Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-10-26

my yard, she thought again. Eggs are
awful high yit. Itud do Adkins a heap o
good, sof' billed"
She gasped in a choking way at the guilty
purpose that was forming in her mind
then she remembered her husbands refer
ence to his grave, and was decided. She
stepped forward aud went down on her
knees beside the tree \ thick mass of
piiy needles covered the ground under
meath, and there in dark hollow lay an
egg 1t was some little time before she
reached in and took it forth. Once light
wind caused a sharp branch 10 smite her
harshly on the cheek, as if with an accus-
| ing finger again some of the resinous
twigs dragged at her sleeve like hands
stretched up from the lower world 10 pluck
her down. She started back, but finally
grew frmer, and laid hold of the egg.
Then she iluttered toward the house with a
nervous, uncertain motion, as if blown by
the conflict Of her thoughts
Adkins ate the egg with something like
a relish. / kind o enjoyed my dinner to
day, he admitted, in rather a surprised
tone "Mebby ef yeh'd try to git me up
sOmethin' sorter tasty little oftener it
! wouldt do me no hurt ! reckon it's bet
ter fer all hands, though, fer me to Jest fade
away 18th the winter, kind o. like a snow
flake meltin' in the sun it's best ! shud
GO"
Ellen did not reply, but there was a curl.
Gus sternness on her purplsh lips. "Im
| glad | stole it, ~ she thought, with distinct
notion that her soul was now irrevocablv
signed over to perdition. "Ef he enjoyed
it one smitch I'm glad I'm a thief | am
! | am ~
The next day she stole out to look under
the tree; the egg she saw shining Whitley
| in the sweet smelling shadow looked to her
as mama must have looked to the starving
Israeites She took it with less trepida-
ton this time, easy are descents.
The gates to the Bad Place hev mighty
smoof hinges" she thought grimy. "Ole
| Hoof n Horns keeps EN- lied slick
Adkins never asked where his wife got
the fresh eggs he ate daily If there was
any remote idea of their unholy procure
ment in his mind, 1t did not trouble his di
| gestion at all In fact he seemed to gain
/ health in a slow kind Of way, his returning
bodily strength marked by growing mental
caprices. in trucking to which Ellen began
To lose her own wiry vigor. Long lines
| commenced creasng the waN-ke texture
Of her face, aud dull brownsh crescents
| hung themselves under her eyes like the
/ sickly haze that encircles a storm-touChed
moon. Seepless nights paid ghostly trib.
| ute to her troubled days but she never
/ spoke Of these so long as Adkinss peace
| full snore indicated the restful condition of
! his mind and body, she was well content to
lie 10y the hour watching the darkness rush
| about her as if it were full of seething at
| oms Sometimes the ceaseess motion of
| the gloom waxed intolerable to her and it
was in one of these moments that she got
- L.. Il.
window that fronted east.
1t was still dark, though the smoky dusk
Of the sky had faint suggestions of gray in
it, as if daylight hung far up behind the
| lower vapors After little while the wan.
ing night took on a sort of dim Transparent
cy, in which objects were plainly visible.
| As Ellen sat looking toward the east, with
"A hope that it would soon Tighten for dawn,
! her ewes caught movement in the yard
| which held them strained with fear. She
| knew presently that figure was crossing
| the garden, and almost at one with this
perception came the knowledge that it was
the sturdily built form of Liza Ann.
Over the dark stretch of grass the figure
went, on toward the looming blackness of
the single fir, beside which it stopped with
a wooden stiffness, as Of rigid joints one
hand thrust aside the dragging branches,
and in the outstretched palm of the other
! Ellen saw the round whiteuess of an egg.
Liza Ann got stitiiy on her feet feet again,
and began to recross the yard, her square
outline growing momently clearer in the
lifting gloom. She was walking smartly
past the kitchen window, when it fell by
chance that she cooked her eve in its direc-
tion, and at once caught glimpse of the
pale face on the pane. She put forward
81 t.aFfa hQ
should be recognized, but before she could
reach the door it was opened and Ellen
stood on the threshold.
"What r. you ms doin' in my yard. Liza
Ann Clinkenbeard = she asked in a rather
strained voice.
The other woman laughed shortly, and
finding she had to stop, stood in a defiant
way, her arms rolled in her apron and
crossed on her breast.
Reckon | hevn't trod down the grass
none, she said, as if at a loss to give a
reason for her presence in her sisters do
main. "I-hed occasion TO cross thoO
hyere" she pursued, after a little pause,
and then made as if to push forward
on her way. Ellen came down the step
and laid hold of her arm with a thin, hot
hand.
Liza Ann you ben a-puttin' them eggs
onder thet tree-them eggs thet | ben a
stealin'. What did yeh do it fer -
LILA Ann saw there was nothing for it
but the truth. 'Well, | see yeh take thet
first one" she admitted, with evident re-
uctance. Il he'd my eve on thet white
hen, for knowed 10y the sassy look on her
face thet she wuz gon' to steal a nest of
som'eres. She's too smart to hev feathers,
thet white hen is | wuz lookin' out my
back winder. an | see yeh r'ach in an git
the egg. an | sensed right off that yeh
must be in tight place count o Adkins
hevn' he'd pore health. | knowed y all
wouldn't hev nothin' from me no way | cue
fix it, an Well, the white hen wouldnt
20 back thar no more reckon she wui
sort o. put out when she see yeh take hel
egg. Hens are awful sensible critters
some o. mine come mighty near bein folks.
She was talking at random to hide hei
embarrassment, but she broke off sudden
" when Ellen sat down on the step in q
weak way, as if her strength had spent it
last effort Liza Ann helped her into th
house with speed of movement largely
dashed with fear.
''You got to set down in this rocker it'll
piler back o your head, while l turn il
an put the kittle over an bile yeh gooS
cup O. right strong coffee, she declared, a
she struck IA match and proceeded to high
"a candle.
"Oh, Liza Ann them fence palin's--n
"Shooks!" commented Mrs Clinken
beard, looking at the candles hollow con
of flame with wrinkled brows, as if it ha
suddenly presented itself as an interesting
, study. I'm hev old man Smith put 'em OIL
today"
mo, yeh won't Liza Ann /"
'He owes me "A little bill anyhow, inter
rupted the other, IAN may ez well take i
: out in carpenterin' I'll never git it out o
him no other way. Them Smiths are all
mean no count set Don't yeh mind Ros
{ anna Smith, Ellen her thet ulster let ol
like she wuz sick, so she'd git to lay i
bed T.
5 "'Liza Ann, ~ said Ellen, without heed t
the subject of the Smith family, which he
sister had brought up for the purpose O
e diverting attention from the more embar
RAISING question of the fence, Il whist yeh'
! do somethin for me, whist yehd leav
{ the fence like it is I'm kinder interested l
3 thet white hen, she's so kind o hum a
lookin'-an then the gap II be right hand
> fer YOU an me to crawl thoO goin' back an
3 forf." She spoke loudly Adkins was stir
/ ring in the next room, doubtless arouse
- by their talking and she wanted him
I know that the breach had not been repail
Q ed by an advance ON the part of Liza Am
3 Her devotion TO him was none the less thl
il was now in some measure balanced wit
T. renewed affection for her sister, which !
r word Of his could ever again disturb
2 "We'l let the fence stay like it Is, i
len, " said Liza Ann. Her voice was Ii
: tie thick, for she had been blowing the fir
S and the smoke had made her eyes wet. ~
v -Ha,per's Weekly.
Hoods Sarsaparilla is purely vegetable pre-
=, aratiun being free from injurious ingredients
y is peculiar IN It's curative power.
l. just Married.
a How loving they are. This is always a su
-, | sign After the first year sometimes Il does
! hold good when Charles comes home 10 y
70 grouty aud cross, swapping aud snarlng, unal
10 relish the nice dinner you have cooked, a