Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-06-25

horse, the one ancient fly that almost
every village can produce at need. The
thing was advancing, unpaid by me, to-
ward the station; would have to pass
along the deep cut lane below the rail
way bridge and come out on the doctor s
side. | was III the center of things, so
all sides were alike to me. Here, then,
was my machine from the machine.
When it arrived, something would hap
pen or something else. For the rest
owned my deeply interested soul.
The DOCTOR by the seat, turned so far
as his cramped position allowed, his
head over his left shoulder. and laid his
right hand upon his lips. 1 threw back
my hat and elevated my eyebrows in
the form Of question. The doctor shut
his eyes and nodded his head slowly
twice or thrice, reckoning me to come.
l descended cautiously, and it was as
the signs had told. The navy was
asleep, empty to the lowest notch, yet
his hand clutched still the Doctors col
lar, and at the lightest movement (the
doctor was really very cramped) tight
Cncd mechanically as the hand Of sick
woman tightens on that of the watcher.
He had dropped, squatting almost upon
his heels and falling lower had dragged
the doctor over to the left
he doctor thrust his right hand,
which was Free into his pocket, drew
forth some keys and shook his head.
The navy gurgled in his sleep Silently
l Owed into my pocket, took out one
sovereign and held it up between finger
and thumb. Again the doctor shook his
head. Money was not what was lacking
to his peace. His bag had fallen from
the seat to the ground. He looked to-
ward it and opened his mouth, O shape.
The catch was not a difficult one and
when had mastered it the DOCTORS right
foretinger was saving the air. With an
immense caution l extracted from the
bag such knife as they use for cutting
collops off legs. The doctor frowned and
with his first and second fingers initiated
the action Of scissors.
Again searched and found IA most
diabolical pair Of cock nosed shears,
capable of vandyking the interior of ele-
plants, The doctor then slowly lowered
his left shoulder till the navvys right
wrist was supported by the bench, paus-
ing moment as the spent volcano rum
bled anew. Lower and lower the doctor
sank, kneeling now by the navvy's side,
till his head was on level with and
just in front of the great hairy fist and
there was no tension on the coat col
lar. Then light dawned on me.
Beginning little to the right of the
spinal column, cut huge demilune
out Of his new spring overcoat bringing
it round as far under his left side (Which
was the right side of the navvy) as l
dared. Passing thence swiftly to the
back of the seat and reaching between
the spines, sawed through the silk
faced front on the left hand side Of the
coat till the two cuts joined
Cautiously as the box turtle Of his ma
tive heath the doctor drew away side
ways and to the right with the air of q
fru strated burglar coming out from I'M
der bed and stood up free-one black
diagonal shoulder projecting through
the gray Of his ruined overcoat. l re-
turned the scissors to the bag, snapped
the catch and held all out to him as the
wheels of the fly rung hollow under the
railway arch.
came at foot pace past the wicket
gate of the station, and the doctor stop
ped it with a whisper. 1t was going
some five miles across country to bring
home from church some one-I could
not catch the name-because his own
~. ,ryss,. l. y.
ton happened to be the one place in all
the world that the doctor was most burn.
ingly anxious to visit, and he promised
the driver untold gold to drive to some
ancient flame Of his-Helen Blazes,
think she was called.
aren't you coming, tooH" he said,
bundling his overcoat into his bag
Now the ly had been SO obviously
sent to the doctor and to no one else
that had no concern with it. Our roads,
! saw, divided, and there was, further,
a need upon me to laugh
81 shall stay here" said. Its a
very pretty country"
my Godr' he murmured as softly as
he shut the door. And felt that it was
a prayer.
Then he went out of my life, and !
shaped my course for the railway bridge.
1t was necessary to pass by the bench
once more, but the wicket was between
as. The departure of the fly had walked
the navy. He crawled ON to the seat
and with malignant eyes watched the
driver fog down the road
"The man inside Of that" he called
"'as poisoned me, les body
snatcher, Els comm back again when
I'm cold. 'Ere's my evidence. "
He waved his share of the overcoat,
and went my way because / was hun
cry. Framlynghame Admiral village is
a good two miles from the station, and
1 walked the holy calm of the evening
every step of that way with shouts and
yells, casting myself down in the flank
Of the good green hedge when was toe
weak to stand. There was an inn-a
blessed inn with a matched roof and
peonies in the garden-and l ordered
myself an upper chamber in which the
| Foresters held their courts, for the
laughter was not all out of me. A be.
wildered woman brought me ham and
eggs, and leaned out of the mullioned
window and laughed between mouth
fuls. 1 sat long above the beer and the
perfect smoke that followed till the
light changed in the quiet street and
began to think of the 7:45 down and
all that world Of Arabian NiObta had