Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-21

hands, through which the tears squirt
ed. II can't bear another word The
dear Lord knows what I've borne al
ready--w'e EN- first found it out-and l
couldn't believe it, thought / was
teched myself-but W en- I'd wake up
in the night with his hands at my throat
and the baby, oh, the baby"
by graciousl" cried the startled
Mr.. Hodge. And he would have said
"By gracious" again il he could have
made up his mind in season, when she
took down her hands, wiped her eyes
and with scarcely trace Of her tears
10 rked cut the door and smiled. His
exclamation had restored her self con-
troll.
II shall have to leave yn to lock
up" she said, turning to Mr.. Hodge
with a pretty dignity, and as if nothing
had been said before. 1--WE was goin to
take walk together, my husban and
me.
"Well." said Mr.. Hodge when he
went into Mrs Mathers fore room, q
room resplendent with picture of Cap
tain Mathor's three master, the Man of
Null, under full sail and in gilt
frame, and with portrait of the late
captain himself that looked much as if
the figurohead of his schooner might
have sat for it, and where the pretty
black eyed mistress always braided her
mats in the afternoons. "Well. I'm
free-yes, free to confess l never, as you
may say
"You may say jest wat you please,
Mr. Hodge," cried Mrs. Mather, land
I'll gay it after you. For Of ever l see
sufferin saint put upon and no way to
hinder and enough to make you doubt
the ways of God to mani
"Or-or woman either, as it were
yes, said Mr.. Hodge
(Which is jest wat l mean. She's
done everything she knowed how to keep
it from gettin out. And w EN- he's right
as in she acts jest's though every body'd
forgot it, Forgot it My land! can
look right into theif house, and wen
see him fiourishin the ak roun that ba-
by a-settin on the floor and lookin up and
laughin into his face till he dropped it,
or a.seizin Sally by the hair Of her
head and bendin her head back, and she
a-lookin at him with them great still
eyes o hern, patient as a dumb critter S,
and nothin but spark of the old love
left in the midst of all his fury gavin
her from destruction, and nothin bein
DONE
"But, Mis- Mather-yes, Mis- Mather
theirs nothin to do. She don't want
him took up. And that s all-yes, that s
all the seleo men are mpowered-yes,
as | may say, empowered to do. 1t
yes, it looks to ME, Mis- Mather as if
you was-yes, as it we're, q blessin the
Lord more than the selec men, yes.
~ dunno but be. But dunno how
the Lord can look Sally Lavender in the
face. There-I've said it. :"
"Mis' Mather, IL shan't, SO to say,
yes, repeat wat you've said. It-yes-
in one point of view it does credit to
your feelin's. But the Lord he-yes, as
you may say, he rules the world his
own way-ycs."
~ dunno w'ether he does or not.
Humphrey Lavender amt the first OF
bis people on the mother side that:
ben beside themselves, and he wouldn'
"a been the last of Polly'd been spared.
To look at that dear baby, with her lit
tie rosy, smilin face, a-squinnyin uI
her sweet eyes, lauRhin and shown hel
pretty white beads of teeth, and to think
she's got to 60 through the same thing
wal, eff there's anything makes yos
doubt jestice
, "There amt" said Mr.. Hodge, tax
ing up his hat and looking into it, lift
ing out the length Of his handkerchie
and putting it carefully back-"there-
q there amt. don't want no better-yes
/ argument, for another life than tht
way-yes, the way Sally Lavender bel
trained for it, as you may say. And eff i
!, amt the sperit of tho Lord that Elake
, her keep that mailman from dom her {
mischief, then there amt no sperit O
p the Lord. And there is, Mis- Mather-
+ yes, as you may say, there is
Mrs, Mather was silent, the strips o
her rug braiding hanging Imply owe
g.. her fingers. Il don't myself" began
Mr.. Hodge again-"I on't-that is t.
say, myself, believe in no evil prpcer
Pile. It's contrary-yes, to my idee o
the power of God. Yes. But l ain
!. never spoke of it before, so to say, a
h it might be thought-yes, little--yes
o q little irreg lar in deacon. But bell
o ss we was talzin kind of intimate'-
# you can say jest W at you like here
II Mr.. Hodge 1t won't never 90 no fur
"a ther. I'm real pleased to hev you spea
- your mind" snapped Mrs. Mather.
IN "Well, then, as l was a.sayin--yes
asayin, it may seem-yes, it may seer
sing lar, but Of You allow the dootrin
y Of free will, Mis- Mather, then Hum
phrey Lavendsr's gran theirs are rospor
st sible-yes, in one way or another fl
t, his-yes, his spells. But the reason b
t, don't kill that baby W. EN- he's a-hou
" ishin his AK, or on't-yes, as you ma
say, put an end to Sally wen ho's-ye
" wen he's got her by the hair of II
1t head, is that the sperit of the Lord
o. in him, and is-yes, is too much for I'll
10 gran theirs. Yes"
TX "Mr. Hodge," said Mrs. Mathe
) leaning forward little breathlessl,
8, "you are good man."
y, "Yes-that is to say" replied M
$, Hodge, growing quite red and plungir
to for his handkerchief, "I--I try to be-.
w "You aro!" she repeated with en-
' phasis.
at But while the selectman and Il
ID pretty widow were discussing fate, fr
he will, foreknowledge absolute, Sally La
M. ender was following her husbar
pt through the bypaths of the river WOO