Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-04-19

Mr.. Mitchell rcaSSurlngly. III pmptipd
itself, and then the hemorrhagc ceased.
IT has not come on again, which is Il
favorable symptom. We have sent for
a doctor. and he will take proper care
of you. Meanwhile take some more
whisky. 1t will sustain you until he
reaches here"
"l'll take the whisky because like
it. morc's the pity. But It's not the
doctor want; it's a priest"
"Why to you want u priest"
Because | have something on my
mind that must be told before | die. So
bring "A priest"
Mr. Mitchell could not resist the
temptation TO say:
"lf you have anything 10 tell confidc
II TO me
Are YOU PRIEST
"No. but am your sons friend"
"Thcn You arg crook, aud no crook
is ever true friend.
you are wrong | am not n crook.
am Il gentleman"
"IIa. ha." she laughed "rhcro are
gentlemen crooks and crooked gentle
men If | could only soc your face,
/ could tell. You couldn't fool old
Mag Wait! Give me your hands
So" She took hi, proffcrcd hand and
fclt it with both Of hers and then add.
ed; AS fine a. silk You're gentle
man born anyway I'll trust you.
must tell somebody. for doubt if I'll
live through the night Besides. IF
Matthew came back he'd stop me"
"Who is Malthcw?'
Only son"
But is not his name Jim-prcachcr
Jim"
"lcs; you are richt-.Tim. of course.
! was thinking of something else Now
give me some more whisky. and I'll
tell YOU the story"
"IIcre it is Take some from time
TO time. | suppose you are used to it,
Used to il? Why. Two drunk enough
in my time to swim in. Aud why not
When II good girl goes to the bad. she
must either drown herself or her con
science. That's nature"
"Thon you mean that such was your
misfortuncY'
You wait now. Don't hurry mo.
I'll tell il best my own way. You'll
see why tell YOU when you've heard
all was born in New England. no
matter .rsI where Il was on 4 farm.
and my people were strict puritans-
too >triV, maybe: least ways il proved
so i'm my case. | was just wild after
the boys. in an innocent sort of way.
you know. While II child wanted TO
play with them. when | grew TO bs n
girl ! wanted a sweetheart. and when
] came 10 n" q woman longcd for
soInc one to love me. | wanted n lover
! like the men ] had read about in books.
the novels. Hot | had To steal ont of
the hoolcHS" ana read i'm the hayloft
in the barn for all that sort of thing
boys sw""ihcarts. lovers and novels
my people kept from me as far as they
could.
$50 what wonder when I met
handsome city chap one day in tho
woods that | found it easy to answer
him when he spoke to me? What won
dor 'nt when heard his smooth. soft
tail, WAS charmed? How easy ii was
for a simple country girl like me 10 he
fooled by the sort OF polished scamp
that he was, He made me promise to
meet him again the next day. and |
hardly slept that night for wishing
that the sun would rise again. But
this part of the story is awfully old.
WHAT'S the use of going over it again?
The days went by and the summer
flow past. The nuts came. and the
leaves turned. and at last my lover
went away back to that great place.
the city Then my dream ended sud
denly and prayed to God that my sin
might not find me out: that. wha tever
| was in reality. | might still be able to
pass among my people as the innocent
Puritan maiden that they all thought
me. The preachers tell us that our
prayers will be heard in heaven and
answered but | guess that the prayers
of the sinners are not recorded. At
any rate. mine We're either unhcard or
unheedPd and so one dreadful night
left my home and my people and fol-
lowed my lover to the great metropolis
10 lose my own identity and become
first Margaret Crane and finally Old
Mag"
Mr. Mitchell listened attentvcly and
observed that rs the woman proceeded
the coarSenpSs of both her manner and
speech disappeared and she spoke with
more refinement. Evidently in the ear
~ days she had been cherished
daughter, and the present roughncSScS
were but as scratches on "A jewel. In
I thinking of her youth she returned 10
her old manner OF speech. As she
paused at this point he gave her more
to drink, and presently she resumed:
There in the country | had thought
that my lover was a paragon, very
hero. | believed all the Boosting stories
that he told me and made n God of him
in my heart. when | found him in
the city. ut first he passed me by as
/ though he did not know me and then.
/ suddenly changing his mind, came up
to me and pretended that he had not
| recognized me. He took me to fine
! house and gave me fine clothes, and
! he made me promises. all the promises
/ that such men usually make to such
/ girls. None of these were kept, not
even the simple one of providing me
with maintenance for he soon tired of
his pretty country girl and left me to
| care for myself AS best | might But
| did not begin this to talk about my
self What wrong | did TO myself |