Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-10-12


and now he's dead there is no money
at home to keep us from starvin, an
Pm the Oldest, an I'm goin in service.
The youths face turns a deeper
color than sunburn as he listens.
When the girl stops, be asks, sAnd
where's your homer
AT Liscsddic, the other side Of the
big bridge
What's the name of the man2'
'Vellum-Josias Vellum. He lives
in the next village, and he aud father
had q quarrel when they was boys to.
gether. I've heard tell that twas
about mother. Anyhow Josias Vel
lum never forgsve father, an he's
never let a week pass without tryin
to do him bad turn, an we've got
poorer an poorer ever since l can re-
member, an father got to look whish-
ter an whistler an fearful that he'd
never last on till good times came
again, tor he grew feeble an white
with trouble, an then three months
ago our donkey was poisoned.
an l know Josias Vellum must a.
done it, ap poor father had
to go an work as day laborer, an
he hadn' been at that more'n two
months before Josias Vellum told
lies to his master an got him turned
of, an then Well l don't care
who knows lt-twasn't fathers fault
--he went light headed with troble,
an we only thought he was wonder,
full cheerful, and when we was into
the market, tryin to get some pence
by selling flowers from mothers
garden, he went-he went snhung
himself,
The girl leans her head on the
wagon rail and bursts into tears. The
youths face is troubled, too, and he
leans forward and lays his big brown
hand on hers, while Lion and Pleas
ant contentedly curve up the hill at
their pleasure.
Your names Goldsworty, he says
quietly. 'Pve heard all about your
trouble, and Josias Vellum has be-
haved bad by you, you m right there;
But all the same | b'lieve you'm hap
pier than he is
Yes, I'm Ann Goldsworthy'-she
lifts her head quickly from the rail in
her astonishment, the tears still wet
on her cheeks-'but how'd you know
about Josias Vellum?'
There is a pause, while the youth
looks 6xedly at the white stretch of
hill before him. Because I'm Josias
Vellum's son. he answers at last.
The girls eyes blaze with anger.
Then Ill please to get out an walk
rather than be beholden to Josias
Vellum's son fer lift
But again he lays his big hand on
hers, though she roughly shakes 1t
off. Don't you go till tell you one
thing more. I'm Josias Vellum's only
son, but when I fonnd out what he'd
done to your father from some words
be let slip when he heard of the
hanging / told him what | thought
about it, and then I walked straight
away and took service at Treslawn
Mill. An if you've got your troubles
he's got his now. for Tam the only
Twin bein he's got in the world, and
he'd'a' done anything for me, and he
knelt and prayed to me, with the
tears runnin down his cheeks, but |
eft him and called him a murderer
There is long silence, during
which Ann Goldsworthy thinks a
good deal, and then:
i b'leeve I'd rather be me than
you, she declares. And after an
other pause, But you don't care very
much for your father, / s'pose!
why not''
why, you couldn' a borne it. 1t
must have bin awful to see him cry
n to you
Yes, it was,' he returned shortly.
And he gathers the reins tighter and
1icks at Peasants ear with his whip,
and Ann Goldsworthy watches him
in her turn till he looks
iown at her and meets her eyes.
Then he leans down toward her
again, and the gravity fades out of
lis face as he says coaxingly:
You don't want to get down and
walk, do you?'
Ann Goldsworthy bushes and
smiles little smile in spite of her
swollen lids and hot cheeks NO
,he answers shyly.
Then, while her eyes are cast down,
Tom Vellum looks at her again and
seems to like the doing Of it.
'And now you muat please to tell
ne wher you'm goin to service
'Tis at the 'Methody' preachers
Is general ] don't s'pose | shall
ike it very much at first after always
ivin home, an the wages ism what
me could call high. But I don't
Inow much about service yet.
INIT up to servants ways, SO I've got
o bestaught.'
4 s'pose rou get your Sunday out?'
Yes
Treluggan hill is good mile, but
wen miles come to an end If steady |
in one direction is ad-
lered to, and in spite Of their un-
checked indifference in the matter
Lion and Pleasant do notfail to reach
he top at last. But by the time the
asst trees are casting their shadows
lcross the dusty road, and the first
'oofs are rising above the bend. Tom
e -