The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1889-05-09
GIDEON PEAKS COLT.

the truat, Ana the blue aud white pspe
lining vss milda~ed here and there, sho-
Ing that lbe trunk had long been disused
II had not, indeed. been opened before y
ien years
No, since | vrni ou, 10 Iowa TO bar.
poor brother EIihu and get johanna. an'
ihsi'll bs ten years this coming fall. ssi'
Miss Elec,A. r,aeeiively. As she folded
gray woolen shirt up carefully aud neatly
snd laid il iu . corner Of the itunk.
Her pale blue eyes were ,ssr r-dimmet
and swollen Is she b~ai over the trunk
aud filled II with her meager wardrobe
When she had slowly and carefully smcoti
oil on, her black alpaca dress, and places
i, on top Of the other things. she close'
the lid. laid her head upon IL, and btgai
crying softly.
The creaking OF . gate ouisids. aud
football o. the board vslk. cAHsed Mis-
Elscts 70 rise quickly. aud dash the tear
away with the back Of one toilsorn baud
while harsh. defiant expression came 10
70 her thin and ssllov face.
It's Brother Gideon. she said. and In
bound he shsn'l see ms a-spiflln',
The man who came into the tidy llttl,
sitting room looked 30 much like Mis-.
EIects that j! was easy to see that they
we're brother and sister. II did not sur
prise one TO lesra ths. they were twins
Ill be ready TO 60 right after dinuer
Gideon. said Miss Electa coldly. as shs
stood with her back TO him, making 9
pretence OF searching for something in
the drawer OF the old red bureau with the
glass knobs 10 coiner of the room. She
forgot that Gideon could see her tear
stained face 10 the glass on the bureau il
be looked that way. He did see ii, but
his grim features did not soften as be said
brusquely;
All right, 'Leciy. I'll carry you and the
things down any time you're ready.
He had come 10 for his pipe, and, hav
ing found II in its usual place, on the shelf
by tue old clock, he walked out OF the
room as a little girl OF eleven years came
IN at the open front door with two or three
school books and slate under her arm.
Her blue and white sunbonnet was lying
back on her shoulders. and her short
brown curls tangled and moist on her
brow
I've run oil the wsy from school. Aunt
'Leciy. she said, cause l wanted to help
tear up things. think it's lots OF fun to
move.
Hump ye do? replied Miss Electa
Well don't, and things amt goin' to be
tore up but mighty little. amt goin' to
take SO much with us. You run out now
sn' set tne table while so down cellar,
snd divide the jelly and canned fruit, for,
Of course, I'm goin' to leave half Of Il for
him, though some women wouldn't.
A division Of all their earthly belong.
ings was being made by this brother and
sister of fifty years.
They were born In the little brown
house 10 which they now lived, and Meth.
er OF them had ever known any other home
Their lives had been peaceful and bar
monious until two months before the time
this story opens.
Their aged father had died shortly be
fore that. and. to their own surprise as
we'll as that Of their neighbors, they dis.
agreed over the division OF the small prop
erty left to them. The father had left a
will 10 which be had himself divided the
land and the small sum he had 10 the
bank between them, aud each was satisfied
with the division. But live stock and 9th.
or personal property they were to divide
by agreement, and sll the difficulty had
arisen over the question who was to have
certain roam colt about two years old.
The colt was 3 sleek. trim and hand
some animal, and it was. perhaps, natural
that both should desire "the crilter," a.
they called him, but 1t seemed q small
matter TO occasion the violent dispute
which was nov to result in their sepsrat
ing siter having lived in peace together so
many years.
Miss Electa had risen one morning with
q set, grim look 10 her thin face. and after
the breakfast bad followed her brother
out TO the barnysrd. where little Johanna
could not hear. and had said resoutely:
You can just keep that roam critter,
Gideon Peak, I'm tired about all this fuss
n' au' clAshin' over it. an I'm goin' TO
make an end Of it. Things couldn't never
be the same tween you an me as they
,nce was. after what's passed, no matter
which one OF us owned the colt, an |
hink the best thing you and me kin do Is
% live under diff rent roofs. I'm goin to
20 an live in the little house that's on nv |
,wn sheer Of the land down 10 the medder
OF. an what have round nell be my
,wn.
Gideon WAS greatly sstonished by this
but his face grew as hard "a
lis sisters, as be drew himself up stiffiy.
nd said:
All right. Lec'y; all right, do A. ye
,lssse. 1 Vas tslkia' to Squire Hodge
bout j, last night. sa' be couldn't see why
be eritter couldnt b'long 70 both OF US.
Cause IT couldn't. retorted Miss Electa
/ wouldn't be neither yourn or mine then
"a we'd clash over il sooner or later. II
ovn thing want TO ovn IL. and not bs
,eholdin to nobody. IL want to sell il. OF
i've IL away. or kill it,
Oh. veil; oil right. Lscty; do Is you
,lease.
OF course. Johanns'li have 10 go with