The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-05-25
THE cHfPPLr's SWEETHEART.

Gsffy yon Hitler. the isEissi add mos
shiitiess man 10 Paradise. stood 10 Andsi
son's store, ssrnirs bic fee, 81 the sioss
Ihs mse sitting sbopt on the barrels eyet
bin erpsc,sutly. When Garry wakes
The three miles from Lis lonely, nisersbi'
oottsss 10 tie store, there vas sure 70 b
iar Tor the cIoud there, and Gauys u
msrtsbls speeches we're quoted oil sbou
The ,o.n. Nov they ss,tsd, hoping ths
be would give them some,bips 10 sust
si
He wss vsry tall. and 90 THO that BIZ
eibosi literally pierced the tSfesdbsr'
ustsfisl OF his single eoh, snd stnck ou'
Of It's sleeves. eli r.s sad blsedipg iron
the cold. He bad besvy, sallen fsos,
snd sioaohipg mosemsnts
Well, Gary, ssid AndsrsoD, the stort
keeper, seeing that Won Ritter scem d
disilciined 10 break the silepce. Hos.
Elyinsf
L,opy. sid G,rry. .soilenly. ID, you
know. iellers. begin 10 know made .
big mistske 10 msrryin that girl. My
old man ssid ~ wss mMryin wsy be
nes,h me, and bsosb. think she was
right for once.
| A cripple lad, sitting 10 isr corner OF
the store shifted bis sest unessily sod .
look OF pain came into bis great. soft eyes.
The men laughed. Mfs. Won Ritter think
ing any one "bsnesth" her soo.-ior-noth
log drunken son, struck them ss being .
rather good joke.
Yep, repeated Garry, she vas right right
for oDce. Elvins 10 crszy sure -crszy - .
loon. T,r see her setiin 10 that house Of
mine, with her big eyes stsrin out Of her
sbits face and payin no more attention to
no,hin thsn reg doll 10 enough 10 give .
felltr The ereeps. She don't appreciate
any thin thst's done fer her. Sometimes
think she sin'ts biz grateful ter ms for
msrryin her.
The men laughed agsin.
Grsteiull My Lord muttered Abe
Hawkins, the cripple, as be clinched bis
thin hands and ground his teeth. He
thought Of little Elvina Allen rs she used
TO be years sgo, when she went to the dis
ttict school. She was pretty, gentle,
simple little thing, With fngh.encd look
about her delicate. sad little face. He.
Abe Hawklnf, then was strong and
straight, like the other boys. She lived
1ot isr from the school, with . wretchsd,
drunken grandfather. Many . time be
had seen her walking from the tavern.
With the old man leaning heavily on her
shoulder. her face crimson with shame,
the tesrs quivering on her dropped eye
lsshes. How bis heart used TO sohe With
pity for her and hate for the old msn who
made her life so unhsrpy for her. II was
to Allen, now dead, that be owed bis
aif ,tiop. He had met the grandfather
snd Elvina on the bridge. As the little
girl saw him, she stumbled, and the old
mans hsnd had slipped from her shoul
der. almost flingiug him on his iscs He
had turned to strike the obild, snd Abe.
sprins sing forwsri tofsve Elvins from the
blow. received it himself, and then Allen,
10 his drunken fury had lifted the boy |
end tbroWn him over the low bridge rsll
ing into the brook below. ipjuring bis
back and making him cripple for lie.
Hs thought Of oil this now, % Eivins's
husband stood there talking 10 lot Of the
girl whom Abe had loved 90 devotedly
when che Was . little helpless child and
hs big hearted boy, who pitied snd,
when be could, protected her, He did
not doubt Gsrry's statement that she was
''crszy." Her mind. never very strong,
had doubtless given wsy beneath the suf
fering and privations she had undergone
10 The cottage Of her grandfather. and
later With her shiitless, brutal husband.
Poor, gentle. little Elvinsl He was swsk
eued from his reverie BY loud laugh
from tne Ioungers.
Trade her fer stovel exclaimed Aoder
son. This aip's no Indian settlement,
where man can swap bis vile fer knife
or kes Of liquor or any other old thing.
Don't csre. said Garry, dosesdly. III
trade Elvina for stove. tell yer. ! doL't
want orszy wife. and do want . stove.
Italian Pete has got two stoves. sud since
Marie huos herseli in Thonpson's barn
be sin't had no vile. 90 il be wants Elvins
and gives me the stove ne kin have her,
whether this is an Indisn ors Dutch set
Element. Give me pack OF terbsoker,
Anderson. I've got ter be maxim tracks
Ter Tome.
Yer sipt got no more sense Of morality
thsn rail fence, Garry.
l didn't ssk yer abytbin about morality.
Didn't coy nothing sbou. Il. Whist did
ssk yer fer wss package Of tetbscker, so
shet your head, John Anderson. snd give
il or me. and seizins the package Ander
son hsrdsd him. be walked ont Of the
store. followed BY Abe.
Garry, said Abe. touching Won Ritter.
arm. Der you mean M viii you really