Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-11-08

men in the neighborhood were re-
garding her with interest and / was
at once on the alert, for if she ever
married | meant to have good deal
to say about it. About this time,
Edgar Wilson, young parson, came
to spend the summer with one of our
neighbors, and it was not long before
my jealous old eyes discovered that
he fancied my Ruthy. He was poor
in purse and not strong, and when [
saw his pale brow and white hands |
hated him. But it was too late, for
| he had found favor in her eyes, and
all my threats and protests were of
no avail.
ssWhat has he to offer you?' says
[. ~ have no patience with men
whS~go around with such white hands
and white shirt on seven days in a
week.
ssBut, Mirandy," says she, and
her eyes shone while she spoke, che
feels that he has call to preach the
Gospel, and you would not have him
neglect this duty to do manual labor?"
Gospel and fiddlesticks !" says /,
for | was sorely vexed at the thought
of losing her. 'sWhere does he ex-
pect to preach the Gospel? the first
thing you'll know, he will drag you
off to some heather land where you
will starve to DEATH
':Oh, no, Mirandy,' says she, she
has call to go out West, where min
listers are sadly needed in the mission
churches
Now this was drop too much;
for of all places on the footstool, [
had the greatest horror of ''out
west" where wild beasts roam about
the streets and the Indians scalp you
at their pleasure. Well, / thanked my
stars that no man ever made fool
of me. had rather have my farm
and stock to comfort me in my old
age, for they are fixed, and they won't
be rising up some day and wanting
to 90 "out vest
But Ruthy's mind was fully made
up, so they were married and left at
once for their new home, snd for a
while it seemed as though the world
had gone out in darkness. Ruth al
ways wrote to me in a cheerful man.
ner, and l thought perhaps she had
done we'll after all, when one day
heard in a roundabout way that her
husband had been sick for a long
while, and that they were very poor.
After this her letters were good
ways apart, and / knew she was too
proud to tell mo of her poverty. At
ter good many wakeful nights my
mind was made up. l had been Of
fered $4,000 for the farm | would
take it and go to Ruthy. "What if l
do get killed. thought "other peo-
Pile have travelled and 1 guess 1 can
trust it." But / felt all the time as
if / had signed my death warrant. l
went to Lawyer Jones, and says L:
81 came to make my will, for am
going out West, and l expect to be
buried in an Indian grave, and want
to fix things little. So he drew up
the papers and willed the $4,000
to Ruthy and signed my name.
LAND sakes," says l, when | laid
t down the pen, "there are the town
l lots / own, had forgotten them, but
!; they are so full of stones they won't
bring much
Lawyer Jones said he could fix
: that, but | told him no, if the Indians
t were quiet | would come back, and
/, that would be time enough. depos-
tied my money in the Marine Bank
t at Hoverville, and thought after a
/; while / would put it in Government
i bonds, and l thought how much bet
F. ter it was to have money than to be
r tied to sick husband.
So | went out West, and it was a
terrible journey. Ruth lived at juno
ton City, and from the name of the
place l supposed it was large town ;
but when we reached 1t just before
: dark, I found it little station with
only a few houses, and it looked
) dreadful lonesome, too. | inquired
of the station-agent where they lived,
and I started off quick, for it was
getting late and l felt nervous like,
when all of sudden saw something
e coming towards me on horseback.
!; / knew at once it must be an Indian.
!, He had long hair and a big hat and
S he was flourishing whip over his
j, head like one possessed, and when
he saw me he gave the awfulest
!. whoop | ever heard. knew when
. started for the West | took my life
f in my hand, but I did not suppose |
e should have to give 1t up so soon, and
| | gave scream the like of which
never heard, and | turned to run
+ back to the station. never was
good on a run, being heavy like,
: and what with the fright, and looking
0 behind me to see whether he was
r gaining on me, didn't see where |
], was going, and the first thing l knew
/. | fell into !; ditch and broke my arm.
e In minute the station master and
: two other men were by my side ask
!, ing what was the matter.
t "Matter," says ], "where's the In
Y dian?'