il 1 can
but get to them, she painted. Just one min
/ ute's chance-only one"
All at once l had an idea-a splendid one
Look at this, l whispered and held up the
railroad key. "If l open the door, dare you
| get out You can hold on outside until the
train stops. Run straight across the down
line. There's only bank and a hedge on the
| top; lots of gaps in it nearer the station
There you are on the Luckborough road. Do
| you hear z"
was quite hot and out of breath with whis-
pering all this as plain as could She caught
every word as fast as l could think it, almost.
What with the feeling of my own clever.
ness, hatred of the nasty old woman and de-
light in spiting her, aud pity for the poor Girl,
felt as brave as any fellow, however big
could do, and full Of ideas as well.
Give me that said, pointing to her blue
veil' They won't see you're gone if 1 sit
mere with 1t tied over my head"
"Oh, no. no They will kill you"
NOT they They can't interfere with me. 4"
q declare, felt as if l could fight Sammy
and dozen old ladies just then Quick =!
now or never" tied the veil over my head
and lowered the window as softly as possible.
There was no time to lose. for the train was
slackenlng speed even then. l unlocked the
door. She gave me one look that made me
feel braver than ever and inclined to cry, both
at once; and in second she was out on the
step. The train stopped. saw her skirts
hutter in the stream of light that fell from our
open carrlage-door across the down line of
rails and that was all-and was huddled
down under the big plaid rug, with the old
woman standing over me, wide awake.
Drat the boy Sammy call the porter
he's got out on the wrong side"
one word.
She pushed the door to and tramped back
to her seat, taking no more notice of me than
as II l had been a cushion of the carriage.
1t don't matter if he has broken his neck.
either, she muttered. Perhaps we'd better
make no fuss"
The train was off again / dared not get
up while she was in the way, and concluded l
must take my chances at the next station
"Oh my bones and body" :" she groaned,
presently. "Oh, what time it has been
Sammy"
No answer.
Sammy" She was up again, and 1 think
she hauled him up and shook him, for some.
thing fell with a crash like broken bottle.
You idiot " she screamed. "When you
want all the brains you've got-and more, too
to play me this trick Serve you right if l
get out and leave you at the next station
ugh!"
1t sounded as if she were banging his head
against the carriage. That and the fresh air
seemed to rouse him. He got up and put his
head out of the window for short time, and
then replied slowly and impressively
NOW, look here old woman none O. your
nonsense. When he's wanted, Samuel Nixon
is all there. And no man alive can say he
isn't, he went on, solemnly, holding careful.
ly on to one word till he was sure of the next.
AS to this business, l ask you-Is it mine or
is it yours? Now then?"
Yours, should think, as it's your wife
that's giving us all this trouble. / wish I'd
left you to fight it out yourselves"
stop that, said Sammy, who was talking
himself sober and consequently savage 'I'u
not have it put upon me. l didn't want to
marry her; that was your doing And don't
want to make way with her; that's your do
ing-and if it's hanging matter, I'm not the
one to swing for it"
Heaven forgive you, Sammy :" said the
old woman, evidently horribly scared. Don't
ye talk that way to your poor old mother
don't If the poor creature was only in her
right mind, she'd be the first to say her old
nurse was her best friend-the only one she
had in the world when her pa died and left
her."
Here she snifled little Sammy gave q
sort Of derisive growl.
And as to her marrying you--it stood to
reason that she must marry somebody some
time left all alone in the world with her good
looks and her fortune, and why not my hand
some son? 1t was luck for you, Sammy,
though you turn against me now. There
you were, just come home from foreign parts
without penny in your pocket or a notion
where to turn to find one; and there was she,
without relation or friend to interfere with
you-as simple as a baby-not a creature to
stop her doing as she chose with herself and
her money. 1t would have been a sin and a
shame to lose such a chance OF course 1
wanted to see my handsome lad as good a
gentleman as the best of them"
The old woman seemed to be talking on
and on purposely; like telling rigmarole to
child to keep it quiet. Sammy growled
again, but in a milder tone.
"Oh, yes say it's all my fault, do You
can talk black white when it plesses you"
"It was your fault Sammy. You might
have lived happy and peaceable if you'd a.
chosen. Haven't been down on my bended
knees to beg you to let her alone when you
was treating her that shameful that the whole
country side was ringing with it? You know
it. and others know it, And l tell you what
Mr. Samuel Nixon, if she'd been found dead
in her bed, as l expected every morning of
my life to hear, there wasn't a servant on the
place but would have spoke up before the cor
oner-apd glad to it, too, Who'd "a swung
for it then, I'd like to know p
The brute was mastered. heard him shut
fling his feet about uneasily; then-ina maud
lin whisper
''It was drink nothing else--and her ag-
gravatng, whining ways Don't be hard on
me, old woman I'm sure I've given in hand
some to all your plans"
because you had to-you fool Now you
see what it is to have your old mother to turn
to. Your wife may talk as much as she pleas
es now Who'll believe her now we've got it
written down by two grand London doctors
that she's AS mad as mad can be? Who's to
mind her talk or any one else's? Aren't We
taking her up TO London just for the good of
her health, TO a nice, safe place, whore she
will be well looked after and kept from getting
herself and other folks into any more trou-
BILE And then you and me will go back,
Sammy, and live as happy and comfortable as
you please"
"They will treat her like a lAdy-eh, moth
er?'
''Of &C they will; a beautiful place, and
the best otlAving Bless you, she'll be as
happy as the day is long. It does you credit
being so tender-hearted, Sammy knew you
couldn't abide having her storm and rave as
she did last night, so l just gave her little
sup of something before we started, and you
see she's been sleeping like baby ever since
And the gentleman-where she's going, you
know-he gave me this bottle and when We
get to London I've just to give her Whit Of