The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-04-12
SELECTED STORY.
At Lone Mound Station.

"Good bye, Hal the conductor called
from his perch in the turret of the yell
low caboose of freight train No. 43.
"Good bye, Abel" Keanley an
swered, as he trudged along beside the
long train toward the small depot, be-
You'd the brown water tank. The en-
CINE soon slaked its thirst at the tank
and got under way again. A moment
later the caboose passed Keanley, and
with ever increasing speed, swayed on
ward toward the curve at the Lone
Mound.
As Keanley neared the little depot,
the strains of violin 6oated toward
him. Soft and sweet came the tune,
like the tinke of musical glasses, and
there was in it pathetic, wailing under
tone, as if the player was striving to
tell in music of heartache and trials
bravely borne.
Keanley could hardly repress an
ejaculation of surprise as he entered
the little office and beheld the wielder
of the magic bow, a pale-faced boy,
almost child AS the lad carefully
deposited the violin in the open box at
his side, and slowly rose, Keanley saw
that the little fellow was a cripple.
One leg, distorted aud shriveled, swung,
q useless member. Resting on his
crutches, the boy raised his hat.
You're the new agent, l s'pose," he
said.
"Yes," Keanley answered, CT am
the new agent And who are your" he
continued, kindly. 1.-The x.agent?"
"No, only his son." the boy replied.
And where is your father?"
cover there, on the slope"
The boys chin quivered as he spoke.
Keanley looked from the window. On
the slope of the Lone Mound was tiny
graveyard. One oblong blotch in its
midst marked new-made grave. The
agent was there.
"Pardon me-" Keanley said; "I did
not know. My instructions simply told
me to take charge of the station. l
supposed the agent had been promoted
or discharged"
He was promoted" the boy said,
gravely.
"And what will you do now?" Kean-
ley asked, presently.
81 don't know" the boy answered.
"I've been thinking and thinking, but
it's no use. / don't know what to do.
P'raps the superintendent will give me
place in an office. l can write fair
hand and wire pretty well, but amt
much on heavy work"
Then Keanley lied, and deliberately,
too. He had no need of an assistant,
but lightning resolve flashed through
his brain, and he said to the cripple:
You are just the chap am looking
for. L need boy to help me-"
"What forP" asked the lad.
Toto why, to write and look out
for things generally" Keanley an
swered, half desperately. "I'll feel
safer to CAD about when 1 have an
assistant whom l know l can trust.
Then, too, might be sick, you know"
The boy looked doubtfully at him.
H' If you are in earnest, I'll Jump at the
chance to stay" he said.
"In earnestp" Keanley cried, in pre-
tended pique at the lads doubt. "Of
course, am. Do you think l don't
know my own mind, young MANI"
The boy said nothing. And 80 it was
settled, and crippled Ben became Kean-
ley's assistant, although there was not
work enough to occupy half of one per-
sons time.
The plans of the two went further
than this. Keanley had, " once upon
time" been foolish enough to fall in
love with old Senator Hicks daughter,
and she returned his love. The old sen.
atOr, when he found how matters stood,
proceeded to squelch the whole affair.
He even forgot the time when he had
been as much of pauper as the young
fellow he sent packing from his pres
ence.
Often and often the violin sang its
h,,t H. I I. 4
the pitiful, waiing undertone.
The lads father had planned to do
Justice to his talent by having him
taught by master of the violin. Now
Keanley and little Ben planned in a
happy. visionary way. They were to
save what money they could, and thus
little Ben was to have the coveted mu-
steal instruction. But, at best, the &C.
cumulation OF funds went on slowly.
AS the days when the breeze brought
from the slope the perfume of the wild
yerbenas were succeeded by those when
The snow came with rush and hiss
against the little depot, Keanley grew
more than fond of the little cripple.
10 be sure, to board and clothe the lad
and to pay him an occasional dollar
made quite gap in each months sal.
airy, but Keanley never grudged penny
OF it. 1t was pay enough to witness
the boys gratitude, and to see the lads
great eyes following him with their
Chances of positive beatitude.
The girl, with her tear-wet face up
turned to his, promised Keanley to wait
for him till he succeeded in accumuat-
ing the $4,000 that the old senator
named as the amount of wealth Keanlev
must possess before he could aspire to
winning her. Then, when orders had
sent Keanley to the West; he had gone
with the determination strong within
him to very soon gain the money and
the girl.
But he speedily grew respondent
The fates seemed against him. He
struck no bonanza or highway to speedy
wealth, and finally half gave up the
struggle. The money that would flow
TO little Ben as the substantial reward
of his genius was to be invested by
Keanley, who, in this manner, would
soon obtain the coveted $4,000. Then