Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-10-04

devlate from his first terms.
II would be glad to aid you" he would
say but under the circumstances can
not vary from my rules"
So in time the people, already sore,
began to speak of Mr. Babcock as hard,
unfeeling man, whose whole object was
to grind them down.
Finally Felix went away to seek an
other location, and while he was gone
Mrs Skaggs became sick, and it was
necessary to send for a doctor Jennie
Skaggs, the 12-year-old child, was sent
over to the Cross Roads to ask some one
to go from there.
cts long walk to the store, Jennie"
the mother said az the child started off,
'but you can find the way easily, and
you needn't be in any hurry coming
back, only SO you reach home before
night"
Jennie tripped away and in due time
reached the Cross Roads, where she told
her errand to the storekeeper and asked
him to aid her in finding some one to go
for the doctor.
"Why, yes, I'll help you, of course"
said the storekeeper, "but | don't see
anybody here just now as could 90.
Therell be some one here directly,
though, and if you want to go on back
I'll attend to it for you, and send as soon
as possible"
Jennie waited, however, fearful that
the storekeeper might forget, and it was
growing quite late when she departed
for home; so late, in fact, that before
she had gone half the distance darkness
came on and she lost the road.
While she was wandering about on
the prairie she heard the clatter of
horses feet coming toward her, and
waiting where she was, a buggy drawn
by two dashing horses drew up. The
driver caught a glimpse of the child S
white dress and, halting, cried out:
Hello, here, what's the natter"
"Please, sir, I'm lost"
Lost, eh?' the man replied in mild,
kind tone. "Well, now, that's bad.
Where do you want to go, little girl?'
my pas name is Felix Skaggs, and l
want to go home. Do you know where
he lives?'
"Felix Skaggs? I'm, why, no, l be-
lieve don't. haven't been here long,
and I'm not much acquainted yet"
well, it's five miles from the Cross
Roads on the road leading out to the new
coal mines. A little sod house with a
new frame house almost completed"
"Oh, that's it, is it? Well. know the
way there, and as it's very little out of
the way I'll take you home if you want
to ride Climb in"
"Thank you, sir; shall be ever Sc
glad, only I'm afraid it will put you to
too much trouble"
"Oh, it's no trouble. Just get in.
For little ways they went in silence,
and then the man asked suddenly:
"How came you to be out SO late and
so far away from homer
my mother is sick and went over to
the store to get some one to go for the
DOCTOR"
where's your pa?"
Hes gone away to hunt place to
get a new home"
"Then you're going to move away"
Eyes, sir; we have to, but it's awful
bad Pa and ma both take it mighty
hard, but the agent is too mean to let us
stay, SO we have to give up the place
and everything. It's terribly bad, don't
you Think"
Eyes, it is. But you may judge the
agent wrong. I'm sure he doesn't wish
to turn you out. He has instructions
and he has to follow them whether he
likes to do it or not"
"Do you know him?"
"Ye-es, to some extent"
do you think he's a good MANI"
"Well, wouldn't like to say as tc
that now, because none of us are as good
as we might be. I'm sure, though, Mr.
Babcock wishes to do right, and his sym
pathies are with the poor settlers, and il
he could help them out of their trouble
he would do it"
"The people think he is bad and un
feeling"
Eyes, know, but they think wrong
of him. He does not act for himself, bu
for another, and some other man a.
agent might do worse than he does"
Eyes, he might. But it's bad for pool
pa and me.
Twill they be quite poor?'
Eyes, sir. The wagon and horses anC
the things in the house is all that will b,
left"
"Perhaps their friends would hell
them to get started again"
mo, sir, l think not. You see w
haven't any friends out here and pa ha
J no parents, and mas father won't hav,
anything to do with her any more. s.
there's nobody to help them"
"Why won't your mas father have
anything to do with herr"
} 81 oughtn't to tell you such things
ought r.
| "Well, it can't do any harm, and i
, may be that can help them some way.
"Ah, wish you could"
: perhaps can if know all about it
} Do you know why your grandfather act
SO bad towards your mother?'
"No, sir, only that he don't like pa
and when pa and ma married they cam
J off To Kansas, and they never write bacl
} home and never get any letters"
That's too bad. Is your grandp
richp'