Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-11-12

~ got my life to think of, " the mill
er blurted out, II got her gran father
to think Of a pore, blind ole man
S'posin went for her, and me and her
both died. What'l become o. him them
No, daddy" to the netmaller, who was
rapidly becoming maudlin when he
heard himself pitied "s'long as l got a
crust it's half yourn. Besides, Mist
Marshall, you don't know what Yallow
Jacks like, or you wouldn't speak so
bold"
Then you will not go after her
will not make an effort to save her
even at this early stage?'
mist Marshall''-
"You do not love herl" cried Mar
shall.
docs she love me?" demanded the
miller "Ain't 1 got no feelins of a
man? Would she go way if she keered
for me? Don't she go way to get rid O
me and the weddin? Amt there been
force work 'nough? But love her! 1 love
her as 1 never loved no other woman,
nor never shall. Therep'
The netmaker was in tears.
"She's a dis 'bedient girl, " he said
land she's give me a world O trouble
with her wills and her won'ts Ill new
er hear her name mentioned. | cast her
off-she's went ag'in an honest man
thatd make her good husband, and
she's deserted her ole, blind gran father
that's KEEP a home over her head the
best he could, workin day in and day
out to do it. Henceforrard | amt got
no granddaughter. FL, Strengthening
himself, lift me down the family BIZ
BILE. Find me the place o. the births. "
The miller took the book from the fair,
white cloth Polly had ever kept it i'll to
protect it, "Now, her name, " the net
maker said, and the miller guided his
gnarled finger to a certain line. Here
l cast her off " Dampening his finger,
he ran it across a name, leaving long
black smear upon the white surface. Il
amt got nobody in all the wide world
that S got my blood in EN-. " And he fell
back in the miller's arms, crying aloud
for Polly, his dead daughter child, the
girl he had worked for all her life
| Marshall left the two men. He wan
dered about the place for an hour or
more, ringing in his ears. When he
returned to the house, the netmaker
informed him that as there was no one
to keep the house it would be forthwith
closed, the miller having offered to pro.
vide for the forsaken old man for the
rest of his life or until something
might be heard regarding Polly.
Marshall packed his bag. On the 9th
of August he was in his native city
once more, hot sweltering city. A
pile of letters awaited him, for he had
not left any address behind him when
he went away in search of nature, and
the epistles had accumulated. There
was but one from Jane Cristowell. Jane
told him that the viscount she had met
on the Adriatic had gone beyond all
precedent and begged her to admire him
sufficiently to accept him, the title OF
viscountess and a house in the Faubourg
St. German She had sent the viscount
adrift, and she laughed at him when
ever she thought of him. Then, after
all, did Jane care little for the man
she would marry? He softly laid the
letter aside He staid indoors all day,
Toward evening he opened his bag and
emptied it of its contents. Out fell 6
handkerchief with piece of paper il
its folds.
Il took your money to pay for my
ticket to Memphis, " wrote Polly. 81
think you understand me better thar
the rest, and maybe if I'd been in YOU
sphere we'd been more friendly. don
love FL and l can't marry him be
cause
"Ahar" cried Marshall. shifting hi
forehead. "What an idiot | have beef
not to see the truth. She writes, :.
don't love Ell and can't marry him be
cause love somebody else. Poor Polly
you love somebody else and can [ MARI,
the miller and Jane couldn't accep
the title of viscountess because She l
Jane loved me, would she write only o
the viscount and how she couldn't hell
laughing at him every time she think
of him? l fear he was sans teeth, san
everything, even bank account For
give me, Jane, but | am not well &C
quainted with you yet. But Jane ha
lots of protectors-her father and me-
and whom has Polly? Not that cur
mudgeon of a grandfather, with hi
melodramatic striking of her name iron
the family Bible; not the miller Ha
she nobody to befriend her, nobody t
save her? She has. She shall not die
fool and snob can do anything An
would Jane refuse to let me go to Mem
phis after the poor little woman
That night he went toward Memphis
When he reached the city, he under
stood the horror of sickness he ha
only hitherto read about He hear