The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-09-14

| lions were 1nlsne0, ana Sne invited
their guest to sit down to plentiful
meal, an invitation which he was not
slow to accept. While he was thus en-
ployed she and her husband withdrew
10 far corner and talked together in
low tones.
"Well, Mary, shall we keep him till
morning?" said the farmer.
"Shall we send him out into the storm
AGAIN." retorted his wife.
CT guess he's been in such before.
/ can't just make him out" he went
on thoughtfully; "his eyes don't look
straight, which amt good sign, but
then his tongue amt smooth enough
to match 'em. 1t might be good thing
to keep him, but we might wake up
again and find him gone and lots else
besides. It's chance one way or the
other"
ITS chance that if we lose it," said
Mrs. Voorhees,, "we lose, say few
notions and such things, maybe, that
we're rich enough to do without and
not feel the loss of. And, William"
she went on, listen to how the wind
howls outside, and the rain pours down
the cutters; we couldn't rest easy in
our beds tonight, thinkin' of that poor
young lad without roof to shelter
him."
William did not gainsay it, but he
still looked uncertain how to proceed.
"There must be-" said his wife,
"many wanderers out in the storm this
wild night, with no home nor friends
in all the world, or none that they're
willin' to turn to. We can't help any
of them, no matter who they are, but
only this one. If there might be any
dear to us askin' charity anywheres to-
night, we'd wish that he might find
pityin' hearts to listen to him, and give
him help, even if, God help us! it was
his own fault that had brought him to
it. 1t amt for us William, not for you
and me, that has this fear always on us
of what may be happening in the far
country where our love can't reach, to
shut our doors on that poor young lad
yonder."
There was shrinking, underlined
dread on the faces of both these honest
people as they looked sorrowfully into
each others eyes.
You are right, wife," said the far
mer, "we'll let the boy stay"
And stay he did, that night and many
Voorhees, got possession of Bob Kelly,
his farmland, who was, the neighbors
all agreed, "good worker" but whose
sudden appearance remained somewhat
of mystery to them. Bob soon grew
to be much at home in the community,
and as for farmer Voorhees, and his
wife they presently began to wonder
how they had ever managed without
him. 1t was not long before he learned
the story of their loss, and from his
seat in church used to count the four
little graves which had been lying side
by side in sunny corner of the grave
yard for fifteen years.
One Sunday evening few minutes
before church time, one of the young
men of the neighborhood joined Bob
as he fingered among these graves.
whats the matter with you," he
asked, have you seen ghost?"
Why" said Bob, looking puzzled,
Give been tryin' to spell over these
ERE names, and can't make 'em out"
This was not surprising, as Bob's
educational limits were soon reached.
"What's the matter with them,
then?" asked the other, changing the
question.
Why" said Bob again slowly, ct
can't seem to see as they're all here.
Where's the one they talk the most
about? l can't make Philip out o.
none o. these names. Which grave is
his?"
His companion uttered an exclama-
ton of surprise. Why, man, amt
you never heard the truth o. Philip
Voorhees, in all this while? There
amt none o. these graves his, nor any
grave, as any one knows of. The old
folks, 1 guess, would be glad enough to
have him lynn here quiet an innocent
little baby like the rest, instead of off
no one knows where, DOM no one
knows what, except that it amt at all
likely that it's anything good, without
he's ruinin' his record"
What became of him?"
"That's the question. Philip Voor-
hees always did have the very devil in
him, and he went on goin' from bad to
worse every day he lived. Nuthin'
anybody'd say or do couldn't stop him,
until about four years back he run off :,
and amt been heard of sense"
Bob asked a great many questions.
When he had found out all the other
could tell him, he thought it over lit
tie while silently.
"Well," he said at last, she'll be
: comm back again some day, sure and
safe, just mind that. 1t can't happen
no other way. I've been used to often
wonder over this" with gesture to-
ward the row of little mounds;
couldn't see how the Lord had made
such loving hearts 80 lonely. But he
hasn't; he's left them one son, and
wherever that one is, he'll surely bring
, him back to them some day, to make
'em glad always afterward, and the joy
| of it will be more to 'em than the sor-
row has BEEN"
"Yes, 'twould, if it could ever hap
l pen 80. Farmer VOORHEES, is good
| man-genuine he is, and I'd like to see
t things turnin' out to suit him. But
they'd have to shift round nightly be-
| fore Flip Voorhees, could be comfort
to anybody"
d.