The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-05-22
SELECTED STORY.
Curley Lock.

The morning had been busy one, and
his visitors of particularly trying kind;
and now they were gone he breathed
sigh of relief, sigh that sounded ex-
actly like that of any ordinary individ-
ual.
Harry Temple, clerk and private sec
rotary, sat in the outer Office, YEARLY
opening the pile of letters the postman
had just left on his desk He had
sorted them in piles-the business let
tiers in one pile, circulars, ETC., in a sec
ond, private letters in the third, while
the fourth held what he termed the
''crank etters."
The business letters we're opened
first, and more work given the young
type. writer, who sat gazing out of the
window. Those requiring Mr.. Bray
toms personal attention were merely
glance through, in order to ascertain
their nature.
Finally he reached the crank pile.
1t was larger than usual, but of the
same nature. There were numerCu us
den ands for endow m e nts for old ladies'
homes, unheard.of missile ms and num-
berless odd societies, and the usual
number of requests for situations, adj
vice, etc.
One ambitious young man wanted to
borrow S25, that he might be married
at OF e and show the city swells whom
he had cut out how things were done in
jersey.
A yourg girl far out in the country
wanted bis neckties, if they weren't too
soiled. She was making a crazy quilt
for the fall cattlesl ow. Already she
had bits of silk from several noted per-
sons; wouldn't he please oblige her2
Another wanted any old gloves his
daue liter might be ready to lay aside.
She wouldn't mind if they were little
large; they wore better if they were.
The last envelope bore a child's har d.
writing. The address tad be gun boldly
and with care; but it was too long, and
the last me was crow ded, and the let
tiers ran uphill.
Half cuiiously young Temple tore it
open. Children were not common as
Correspondents, and Mr.. Brayton had
warm spot in his heart for children.
The paper was highly scented by a
mixture Of cbeep cologne and soap; in
the upper left-hand corner was an en-
bossed landscape Of the most impos-
sible color ard peIspt Give. 1t read:
"Please Mr.. Brayton won't yon help me
buy Nellie Fowler new eye2 Maybe you
don't know who she is; well, she is little
girl who got hurt when tie men blasted the
road she was near, and they didn't see her
and big piece of rock hit her in the eye
and then she couldn't see, and the doctor
he said it ust come out, and SO he cut it
out and now she hasn't got but one eye and
it looks bad. She used to be real pretty and
we called her Curley Lock- cause her hair
is curley, but it makes you kind o. sick
when you see that CRATE hole in her face,
and she keeps rag tied over it mostly, and
she cries great deal cause she looks so
homely, and the DIR. He says she ought to
here, and she's too poor any way, caused
her fathers Dead and her mothers sick,
i've kind O. adopted her and l want to get
her an eye awful. Say. won't you help me.
You can address me JOHNNIE LEE, ESQ.
Up. SAINT this paper pretty, bought
it to the Post { flee and it cost five cents"
Harry Temple leaned back in his
chair and gave low whistle. The
typewriter looked up from her pile of
letters al d smiled; hut Harry was busy
reading the letter.
Just after the noon hour, when Mr..
Brayton returned TO his flee, he was
given his mail, and IS he preceded to
open it, be noticed that young Temple
fingered.
"What is il?" he asked.
Here is a letter." hesitatingly re.
pile d the young n an, (which l dent
know whether you wish TO see or not,'
and he turne it over in his hand
Gone of your famcus crank let
tels'?" quered Mr.. Brayton. Better
let me see it, if it's good one y; and
he smiled as he held out his hand for it.
"Poor little fello W." he said to him
self; "you pin all your faith in the
gcodnes of rich men, don't ycu9"
Young Temple went out from the Of
fee and stood gazing down into the tu-
nultuous street.
But in mthent bis meditations
we're disturbed. Mr.. Brayton was a
man Of action, and he stood in the
doorway now.
"Ttnple!' be called. His voice was
quick and incisive. "Go cut and buy
a ticket to that unknown place, will
you? s1dytu, Miss Cuny," tuning 10
The typewriter, "infoim Johnnie Lee,
Esq, il at Robert Brsyton will receive
him il bis flee at Mr.. Lees earliest
CONFERENCE. Ard inclose ticket"
Her fpgeis flew over the keys, and
4Nh pIC, " LO wac Loil way W wv NSOi :
stopped omtnt. "The younPster
may Tot have any decent cloth es," he
sue gestt d. Mr.. Blay ton loo ked thought
full moment.
"Psfsw, never mind, let US see him
as be is" aid the min Of busine Sc
went back 10 his stocks and boLds.
Three days Iassed and the episo de
had not been mentioned in IL tffice.
Esrly on the morning Of the fourth
day, loIg tefore iashio Maple New York
wss awake, there was iimid knock at
the tfface door. Then it opened.
Ii was queer little figure hat stood
there, but Temple knew it at once. II
was Johnnie Lee. He was a happy
Looking ytungster, lound.faced and
tanned and fire. ckled. His clothes bore
the unmistakble stamp of home manu-.
facture from caste fl garments. But il
was CHEEKY voice that spoke. " Howdy
do? MIR. Brayt ton to be mt? I'm John.