The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-03-18
Selett Storp.
In n Blizzard.


speakin' of 'em reminds me of one out
in Dakota; les see, it must be ten
years ago this Christmas"
"Ah, come now! " interposed Skep"
Thompson, so called from his incon-
sistent disbelief in everything, from
Fisherman " Tins stories up to what
the parson preached on Sundays;
come now, if you must tell a story,
Tim, draw it mild. That last fish story
was most too big. Jest for once give
us something Reasonable
Tim had been relating an experience
of his which had occurred while he had
been Shaking in the South Pacific.
His pseudonym of Z" Fisherman " had
been derived from his alleged adven-
lures among the finny tribes of those
distant waters, which adventures, being
of a kind entirely unfamiliar to the
jewellers in the small Wisconsin town
in which Tim was now residing. were
considered by them to be largely the
product of the " Fisherman's " magma
ton. Still, they were interesting, and
even "Skep" Thompson, the very
loudest to denounce their fictitious
character, was sure to be around when
ever Tim was known to be in story
telling mood. Tim himself Away pro-
tested that everything which he related
was strictly true.
Some day. he would remark, "you
fellows will find out that you've been
abusin' me. One of the South Sea
Islanders or somebody else will happen
along this way, and you'll feel pretty
mean to think how you've gone for me
and my yarns all these years"
But such speeches as these were con-
sidered as only part of Tins stock
in-trade, and as further exhibiting his
skill in the art of lying.
On this particular night-a certain
bitter cold Christmas Eve not many
wears ago-a little knot of men were
assembled around the glowing stove in
Titus PERKINS, store. Titus Perrin's store
was the main source of the creature COM
forts of the little village, and also the
usual stamping-ground for the more
reputable portion of the towns-peo-
ple during the winter evenings. No
iiouor was sold there, and Titus Perrin s
wife. a "smart" and not unrefined
woman, who kept her husbands books
with care and ability, was always sitting
at her desk in the corner at such times,
making the atmosphere of the place dis
uuClly lnc puIel anu ihoAo "holo0ohi0
for her presence.
They had succeeded in " waking up :"
" Fisherman - Tim at an early hour of
the evening. 1t was rather cold and
stormy. as Tim had intimated; and as
the rafting blasts shook the little store
thew had listened with eagerness-but
with more incredulity than ever-to one
of his familiar shark stories. Tins pic
ture of the warm southern seas, in
which men dove scores of feet, and
leaped, and cut up all sorts OF antics,
was utterly incomprehensible in Wis
consin winter, with the thermometer at
ten degrees below zero. Even Mrs. Titus
Perrin, the sole person who ever implic-
lily believed Tim, had had to admit that
this particular story was trifie steep
She usually asserted, as increasing Tins
credibility, that he was one of those
lucky people of whom it might be said
as of one of Mrs. Whitney's well-knowr
characters, that "where he was things
happened" which was the reason why
he always had so many strange adven
lures to tell. Even the expression OF
her doubt in this instance was tempered
with charity.
II think it might be true, Tim," she
had added. "You always pay your bills
and keep your promises, and | always
try to believe such men till they arr
proved false"
''Beats all what women will swaller'
laughed ." Skep" Thompson.
Mrs. Titus PERKINS, sister, Mrs. Hard
away, who had just arrived in town t.
pay her sister visit, after many years
absence in the far West, had brough
her sewing in from the living room be
hind the store to keep her sister com
pany. Her son, boy of sixteen o
seventeen, who had attended her on he
Journey, was among the group of mel
around the stove. Mrs Hardaway evi
IDENTIFY did not agree with her sister, an
she now took occasion to say SO.
{" / didn't believe it," she remarked
coldly. " It's Just as hard for som
women to swallow lies as it is for som
men,"
They all laughed.
eyes, suppose So" said " Skep
Thompson. ''But Tim here count
most too much on everybody's abilit
to swaller. You can talk, Tim-T
own you're glib as if you'd been to col
lege, and hang me if don't rather er
Joy hearin' you on the whole. But 20
mustn't expect us to believe you, that
ALL"
gall right" said " Fisherman " Tin
with imperturbable good-nature. g
don't know as l can expect an ignora
mus like you, " Skep," to understan
these yarns. It's like tellin' blind ma
about colors, or those fellows dow
there where / used to be about ice
They never would believe that theI
could be such a thing. But goot
ness knows / don't want to talk an
more. My tongues downright tired.
ooh, no. said Titus Perrin, Ell
couragingly; "you were going to So
something about Dakota. That's
change. Maybe Skep could undo
stand that. He's beento Dakota himsel
Let's have it,"
The men, after cracking few mo-
jokes at Tins expense, gradually a
sumed listening attitude, and thi
oracle proceeded.
you see, Lem Schroeder-he was
Minnesota man / used to know-and
were up north, prospectin'. 1t was ju
after l came back from the tropics.
knew | was CROWN old, and / didr
want to die down there, so i was conf
north to settle. Lem was peddle
and he had good team, so, as we pc