The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-01-27
A Dakota Blizzard.

Cdilcu HOlne' one was very Jlreu anu
the long mile before her seemed inter-
minable. Just then there was a sound
of wheels and span of bay horses were
refined up close beside her.
"Would you like to ride home, Miss
Welton?" some one said
Carrie looked up into the sun
Drowned face of Alexander Hall. There
was no smile in his eyes, and the
shadow of frown was visible on his
brow.
81 thank you-no. I prefer to
walk" Carrie responded
every well. Get up, ponies"
And the span and buggy whirled past
her, leaving cloud of dust to settle
upon her linen dress and straw hat as
she trudged along the highway, looking
very flushed and angry.
"The idea of his thinking would
make up with him in that way!' she
said, mentally. "No, indeed He
will have to apologize before 1 ride
with him again. / could see that he
was just as set and stubborn as ever.
No doubt he intended to give me
another lecture, and thought this would
be splendid opportunity. He will
learn that l have some dignity, 1 can
tell him."
During the last six months she and
Alexander Hall had been very good
friends-such very good friends that they
were, in fact, lovers, and needed only a
few words to belong to each other for
all time-words which would have been
spoken ere this but for an unexpected
event.
Shutdown boosted of two stores
which, of course, were visited at GER
tain periods by drummers. One of
these, a handsome, dashing fellow, had
recently made it in his way to pass Sun
day in Smithtown. Every one in the
little town knew why he remained
He had CHANGED to see Carrie Welton
one evening at the store making some
purchases, and he was not at all slow to
express bis admiration for the teacher.
He begged the favor Of an introduction,
which, owing to the somewhat informal
manners of Smithtown society, it was
not difficult to obtain, since everybody
knew everybody there, and the hand
some agenS seemed a very nice fellow
indeed-one whom all the young ladies
would be glad to consider an acquaint-
ance.
Mr.. Parker attended church the fol-
lowing Sabbath, and walked home with
Carrie, much to the Indignation of
Alexander Hall. He took it upon him
self to say some very cutting things
to Carrie when they next met, to re-
Duke her for her readiness to receive
attention from clothier's dummy"
as he called Mr.. Parker; and they parted
in anger. Their next meeting was that
on the dusty road.
Carrie congratulated herself upon her
behavior, and then she cried herself to
sleep. But she was sure he would come
again in day or two, and then she
would be a little more gracious, and
take him back into her favor, for
really Shutdown was very dull with
out him.
But Alex. did not come to her the
next day or the next, and whole week
went by without her seeing him. Then
strange report came to her ears.
"Alex. Hall has an auction to-day"
one of her pupils remarked.
" An auction! What for?" Carrie
asked, wonderingly.
take up claim in Dakota. He's sold
lllo III w NIL ltObCllo, anu lO-udl lC
sells off his horses and machinery"
"Does his mother go with him?"
asked Carrie, with a dull pain at her
heart.
"No; she is going to Iowa, to her
daughter. OF course the farm belongs
to her, and the money will be hers;
and she says she does not want to go
into new country. But Alex. is wild
to go, and pa says he will be rich man
in few years-that land out there will
sell for big price"
1t was not very orderly school the
remainder of that day. Carrie seemed
to be in a sort of nightmare. Could
it be true? And was he going away
without coming to say goodbye to her,
and this shadow between them?
But he did, all the same. Three hor-
rible days and nights went by, and then
she saw him pass the school-house on
the afternoon train which would bear
him from Smithtown. 1t was the noon
hour, and she and several of the larger
girls were sitting under a spreading
oak, watching the smaller children play
"ring around the roses"
AS he passed by he swung his hat TO
the children, with whom he was favor
tie, and said: Goodbye, girls! good
bye, boys! am off for OAK otaI' And
then he was gone!
n
The very day that school closed Car
RE received letter from her Uncle
Tom. Uncle Tom was her only near
relative, rowing man of Bohemian
tastes, sort of Observation-Disclosures and
good at none. But now he seemed to
have found a new location where he
would be likely to remain some time.
SO i am in Dakota" he wrote, "and
I've taken up the incest claim you ever
saw-one hundred and sixty acres.
have built me little house, and keep
old bachelors hall. go where please
in the day. Pm only five miles from
the railroad, and people are coming in
and villages going up fast. l have
plenty to do and see-odd jobs of car
penter-work, to keep me in living ex-
penses, and then go back to my shanty
and sleep nights. You know was a
soldier two years in the war. Well,
that counts just so much time on my
land, and when / once own it l can
sell it or keep it for homestead, as
nhnaeo I otto of xuap,an ONO ta1,;no, ,,n