The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-09-01
SELECTED STORY.
A Striking Providence.

Joe Dent knocked the ashes from his
pipe. The iron pillar rang like bell
under the stroke, and tiny echo
whispered back from the wall and was
lost in the low, placid Kissing OF the en-
CINE.
Joe had no right to be smoking in
that room, where he was assistant en-
pineer in the basement of huge de-
partment store. But to-day he felt ut
terly reckless, and cared no more for
regulations than tramp. What a hash
he had made of things, to be surel And
how all his past mistakes came troop
ing back and hedged him in, until they
stood too thickly for a thought to es'
cape him without their leave. 1t gave
him grim sort of satisfaction just to
look them over, each being one more
proof to back up his own opinion OF
himself against himself. And he was
but young fellow, too.
Too young for his place, the mighty
"head OF the house" had thought at
first; but he liked young men and had
long since learned to take their meas
ure, and Joe had swung through the
searching examination as though he
had been fed on dynamics and steam
guages from his cradle, instead of hav-
ing just graduated from a stationary
engine on q farm. So now he was
here watching the needle on the indi-
Gator, the glow of the furnace on the
floor, the height of the water column
in the guarded glass tube, and the farm
was many mile away. Had it paid?
Yes, it hadi he told himself, savagely.
There are some things that no man will
ever stand. And Lou had told him
had told him-what was it? That she
had married beneath her, and that he
had married her for the farm. He
writhed at the thought even now.
Course the farml 1t was she that /
loved, not lot Of barns and CATTLE" he
roared, then sank back on his stool and
covered his face. 1t was bitter thing
to face.
Then he began to make excuses for
her to himself. She was but girl, not
eighteen. Too young to marry, they
had said, the wiseheadsl Impulsive
and unframed, and left alone in
the world. Why had he not been
more patient with her, and tried to do
the things which seemed 30 all-impor
tant to her, although 30 trifing to him?
He could see now that each chance ig-
nored had been the gentle sliding of
quicksand through barrier, until at
last enough had passed to carry all be-
fore it an overwhelming rush that had
swept away their happiness forever
"Dinner, joe"
1t was his superior, returned from
his own lunch, and Joe rose slowly,
YEARLY, and put on his coat. A dozen
light-hearted, small salesgirls were fiut-
tering into the stockroom beyond with
their own luncheons, and hailed him
with shout in the free, "all-of- fam
lily" way customary among such.
"Joe! come and turn this box over!"
"Joel please lend me your knife to
cut this knot"
"Joel l want you, tool" in four or
five different directions at once as he
passed through the room. But his face
was so full of gloom as he silently lent
those that needed it a helping hand
that a shadow fell on them which last
ed till long after the hour was over.
What could it mean? And each small
heart gave little throb of fear and
pity, for with them but one outlook
could give them such a mien-their
sword ofDamocles, " discharge" And
what would they do now without Joe?
Out into the hurry burly and roar of
the streets plunged the engineer. 1t
might help him to forget. The rumble
swept up one great artery of trade and
met at right angles another in swirl
of battle thunder. Cabs, numbering
drays, crashing, changing electric cars
ho In Of hpr in
that filtered through the crossways and
in and out among the teams as though
reckless OF life-this was what he
sought, and he let himself drift with
the crowd. But man does not hang
sorrow on a nail when he dons his
hat for an outing. He takes it with
him as he would watch, and forever
finds himself referring to it. AS to
happiness-whath had become of his?
"Sold, to the man in the white hat,
for fourteen cents"
Joe stopped short, bewildered by the
words and the resulting shout of laugh
ter from many voices. Unconsciously
he had entered cross street, and was
opposite an auction room, in the heart
of which was an eager, laughing crowd.
Their gayety attracted him, and he
shouldered straight in, as though that
had been his real destination. Perhaps
it had under fate's kindly guiding hand.
1t was one of those semi annual af-
fairs that brighten the monotone of the
salesman's life, the disposal of un-
claimed express parcels. A great heap
of them lay behind counter, and be-
fore it pressed rough, good-naturedly
excited throng, with here and there an
unkempt, earnest-eyed little Jew, whose
highest bid invariably was Thirty
shentsl" For these packages were al
ways sold unopened, and it was the I'M
written law that the buyer should open
his package then and there for thejoy
of the losing bidders. Up went va
lise on the counter. How much for
this?" and swift came the bids in
ridiculously small gains; five cents, ten
cents, sold-for twenty-five cents to