St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-11-30

folks, they could do as they was a
mind to, and they did and 'twa'n't
real good behavior, now | tell We
So 'Llab got sOt against that sort, and
when he heerd Nancy was keepin'
company with Shattuck, he rared right
up.
"And he did the most unpOlitic thing
he could. He whisked up to Mis-
Marcy's, and he tore round like all
possessed, and fetched Nance hum
quick as she could bundle her clothes
up, and kept her tight as string night
and day, a-settin' his shotgun close to
the door and and forbidden her so
much as to think of that city feller
ag'in.
/" Mis- Mills she cried night and day,
they said. She felt for Nancy, We see,
and she knowed that 'Liab was the
kind that never let up on nobody.
Well, the up-shot was, that Nancy,
after tellin' her mother she was gOin',
ran away one dark night; ran with
Poll Shuttuck on a blackboard down
ito Plymouth, and so was off.
HShe sent word to her mother that
she was married, and | heerd after
ward that Mis- Mills got it; but she
never heerd fIom Nancy again. Not
but what Nancy writ to her, for Lily
Mann, whose pa KEEP the post-ot1ice
down to Conway, told afterwards that
there was letters and letters come for
Mis- Mills from Boston but quick as
'Liab took 'em out, he'd step round into
Mann's kitchen and chuck 'em into the
fire.
"Well. Mis- Mills she grew peaked
all the time. She'd been IL real good
lookin' woman, full-faced and slightly;
but she was thin us a lath before fall
set in, and Lab KEEP tellin' her t
Nance Want worth cryin' for. She'd
married IL poor beggar against his will,
and was like enough scrubbin' for bread
now, and served her right.
"Now Nancy did not do Jest the right
thing in leavin' her home without try
in the better to convince her father
that her beau was worthy of her. But
'Liab ought not to have made that the
occasion of torturing his wife. 1t was
a hard case anyway, but the poor
woman was not to blame. Come fall
of the wear next after that when Nancy
went, it did look as though Mis- Mills
would give up the ghost, she was so
weak and feeble and iin'lly Liab
seemed to see it, and he got doctor
down from Bartlett, and Mis- Marcy for
to nuss her, and Lurany Mann she come
up to do the chores.
"Now, Nancy had not heard word
from her mother all this time, for Mis-
Mills didn't know where to write to, so
Nancy she'd writ now and agin to Lizy
Mann, and heered from her jest how
things was a-goin' on up to Millses'.
'When twas along about the third
week this November, Lizy had let her
know how her ma was, and what the
doctor sailor didn't say-and what
queer spells she had. I'd heered of
Nancy from some folks down Boston,
who come up that September to Con-
way to see the turned leaves, and got
! set back, for they said they want
nothing to look at compared to the
woods about Boston. | don't say they
was but Boston fOlks-well, mabbe
, you're Boston woman ?"
| laughed /; and he went back to his
story.
| "'Them folks bein' on my beat, |
made bold to ask 'em if they knew one
l Poll Shattuck And land They
; couldn't have said much more about
him if he'd ben the 'Postle Poll. They
| told how well off he was, and what Il
big house his folks had. They said
: he'd fetched home a beautiful young
T. cal from the mountains, and put heI
+ right in his mothers house, for to he
t taught music and sech, and had mar
, ried her, and what a lucky girl she was,
; and how clever he was, and no end OF
, talk. tell you | was glad to heaI
Nancy wasn't in no trouble.
| "WeH, come the day but one before
= Thanksgiving, | was down to Ply
J., mouth with the stage and six hOsses
5 for mistrusted there'd be fallin
+ weather, and mabbe Il hard pull, and
i was going through the Notch up tC
Il Crawford's; well-what do you think
Il who should come up and get int
It the stage when was ready next day
a but Poll Shattuck and Nancy
e 81 knOwed her in Il minnit, though
n she was all done up in fur and velve
like dolly, but them eyes and cheeks
/ was Nancy Millses' for certin (; and he
y made of her as though she was clea
$ sugar, and they was happy as two
c birds.
k .She didn't know me for ! wa
e fetched up over tOther way, to Fran
: cOnve, and the stage / driv never ha,
t. fetched anybody to Liab Millses'. Th,
e main road run t'Other side of SacO, an'
d his farm had bridge to It.
d "But / want goin' to tell her thet fC
t, heered that Mis- Mills was real low
II Offered news is sOmethin' like Offered
sarvice, specially if it's bad news
g Besides, ! had enough to tend up t,
r nv business, for it come on to snow
b thick an fast, and snew and blew a
j. sech Il rate after wed fairly left Ply
Of mouth that | was sure we shouldn'
5. get to North Bartlett that night.
lie "But before we got apast North Con
way we'd dropped all the passenger
.e except them two, and she'd said sh
t. wanted TO stop at Millses' farm, and h
st was goin' on to Bartlett-but he didn't
re "'Twa'n't no use. No hosses on til
III livin' airtlI could do it. The road wa
- drfted up so twas all we could do t
get to Millses', when we was jest acros
tt the bridge, says to Jim Price, VIII
= was along with me-
II, Jim says |, 'Onharness them tw
b. leaders and walk 'em to the barn tina
n was rod or so nearer II the house
to 'and then take the others along an
5. leave the stage a-standin'. III tax
er these folks up to the house afoot, fc
er the hosses is beat out, they can't dra'
i'll an ounce more
n, "Well, Jim he got down and done &
| told him, and we three set out for I
mt go to the house but you never sa
j. such a time as we had. She cOuldn
er get along anyhow. He and me, W
So took turns carryin' of her, and "
", flOundered like mired cattle. | set he
r. down to the back door. The hou,
ay was lighted more'n usual, but she nev'
nd noticed it. She flung off the snow til;