The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-11-22

her with blazing eyes.
"You le' go o. me- he yelled. Then
he began to cry, and make terrible
choking noises, as the dumb do.
Samuel, Sam-u-ell what's the
matter with you? Have you plum gone
mad?" She sbookbim helplessly. "He's
stopped workin' on the fence. | won't
build it if you don't want it-there
nowl"
Samuel's sobs became less frequent;
then they ceased.
"Now, Samuel, l want YOU to get
right in an come home. You'll have
a fever first thing you know out in this
hot sun-an' cold as you be, when you
ought to be b'ilin'."
"Don't care if l am. Might jest as
well, if | can't be boss on my own
farml"
He said it slowly, distinctly, pushing
the words out. Once he would be
heard, if he never spoke again. And
Mary Clark, finding herself over
reached, gave in with a very good grace.
She, who always drove, insisted upon
his driving home. Perhaps it short
ened her life, for the next spring she
died.
A few struggling flowers from last
years scattered seeds made a sickly
showing against the brick wall. The
chickens scratched at them viciously
and then summed themselves on the
door stone unmolested. Samuel missed
her more than he would have dreamed
possible.
81 wisht | had ADULT her that fence.
'Twouldn't have cost much" he said,
pretending to himself that he had OPP
posed her in the abuse Of economy.
Yet this mild regret could not lessen
the sense of joy and elation that took
possession of him. The feeling that
he was at last really his own master
grew stronger. But he was still very
shy with outsiders. He wanted to rent
his farm and be free to 60 where he
would, but he was afraid to do business
with any one; afraid he would COM
nit himself before witnesses to condi-
tions which he never heard-as she had
so many times told him he would.
One morning MI. Dever, a lawyer
from Newark, who had always attended
to their few legal affairs, stopped in
front of the house and beckoned to
Samuel.
Good morning, Samuel he shouted.
81 just happened to think when L saw
you Of a little paper down at my office.
Sorry l was away three weeks ago.
They say she went easy. Eli? Yes.
Glad to see you looking so well, Samuel.
Well, that little paper, guess I'll have
to read it to you. It's a will Mrs.
Clark had me draw up. 1t isn't Of any
Importance, but she wanted it done.
Come down some time this week and
we'll look it over"
This was news to Samuel. A vague
misgiving possessed him. A will?
Why had she made a will? He felt as
if a hand had reached out from eternity
to rob him of his few years Of freedom.
That very afternoon he called on
Lawyer Dover, and listened to the
reading of the will.
~ do give ard bequeath all my
property, both personal and real, to wit,
the northwest third (ncluding dwelling
house and barns) of the northeast quar-
ter of section 30, range 20, township 5,
in Litchield County, Ohio, known as
CLARK Farm; also two thousand dol
lars stock in Newark National Bank, to
my beloved son, Samuel Clark, provid-
ing he does build and maintain during
his life a picket fence, four feet high
and painted red, to inclose the door
yard and clothes-lot lying west of the
apple orchard; the same to be COM
pleted M month after my death.
"' Providing this is not built at the
time specified, and maintained in a
neat and respectable manner, l do leave
all my property, both personal and real,
all moneys, bonds and stocks to st.
Mary's Orphan Asylum, of Newark
except ten dollars, which | leave to my
beloved son Samuel, with which to pur-
chase a little remembrance of me-"
There, that's the will. Sorry I've
given you so little time to build the
fence. Guess there amt no hurry, if
we don't say anything about it. What
was the matter with the old lady, any
way? Why didn't she build the fence
herseli?"
But Samuel was staring helplessly at
the wall. AT last, "Will that hold?"
he asked TREMENDOUSLY.
why, you don't mind building the
old lady a fence, do you? OF course
1t will hold, unless you break 1t, and L
doubt if you could work that. You're
not her W son, you see. And if you
could, it would cost-well, the amount
of the property. The St. Mary's would
fight you, ofcourse. Confound you, Sam
uel, why don't you want to build the
fence?"
Samuel arose. Words-rebellious,
protesting words-strove thick and fast
for utterance IN his stiff tongue. Their
import was that he could never be boss
in his own house, lord of his own per-
son, keeper Of his own soul. AS he
shambled out, his newly acquired youth
fell from him and left him older than
he had ever been, more withered, with
a trembling which was new to him.
The will was certainly a great shock
to his mind. When he reached home
he slipped quietly to his room. Soon
after he might have been seen stealth
lily leaving the house and pattering
down the road, his stick and bundle
over his shoulder.
Again he was running away.
1t was late when he reached the fence
corner, and long he waited, but no one
came 10 coax him. AT last when the