Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-03-12
AN OPPORTUNE WITNESS.

oGlu MI DlloSOluDJ CIll lpllIlCdll1.
And he climbed out of the buggy, with
beaming face, and hurried up the
front walk; while the hired man. who
had driven him home from the station,
turned into the lane with flourish and
ratified down toward the barn.
Anybody might have been glad to get
back to so cozy home and to so unmis-
taxable welcome.
A big dog came bounding around the
corner of the house to meet him. pranc-
ing around him excitcdly and making
frantic attempts to lick his face.
Mrs. Marks, the housekeeper-Mr.
Briscomb was hopeless bachelor
paused in her preparations for supper to
smile and nod from the window; and
two young persons, who were sitting on
the front steps, jumped up hastily, took
charge of Mr., Briscombs satchel, and
dragged chair out on TO the porch and
pressed him into it,
These were Mr. Briscomb's boarders--
Ruth Haines, who had come from the
next county to teach the district school
and Horace Bennett, who was surveying
for the new railroad and buying land
therefor.
1t was whispered that most of the sur
veying had been done in the neighbor-
hood of the school-house, the children
bearing witness to the fact that the
young surveyor was very frequent visi-
tor, and that hardly day passed that he
was not ON hand to walk home with the
teacher.
"Well--" said Mr.. Briscomb, remov-
ing his travel-stained hat and wiping his
forehead.
And he stopped short, and appeared
to fall into Teverie.
His companions were silent. They were
not quite sure which would be the more
appropriate--sympathy or congratula-
ton.
Mr. Briscomb had been to a point sew
cral miles distant, to receive the money
left him by a brother who had died six
months ago-the six months having been
consumed by slow and sure system OF
probating.
He was worth more than anybody
thought" said Mr.. Briscomb at last,
abruptly "IIe left Martha and the boys
more than they can ever use up if they
try; and he left me six thousand dol
lars"
The surveyor and the little school
teacher looked at each other breath
lessly.
To them, working hard for their modest
earnings, and more than appreciating the
value of money, it seemed an overwhelm-
ing amount.
"Ive got it right here" Mr.. Briscomb
continued, tapping his breast pocket,
Sand it's worried me all the way home.
You see, l don't know what in the name
of fgoodness to do with it"
"That's the last thing that would
trouble me-" said Horace, briskly; and
Ruth laughed, as she always did at
Horace's sallies
"There's the bank" Mr.. Briscomb
went on, musingly, ''but I'm afraid of
banks. And there's the railroads; | sup
pose might take stock in some of them.
But l amt partial to railroads, either. l
guess I'd better keep it by me till I've
looked around little" he concluded,
rubbing his chin disturbedly.
"Where will you keep it3" said Ruth,
wonderingly.
"Well, I've been thinking about that, y
Mr.. Briscomb responded, looking at the
porch floor with contracted brows. 81
thought of the back of the old settee,
and the inside Of the straw tick, and the
clock case; but I've come to the conclu-
sion that they be the first places any
body'd look. Finally thought of the
very thing. There's loose board up in
the floor of my room-the northwest
corner-iust room for a box under it.
can put my trunk over it, and there it is.
Nobody'd think of going there"
/ ''Nobody but me, " said Horace cheer
fully. ~ should know exactly where to
60"
At which Ruth laughed again, and Mr..
Briscomb smiled absently.
He was very fond of his boarders; he
often wondered how he could have
thought the old house cheerful before
they came, and what he should do when
they were gone.
'I'd better get it off my mind" he
said, rising, 'T'll go and do it now."
And he went into the wide hall and ul
the stairs.
"He ought to invest it at once" said
Horace, disapprovingly "He'll always
be uneasy while he has it on his hands. y
81 am afraid So" said Ruth, looking
after him regretfully.
J And then the conversation drifted tc