Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-05-01
OLIVES ADVENTURE.

"But I don't believe any one would
take the trouble to molest us" said Mr.
Jaynesford, genially, as he threw fresh
log, -fringcd and odorous of the
scented dead leaves, among which it
had lain all the autumn time, upon the
blazing fire. "In the first place, we've
got nothing to steal-and in the second
place, ii we were all murdered, | can't
see any particular good it would do any
body. So l calculate we may sleep
quietly in our beds"
,"Yes- but, father" said Mrs. Jaynes-
ford, with an anxious look (she was a
modern Martha, numbered with many
cares, this angular, hard working, yel-
ow-faced farmers wife); 81 really think
you ought to get an extra bolt on the
back door, and never did think q hook
and staple was safe thing for the little
hall door, If there is a gang of burg
lars and murderers going through the
country"
And Olive Morrison, the little lame
school mistress, who happened that week
to be boarding" at Farmer Jaynes-
ford's, moved her seat instinctively
closer into the angle of the chimney
corner, and lifted pair of large, gray,
startled eyes toward the good -humored
face of her host.
"Fiddlesticks !" calculated Mr.. Jaynes-
ford, ~ keep loaded rifle and old
Towser has a throat like a trumpet, and
[ guess if they come here they'll clear
out again pretty quick. Anyway I'm
not afeared of en-"
"There is such thing as foolhardi-
ness. Jotham!" said his wife, senten-
Liously, as she stirred the batter for the
mornings grlddle- e-cakes in a squat stone
jar with high-shouldered handles on
either side.
Olive Morrison went to her room that
night, in fear and trembling, after hay
ing set up by the family fire as long as
she could possibly find any excuse for so
sitting up and lingering. She was a
soft-eyed, rosy complexioned little
thing, with tender, tllneful voice-a
girl who would have been very beauti-
full, were it not for the paralysis of one
limb, which made it necessary for her
to walk with crutch, and somewhat
dwarfed her natural height. Every
body liked Olive.
The parsimonious opened their hands
to her simple needs-the churlish grew
almost courteous-the hard hearted in
stinctively softened, and those who be-
lieved in the hopeless depravitv of hu-
man nature, made an exception in favor
of Olive Morrison. Even the riotous,
rebcllious young horde of the district
school were more malleable, by far,
under her gentle rule than they had
been under that of the male teacher, who
had just resigned his position in de-
spair.
AS she stood before the glass unbraid
ing the brown, shining strands of her
long and luxuriant hair, Mrs. Jaynesford
looked into the room.
otis sharp, frosty night, Miss Olive, u
she said; "hadn't you better have an
extry comfortable on your bedW
II don't think l need it, Mrs. Jaynes
ford" said the girl. "But do-do you
really think there is any danger of ouI
being robbed and murdered2"
~ only know what I've heard, there
bein' gang o. lawless fellers in the
country, MRS. Jaynesford added, with a
sort of gloomy satisfaction in the pros
pect. ''And 1 don't know why they
shouldn't come here as well as any place
faint likely they know we hain't nc
siIver, and lothian keeps all his money
in the county bank. Towsers all very
WE'LL but I've heard O. better dogs than
he is, bein' settled by dose of poison,
and I'd like to know what good 10Th
ANS loaded rifles goin to do us, artei
he's had his throat cut from ear to eal
in his sleep"
"Oh, Mrs. Jaynesford!" shuddered
Olive, the brush falling from her nervous
fingers 81 can stay alone .night-wi
A you send Bessie in TO sleep with me2"
But in spite of little Bessie Jaynes
ford's peaceful breathing at her side
Olive could not 90 to sleep until mid