The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-10-18

nap or u smoke ii ne was so inclined
He would often make long detour
leaving the road to find more com
Portable place for "A long and uninter
rupted sleep. The light was out a
jim Silbey's as he passed. Farthe
on he met solitary horseman.
AS he plodded heavily onward he hat
some vague ideas of staying away from
the tavern next day. He had sucl
ideas he called them resolutions
often before: they always came to hin
as he caught sight of the baby face a
the window of his cabin, and they al
ways left him next morning when tn,
thirst came strong upon him. His
love for Maggie was dullcd or sleeping
perhaps, but his love for his baby was
the one living, natural thing left Of
his former self.
The child looked at him with the
same sweet, trustful eyes the mother
had turned upon him years ago when
he first told her he loved her The
brown eyes of the mother were growing
faded, troubled and hard. yet she
taught the child to love and trust her
father. At the first glimpse of the
slouching figure she would place the
child at the window and say; Papa s
coming, cur dear papa's coming.
Then the baby hands would clap and
the shrill little voice ring out in joyous
welcome. And Tom Lowell never failed
to greet the child with some loving re-
membrance, posy he had pluckcd on
the road homeward. or "A toy he had
whitfield between drinks.
But to night it was late, and the
child had strained her eyes through
the dark till they grew weary and
heavy. She was still in the chair at
the window fast asleep when her father
came home.
The next morning Tom slept late and
heavily, leaving Maggie to do every
thing about the place as usual. In
fact, Maggie thought no more of look
ing to Tom for assistance than to the
lean and hungry cat which appropriat
ed a corner of the hearth.
The child played softly about the
house So as not to wake papa. a ray
of sunlight came stealing through a
crevice and lay athwart his face, i'm
pressing him with sense of uncom
fortableness.
The sunshine grew warmer and fin
ally aroused him. He drew on his
boots, the divesting of which had
constituted his disrobing the night be,
fore. Maggie had left the coffee on
warm embers on the hearth. and his
pone of bread beside it. The click
click, of her hoe against the stones
could be heard from the field as she
tried to coax the almost barren earth
into fruitfulness, for on the meagre
yield of the few acres around the
cabin depeded her only hope for sus
tenance
In the house the child ran to and
| fro, making pretense of waiting on
the father and entertaining him with
her baby pratte
Papa tay wiz baby today" she
pleaded, as she saw him reach his hat
- Her don wanner go in de fell
Already she imagined herself shar-
ing her mother burdens.
"You stay with yer ma. Papa II
bring you somethin' nice. -
II don't want anything nice. |
wanner 90 wiz 700.
She had brought in lapful of Che
rokee roses as enticement and offered
usual promises, and pacified her by
wearing one of the roses pinned awk
wardly to his coat.
with a native intuition that it was
not proper occasion for floral adorn
ment, he placed the rose inside his
pocket.
A group Of men were in front of the |
store. talking excitedly. jim Sibley |
barn had been burned, with all his
stock, consisting of one horse and COW.
1t was clearly incendiary, but who was |
the culprit? Each man had given over
and over again his account of the /
burning with all possible details and |
many added surmises, but with no APP
pearance of getting any nearer the
offender.
ST Thompsons, Of course, took the
lead. Its a linus crime" declared
he. It's the hinusest crime thet's
ever been committed in this settle
ment, and whoever done it, hanging's
too good fer i'm
''Thems my sentiments, chorused
the listeners.
BY noon the men had worked them
selves to such state of sympathy for
Jim Sibley and Indignation at the cul-
prit, that they chafed under enforced
inaction.
Tom Lowell was conspicuous by his
absence that afternoon. He had a
vague fear which he dare not acknow
edge to himself and which warned
lim away from the saloon.
Toward night he saw horseman
approach the cabin and beckon to him. .
Il didn't want ter holler,' he said, J -,
as Tom approached, 90 cause yer wife /.
night want ter know what's up but :
I'm boun'to tell you. Tom, they're i,
after you. You see, they done foun' :
nut it wuz you set fire to Jim Sibley's I,
barn. Abe Tory passed you as you !
we're coming from it last night, an /,
hey've got more convincing proofs. | ,
lin It's tay to hear 'em. 1t mought been
| accident, as Tom began protest; /;
9 don't say as 'twant; but yer never .
AN convince 'em that away. You /
Know they're down on yer, anyway. !,
Iou'd better skip Their country; the
ooner, the better" Without waiting !;
or reply the neighbor rode rapidly )
way, leaving Tom stunned and dazed,
md for the first time in years almost .
ober. But his brain, from long dis .
Use, was too stupid to act and he sat !.
istlessly about /.
In the night he lay upon quilt :
pread upon the cool piazza, while :
Iaggie inside was walking to and fro Il
Nth the fretful, feverish child in' her :,
rms, singing monotonously. The q
ale moon drifted through the clouds =
nd cast sickly light among the trees. .
~ :