Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-08-17

lion OF the fazed village. to detect
some signs of life; but they saw only
q stray dog who wandered disconso-
lately amid the ruins, shifting the
heaps of garbage with disdainful |
air. The light waned and the serried
ranks of mist, that had been lying in
wait amid the western hills and across
the straits, closed in upon the city.
The merchant grew impatient under
the long delay.
81 can't understand, Martin, why
you didn't get rid of the man along
with the rest. Did he venture to
question your authority?"
s'Why, you see, sir, I didn't like
to speak rough to the old chap. I'll
venture to say he hasn't always been
what he is now. Fact is, I didn't
speak to him direct. I thought he'd
take the hint and leave.'
"My soul !" The man shrank from
the indignation and disgust express
ed in his employers tone, then has
tened to smooth away his righteous
indignation with happy after
thought.
ssCome to think of it, / havn't seen
a sign of him since yesterday. Like
as not he's gone of his own accord,
unless" The watchman's face be-
came suddenly grave.
"Well, unless what?"
"He's lying down there all this
time. He was thin, weakish-look-
ing fellow the kind that go off quick,
sometimes.
'What a ghoul you are, Martin y
Brewster laughed short, nervous
laugh. Pleasant suggestion this, that
ON his own land, not forty rods away,
a dead man was lying, who had per-
haps perished for the lack of proper
food and care! Then a better senti-
ment stirred his heart. He was a
narrow-souled man, but not hard
hearted.
'sTake your lantern and come
ahead, Martin no morgue on my
premises, if I can help it,
They stepped out into the chill and
darkness, carefully locking the door
behind them as precautlon against
lawless intruders. AS they left be-
hind them the tall lumber piles with
their sweet scent of the wood, and
approached the border of Mission
creek, malarial poisons filed the air,
and host of unsavory odors assailed
them. Reeking vapors seemed to
arise from the putrid heaps and clutch
at their throats with phantom fingers.
Their feet slipped, and sank into the
masses of fostering decay. It was
Brewster's first visit to this choice
portion of his recently acquired pos
sessions, and the thought came to his
mind that it was poor stick of a
man who would deny fellow-crea-
ture the hospitality of such an accurs-
ed spot, on other grounds than that
of its total unftness for human oc-
cupancy. Suddenly Martin brought
up with short step, swinging his
lantern around to illuminate the spot
for his employers inspection.
s'Here we are, sir.
Brewster leaned forward and de-
scried low, irregular structure, not
four feet above the ground at its
highest point. His pre-conceived no.
tions of the style of building opera
tions pursued in these primitive dwell
lngs were completely overturned.
Instead of neat and shining rows of
tin cans, rising tier upon tier into a
pretentious and fanciful structure, he
beheld a rude framework of refuse
boards, imperfectly covered with rus
ty strips of tin, an humble defense
against wind and weather; the mer.
est apology for covering. He had
time to take but cursory glance al
these details, when weak voice from
the interior hailed the visitors.
"Who's there?"
Brewster hesitated an instant be.
fore replying. He could not announce
himself as friend, for his mission
was far from friendly. He resolved
to present himself on strictly neutral
grounds.
"Your landlord
"Sorry not to give you more fitting
reception, mine host, but as I'm hard
ly in shape to receive company, il
you'll be kind enough to slip your bill
under the door
Brewster's dignity was offended
1t was all very well for him, the man
of property and position, to conde.
scend to address joke 10 the vaga-
bond who trespassed on his domain
for the rascal to presume 10 assume
jocular tone toward him, in turn,
was intolerable! He thought of the
underwriters and the increased pre-
MUM, and interrupted the fellow an
grily:
s'Come, now, this won't do! Ge,
out of here, and away with you! p
"Sorry to be unable to comply with
your polite request, sir, but don'l
think I could walk very far tonight r
| ssHumbug! 1 want you to under
stand that you are on my ground, sir
Every moment you stay endangers
my property. Out of this place il
two minutes or I'll have you under
arrestp'
/ Brewster had worked himself int