Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-06-25
"What has happened?" asked the

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voices singing in one of the cabins,
and the men told me it was Miss
Mary's class. Some good woman
has been at work, / suspect"
"Miss Mary ?"-the squire's face
grew red, his eyes flashed, but he
said nothing more.
Going home he met Polly coming
to meet him. He looked at her with
the eye of a judge. care you the
good Samaritan? Have you been in
Black lane, my dear?"
She blushed, laughed and stammer-
ed.
"Oh, that was the most natural
thing in the world, father. You know
/ was brought up among colored peo-
pie. / know how to manage them.
1t was only a ditch cut here and
there, few panes of glass and BUSH
els of lime. They are good, affec-
tionate creatures and so anxious to
/ learn"
The matter was driven out of the
squire's mind before he reached the
house, for he saw Tom skulking
around the stable door. He had re-
turned that day, and dull weight of
misery fell at the sight of his fathers
heart. Tom did not enter the house
until late in the evening, when the
family were gathered on the lawn.
He came into the room with swag-
ger, unshaven, his boots reeking of
the stable. ''On purpose to mortify
us" thought Grace, bitterly.
81 came to see Joe's fine lady
wife," he said, in loud voice. Gun
less he's ashamed to introduce his
scapegrace brother"
"Mary is not here" said Mother
Demming. "Where is she, Grace"
"In Uncle Ben's room. She reads
the New York papers to him every
day now. They play backgammon
together, and they have one of those
silly books of Artemus Wards. /
heard him laughing and swearing |
harder than ever, so he must be |
pleased | wonder she can stand it,"
''It is hard to understand her."
said Isabella, dryly. "Mary is not
as careful of her association as she
should be-"
Tom had been listening very ca
gerly. Enough said, 'he broke out,
with thump of his fist upon the Ia
BILE. "If Joe's wife can take tho't |
of that lonely old man up there,
there's better stuff in her than / ex-
pected. I'll go up and make her ac-
quaintance."
For several days afterwards Toms
voice was heard joining in the jokes
and laughter that came out of Uncle
Ben's room.
"Mary seems to have enchanted
them both," said Grace. "Tom is
clean and shaved to-day, and looks
like human being"
"Perhaps she treats him like hui
man being said Joe.
But even he was startled when
Mary came down that evening dress
ed for walk, and nodding brightly
to Tom, asked him to 90 with her.
"Finish your book, Joe, Tom will be
my escort
Tom followed her slouching to the
gate.
He stopped there. Shame, def
ance, misery looked out of lis eyes.
"See here, Mrs. Demming l reckon
you would not have asked me to 90
with you -
Polly's tender, steady eyes met his.
"Yes, know"
"D'ye know I'm a thief? | was in
Jail at Pittsburg for year"
Polly drew her breath hard. "A
prayer to God for help went up from
her heart in that second of time She
held out both hands.
''Yes, Joe told me. But this is all
over now-all, all over. You have
begun new again, brother Tom, come"
She put her hand in his arm as they
walked down the street. He did not
speak to her until they came back.
Then he stopped her again at the
gate. 'My sisters have never been
seen with me in public since | came
back. I'll never forget this in you,
Mary, never"
A month later the squire said to
his wife, "Did you know Mary was
going over mathematics with Tom?
coaching him. This little
girl has the clearest head for fgur-
ing L ever knew. But what can be
her object?'
Mrs. Demming cleared her voice be-
fore she could speak. "She has APP
piled to some of her friends in Ken
lucky to give Tom situation. Fa-
ther, L think there may be chance
for the boy. He wants to begin his
life all over again among strangers"
"God help him." muttered the
squire. He surprised Polly when he {
met her the next morning by taking
her in his arms and kissing her with
tears in his eyes.
In the spring Tom went to Kentucky
and began his life anew. He has not ,
broken down in it.
1t was in the spring, too, that I'M q
Gle Ben began to fail. The old man .
was so fond of Polly that she gave
up most of her life to him so much
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