Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-05-28
A BRAVE DEED.
A story by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps.
Copyrighted 1885 by the Author, All Rights
Reserved.)
PAR |.


call it in my business.
But first let me tell you. | ought to go
back and begin at the beginning. l amt
used to telling things-only yarns to the
boys. But never sat down by the job,
before, and made head'n tail of what hap
pens to foks-me nor other folks. You'll
excuse me- ma'am, if l don't get my hand
in. Pm greeny at it. If you hadn't
asked me to tell you, | wouldn't ha'
thought of it. When my wife says to me
"She wants you to go and set in her set
ting room, of an evening and tell her all
about it," | was struck of heap. But
couldn't back out after I'd got my foot
in. So here be. III tell you. I'll tell
you best way know how. l don't knows
care much about your tellin' other folks;
but Pm not against it. | haven't only
one thing I'd like to stipperlate about
that. Bamboozle 'em with the given
name. That's all. I'd rather you wouldn't
use my given name. ] amt partikkelar
on any other point as know of. I'll leave
the rest to you. I'm willin', if you are
My name is Charles S.-call it Scat
tergood Charles 5. Scattergood, That's
as good as any, for bamboozling pur-
poses. knew a man once named Scatter
ROOU. ne was III lOSo, ouO W OhlOpSO =
packed pork; he come to violent end
from mistaking of bottle of solfurious
acid for a hot scotch that's the way |
come to remember the name.
am ineman in the Atlantic and
Pacific Telephone company. I've been on
the force six years 1t amt an easy life.
ANY lineman will tell you. Ask 'em. But
| haven't come to that yet. That isn't the
beginning, The beginning is-No; let
me think.
You see there was-a girl. The be-
ginning was about girl. l don't Know
but that's the beginnin' OF bother anyhow
you fix it {; seems so don't it | can't say.
! don't know much about 'em, only this
one speak about. She was my glrl. me
boys called her my best girl but they
hadn't ought to. | hadn't any second
best, nor any other girl but just this girl.
/ amt that sort | never took to women
folks that way. | was kind of shy with
em. never cared about any girl but
this. We'd been keeping company quite
while | think it was as much year.
We warn't promised, but | never thought
of anybody else maam. Pm that kind.
There warn't anything in the way but to
wait till she felt like it, herself. She
knew that. She warn't IN hurry to be
married. | didn't want to skeer her.
didn't say much t. her, only to try to
please her | liked her | never liked any
body so much in all my life. | couldn't
helpl
Her name was Annie. Call it Annie
well, call it Annie Hope That's
pleasant sounding name, l think. Hers
was pleasant, too. / used to say it over E
good deal to myself, while | was to work
used to think it kept me from getting
Clddy sometimes on top OF eXtry hlgh pole
and crossing roofs, and when it was slip
perry, and in doin' of dangerous jobs, hun,
dreds of feet above safer men that earned
their livin' on the sidewalk. 1t steaded
my head | said it over, rs IT, you wa
to say "Annie-Annie Hope" while
was tracing trouble or dong any dlzzJ
thing.
you want to know what is tracing
trouble =? I'll tell you presently; III ex
plain myself as go along, but I'VE got u
go my own ways. I'm Ii Ike mud-turtie-
he'll get there give him time enough, Du
he'll double and hedge and go like he wa
molycoddled out out of his points OF com
pass, all the way. Pm sort of slow, in m
disposition and set. | never could b
hurried.
There's another one I've got to get il
first. I want to be quit OF explaining HOY
he got mere. | want to clear my mind Q
Charley Scattergood before | go ahead
He wasn't aturtle there wasn't anythln
slow about him; he was different from
me- he'd do what he d what he pleased
anyhow you fixed it Quicker'n fellow o
my sort could find out he meant to do ii
He was more like tarrier, Charley was
You can understand, ma'am, that ther
was difference between us Just from ina
point of the way we was called we ma
the same name you see-happened TO. l
does happen, but it amt SO likely VIII
the name of-Scattergood But there "
were on the same force, doing the sam
jobs answering to the same orders, an'
round among the same folks, so the
told us apart like twins, that way. Charlie
S. S3cattergood, that's me always, Bu
him they called Charley. Nobody eve
called me Charley. 1t didn't come natura
Charles 5. that was me, ana Charley
shat was him. Folks knew us apart a
well as if we'd been Moses and 1anke
Doodle. He had curly hair for one thing
and pve noticed when fellow. by tn
name Of Charles has curly hair folks ca
Charley. He was a very good -lookln
fellow. He was better-looking than bt
And he had way about him, rolllckln
sort Of way, for he'd been sailor goo
many of our business have. 1t come
'em in good stead, | tell you, squirting u
rotten pole after sleet storm. Tn
girls all took to Charley Scattergood.
Now, there's one thing never could sc
the sense of; and that'sa drunken lint
man. say Suppose you're on the roof of
seyen-story building shaking out a cross
don't drink. 1t amt sense. But Cha
ley he had his sprees; nothin' neve
harmed him either. I've seen him so ia
under couldn't walk straight to Dime
and he'd crawl out onto the caves to unit
JWlst OF IabIen guys or any VI uno'
jobs and not 80 much As topple, 1t We
his luck. The boys always said Charlie
Scattergood had luck. Some said it w:
because he was such a handsome fellow
But some said it was drink-luck.
Now, ma'am his making up to my ri
that comes next. I've got to tell yo
about that or you wouldn't understan
the story. When first ! see him maxi
up to her says: That's Charley Seattle
goods luck" But didn't believe he
get her, someways. | couldn't. She
kept company with me. | thought it WI
one of her little ways-for she was full +,
'em she wasn't like me /; she had Il
mischief in her, Annie had she was u
ways up to something; and she liked
new man to find out what pretty ri
she was-there most generally was on
| was used to it. | put up with it tor 81
kept company with me. She always mat
difference between me and them. Al
| SAWS to myself "She is so pretty She