Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-05-29
JUSTICE WAS SLOW.


bright face clouded and dropped bit.
"See here, Natty, it makes mo wish"
he said between his set teeth, "almost
that there was nothing like Decoration
day. How is fellow to go up to town
hall and carry wreaths and march in the
procession to the tune of the bands and
everything, nearly killing himself to do
honor to the soldiers in the civil war, and
think of Hetty Dunscombe sitting there
in the corner of that little brown house,
stuffing her fingers in her ears and hiding
her face so as not to hear or see anything?"
"And all of the year l have to bear it,
thinking of Hetty Dunscombe, dreading
Decoration day, and now it has come"
( said Natalie between her sobs.
Rex came up suddenly To her side, and,
laying his hand ON his sisters shoulder,
said:
1t has come for the last time. 1 am
just going to find out the truth about
Hetty's grandfather and fix it once for all,
so that the town shall not have to say ev-
cry time Decoration day comes around that
there is one grave which Brier Hill cannot
decorate with any sort of self respect"
"Natty, y and Rex leaned forward and
whispered 81 don't believe that Hetty
DunscoPbe's grandfather ever ran away
on the edge of the battle in all this world
So th5rel"
"Oh, Rex" cried Natalie chow can
yop'say SOP Nobody would ever believe
your story, If you do make it good one,
~ is 90 years.
j "Now, let's make committee of two,
and, instead of picking flowers, making
wreaths and marching in the procession
spend the time in seeing If we can't get
some news about Hetty's grandfather and
et Is make it or Offering to Mrs. Duns-
iornbe, and Hettys dear old grandmother,
Vi to all the little Dunscombes, big and
little, finished Rex with whoop of de-
light.
That afternoon after school Pastor Bean
had two callers in his study He left his
Sunday sermon, stuck fast in the filthy"
pushed up his spectacles over his forehead
and asked them to sit down, then folded
his hands, matching his fingers and
thumbs neatly together, and waited for
them to speak.
"Mr. Bean" said Natalie, feeling as If
her last hour had come Il wish, we both
wish, and guess everybody else wishes
And here she stuck fast, unable to go on
with another word.
Rex then plunged in.
"Mr. Beam" he said, lit seems too bad
for Hetty Dunscombe to be crying her eyes
out Decoration day. Doesn't itY'
Pastor Bean gave loud ahem and
looked helplessly at the young people, while
his brow darkened.
1T is a very solemn thing" he said,
for person to commit SIM and to break
ones word is bad enough, but to be IA de-
serter from the army when our country
was in peril is terrible, and for black sin
no one ought to lay wreath on John
Dunscombes grave on Decoration day"
"Oh, Mr. Beanl Suppose it was your
father or grandfather
My dear Natalie" exclaimed the pas
tor, starting back, "you don't suppose for
minute that my father or grandfather
would have run away ON the edge of bat
tlep"
"Oh, no, nc" said Natalie in confusion
"Of course 1 don't suppose so, but then he
might. You would feel dreadfully l
know you would, and just think of Ben
and Polly and your little Ned crying al
most to death over Decoration day. Oh
Mr. Bean! Do let's find out If Mr.. Duns-
combe did really run away from his COM
pany."
Pastor Bean coughed, took out his
large, red bandanna, wiped his face sever
al times, his spectacles tumbling off in his
nervousness, so that it was some time be-
fore he was finally restored to order
enough to resume the conversation.
"Well, well, WE'LL he said, arousing
out of his reverie to meet the waiting eyes
of the young people that were fastened on
his face. "Of course 1 will do all 1 cam
But Mr.. Beam broke in Rex, and
now all his timidity seemed to have rush
ed away, and he felt as bold as a mountain
lion, ''you see we have not much time to
lose. Decoration day comes next week,
and you know we have lots to do if we
find out that John Dunscombe, after all,
did not run away"
"HeyP' exclaimed the old clergyman.
"Of course he ran away"
But we don't know that" said Rex
boldly. He stood quite close now to the
minister's chair.
Dear meP said the old clergyman.
'Well, I'll think about it, and may be we
can do something"
The old clergyman got out of his chair
suddenly and reached for his tall hat.
When he got it on his head, he felt quite
himself again, but Natalie and Rex, feel
ing sure that if they lost sight of him
then the opportunity would never come
again, followed close after, and as soon
as he stood on the fiat doorstone opening
out from the study they trotted after, re-
enforced by the Bean family inclusive.
Parson Bean looked up at the sky and
down at the ground and on either hand.
He had always said that he loved children
anu young peOple anu snOulu never De so
tired but he could see the youthful men,
bers of his flock.
But he was getting little too much of
them now, and he wished the whole seven
of them back in their respective places,
giving him good safe distance between
them. First, like flash of lightning,
came these ringing sentences: "Why have
you not done this beforeP" Next, "Why
can't you do it nowf"
In moment he said, "Wen, young peo-
pie" and he smiled as he turned around
upon them, "we'n do it,"
Gan right" cried Rex. "When the
minister says he'll do a thing, he'll do it.
Come along, now, all of you.'
"Whatever am to dor" he said to him
self in dismay, communing deeply. "Here
I have given a promise to these young peo-
pie to do what can 20 years after the war
to free John Dunscombe's name from
shame Whatever am to dor"
He went down to the postoffice as a
matter Of form, having nothing to go
down for, as the morning mail had already