The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-06-24
A Lumlev Pass Romance.

was locally Calleu tne ~ Lumley HasS
folks " were few, Woodworking and un-
imaginative. They were much given
to staying at home and minding their
own business, in the sense which con-
veys total lack of interest in anybody
else.
Long reaches of rough mountain
roads, frequent torrents, which rushed
rudely whenever resistance was most
readily overcome, combined with SOM
Der stretches of dense forest to discour-
age sociability.
Nevertheless, when it became known,
in general way, that the old tip-tilted
log-house-a house hoary with age
about which the halo of romance had
never chung, was to be the seat of a
wedding, interest in it became vivid,
and visitors multiplied miraculously.
The house stood at the head of the
pass, and gave it its name. 1t was
Peter Lumley's daughter who was to be
married.
That piece of information percolated
through Peter himself, one evening
when he had fingered at the store in
Hogan's Gulch long enough TO forget
his usual taciturnity and was confden-
tal with other late stayers.
On that occasion Mr.. Peter Lumley
remarked, in general way, that
Women folks was cussed lot of
trouble when they got marryin' in their
heads, an he was considuble thankful
that he didn't have but one gal to turn
the world upside down just because a
fellow had asked her to change her
name"
This amiable allusion to his only
daughter, coupled with the fact that,
earlier in the evening, Mr.. Lumley
had openly invested in ten yards of
white " cross-bar" muslin and " seal
loped" handkerchief, fastened the i'm
pending change of name on Sue Lum-
ley.
Until that cross-bar muslin and en-
broidered handkerchief were actually
transferred fro Hogan's counter to
the gummy sack which already held
Peters: supply of tobacco, whiskey,
seed potatoes and rope for pillow lines,
the general public had laid no particu-
lar stress upon Peters outburst.
Never before had Sue Lumley been
an object of even passing local interest.
No one had ever associated her name
with possible lover. She was &C.
counted rather spiritless creature, to-
tally lacking in grit. Grit is moral
quality in high repute with your noun
taineer.
Being motherless and sisterless, Sue
had grown up with even fewer femi-
nine accomplishments than fell to the
lot of other Lumley Pass girls.
A wedding presupposes man. 1t
was a long time before local gossip
fastened upon the right man for /" Sue
Lumley's beau" When it did, curl
osity was merged into amazement bor-
dering on indignation.
"Was Brad Martin bent on throwing
himself clean away? Had Brad Martin
turned plum idiot?" were questions
which everybody was asking but no.
body answered.
Bradley Martin was what might be
called newcomer, having only lived
in the neighborhood of Lumley's Pass
four or five years. None of his for
bears had ever titled the rocky acres he
called his own.
He was handsome fellow, with
broad shoulders and strong, swift legs,
which carried him over the steep noun
tain paths with the surefoodedness of
the goat.
There wasn't girl within twelve
miles OF Peter Lumley's old gray house
that would not have lent willing ear
to Bradley Martin if he had come a.
counting. But Sue Lumley, of all the
Pass girlsl
Martin and Sue alone knew the very
beginning of the love affair whose inn
minent elimination was agitating the
scattered settlers of Lumley's Pass.
They had first seen each other when
the pass lay in the shadows of evening
which came early and fingered long in
the mountain-w walled clearing.
Sue was sitting alone on the rough
pine slab that did duty for front door
steps. Her lap was full of corn and
was stacked on the slab within easy
reach. With fine disregard for hel
own cuticle, she rubbed the grains free
from the cob with the reddening ball o.
her right thumb.
When all the corn should be shelled
she would lift up her voice shrilly, anG
countless feathered pensioners woulc
make glad response. BOOSTERS, forget
ting to be stately, guinea fowls grown
suddenly gregarious, pigeons swoopine
from aloft to share in the liberal largess
would all come, fluttering, flying
scrambling, hurrying, each filled with
genuine human greed, striving to cal
ahead of its fellows.
Sue rather liked "feed-time tt
come. 1t broke up the dreadful mo
notony of her day, and introduced
cheerful clamor iuto profound silence
She was left very much alone during
the day. Her father and her four un
couth brothers were always off as soor
as the breakfast she got up at dawn t.
prepare was disposed of.
What their business was, beyond thu
making and garnering of the meage
crops which seemed never to result il
any betterment of her own condition
she did not know. Nor did she mucI
care. She was not of a specuativ,
turn. She went the dull round of he
sordid duties unquestioning, unrepin
ing. She had condensed the ethics O
l. -