Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-07-09

"Stay herep OF course he can stay
here" he said. We'll End something
for the poor beggaT to do. But to think
of your spunkying up to Bob Carter in
that fashion. I'd have given my best
COW to see il. a little white bantam
picking a mad bull would be nothing to
lit. And he ran of. Well, well. Here.
lCharlie. show Joe the room over the
barn. He can sleep there, and he'll soon
learn where to come for his meals"
So the idiot found his hard bed on the
floor replaced by the cozy barn chamber,
his scanty food exchanged for generous
lplenty, and for blows, kicks and curses
and ha-d work, everlasting his brain, he
had kind words and light work suited
10 his comprehension.
And under this treatment be bright
ened visibly, performing his task wills
ingly and well. When winter came Sur
sy herself altered a suit and overcOat of
her fathers to clOthe the boy comforta-
bly, for the cold weather, ank knit him a
scarf, cap and mitteDs. She never pass
ed him without word of encouragement,
and in his darkened life the fair, sweet
face stood for religion-something to be
worshipp6d; poor Joe's special provi-
dence.
He never forgot the falling of the cruel
lash upon her tender figure bent to pro-
tect him, and he understood perfectly
that Susy's intercession had procured
for him that happy, comfortable home.
And his gratitude expressed itself in
such offerings as we're il his reach-bou-
quets of wild flowers, clusters of delicate
ferns he knew she loved, baskets of wild
cherries or nuts, and an eager offer to
lift any obstacle from her path. And
the good natured, jesting country folks
called poor Joe Susys admirer.
But while the winter SHOWS were yet
on the ground there came to Brent Hill
new clergyman, one Cyrus Portman,
who had been a pupil of Susys father
when he was youth of 10, and she a
fchild of II. Having fitted himself for
college under Rev. Stephen COyle's int
structions, he had gone to Harvard, had
studied for the pulpit, and, having
preached in Boston, had accepted a call
to Brent Hill.
1t was quite natural that he should
seek Susy, and the old servant at the
parsonage was warm in her praises. He
was a wealthy man, having inherited
fortune from his father, and he was ea+
ger to help the poor in his parish. Susy,
having the children under her control,
was able to point out to him many ave
nues for his charity, and thus added an
other link to the associations that bound
them together.
So in the winter evenings and in the
spring walks he let his heart go out to
Susy and gathered her image into its
deepest recess while she, unconscious of
her own secret, felt that there was nc
happiness so profound as Cyrus brought
| ny ulO llCIO plOOCbSO. IL w do q 4hlClJ
uneyentful counting for six long months.
but it bound two hearts firmly together
for life. And Joe, looking, understood
vaguely that Susy was happy when Cy
rus was near, that service performed
for Cyrus pleased Susy as well. And as
events progressed he understood that
Cyrus would one day take Susy to the
parsonage as his wife. All this was
firmly rooted in poor Joe's clouded brain,
and he knew that trouble to Cyrus
would also be sore grief to Susy.
"Susy likes him; Joe must be good to
him because Susy likes him."
Summer sunshine was ripening the
grain and the berries were in ripest
cluster when Susy had an entire month
of leisure for the school holiday, and
Cyrus won from her the promise to re-
sign her place and become his wife in
September. Her simple outfit became
her daily task and the Collingwoods lent
willing hands to prepare for the wed
ding. Joe was made entirely happy by
the promise of home at the parsonage.
ane the long summer days seemed too
short for the happiness that filled them.
1t was nearly two miles from the par
sonage to Collingwood farm, but there
were few evenings when Cyrus failed to
walk from his home to Susy's for an
or two Of the sweet companionship he
loved. And his way led him through d
stretch of lonely country, where the
farms were scattered far apart, for Mr..
ColliDgwood had bought farm some
distance from the village.
By what instinct Joe knew that there
might be danger lurking in the road, l
cannot explain, but it became his habit,
solely on his own will, to follow Cyrus
Portman, out of sight of himself, till he
saw him safely within his house, and
then limp back again to his own barn
chamber. 1t may have been that the
talk of the farm hands about some of
the crimes perpetrated by tramps con
veyed the warning to the weakened
mind But, whatever the motive, he
was constant in his unsuspected attend
ance.
Rev. Cyrus Portman, secure of his
place in the love of his congregation,
thinking his home ever safe from dan
ger of robbery, or even the fear of theft,
was careless of the fact that it was
known that he carried about him large
sums of money. He drew his income
quarterly from Boston bank, and was
apt to carry large rolls of bank notes in