Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-02-02


stopped in the middle of bar
Course him, D." he said aloud, "they
should ha hanged him, and then new
er should ha been held like this.
Thatll be a good job if they take and
hang him now, for L fare to feel afraid,
l do, as long as Harry Cattermole's
alive "
Old Fitch opened his door a moment,
saw the thin moon shining on the snow,
but no living soul abroad, and for once
he was in want of a companion. How
ever the voices of the choir sounded
nearer than ever in the frosty air and
heartened him little as he shut the
door again, Turned the heavy key and
shot both bolts well home He was still
stopping over the bottom one, when his
eyes fell upon a ragged trousers leg and
a stout stocking planted close behind
him. 1t was instantly joined by another
ragged leg and another stout stocking
Neither made a sound, for there were
no shoes to the catlike feet, and the
stockings were remarkable for a most
conspicuous stripe.
Then old Fitch knew that his enemy
had found him out, and be could not
stir He was waiting for knife to
plunge into the center of his broad,
round back, and when hand slapped
him there instead he thought for a mo-
ment he was stabbed indeed When he
knew that he was not, be turned round,
still STOPPING, in a pitiable attitude,
and new shock greeted him. Could
this be Henry Cattermole:
The poacher had been stout and
thickset; the convict was gaunt and
lean. The one had been ford and
youthful; the other was yellow as
parchment, and the stubbe on the
cropped head and ON the heshless jaw
was of a leadeu gray.
"That-that ain Harry Cattermole;'
the old man wbimpered.
mo, that ain {, but twas once, and
means to be again Lead the way in
beside the fire wish you'd sometimes
use that front parlCr Of yoGrs I've had
it 10 myself this half hour. and that's
cold.
Old Fitch led the way without a
word. walSed Iunrcently up 60 the ire
and suddenly sIraLg fer his pun He
never reached 1t Tine barrel 90 q re-
/ vo.,sr screwed rouad 10 uI, car Grove
him reeilul atr.-- tA' door
silly cid tlo.r missed Ca.-.,ma.s
Did you tlAS ia c.Att' >aI ~.
Ara.d. ST Du0n 90 tAat c.ulr ..:-r- /
/ blow yoHr uams oft
/ tItDu uu. Sol
J "I-I can { make ,ut. tc suffered.
why you take 10 Genre 10 rr az ..l'
"Ct course you eau t. s.Id Datt. r
mole Ir.a.cally
If Ia teen Won. I'd ha run any
where hut " urre was known ~ we'll.
"You would. would you: Then you
knew I'd got ont, Ell, old man:
Just been a-reading about it in this
here paper.
Il see-I see | caught bit of what
you was a-saying to yourself just as
was thinking it was safe thing tC
come out Of that cold parlor Of yours.
So that was me you was locking out,
was 1t: Yet You pretend you don { know
why | come! You know well enough
You know, you knowW
The convict had seated himself OF
the kitchen table and was glazing down
on the trembling old man in the chair
He wore long oyercoat and under il
some pitiful rags. The cropped heat
and the legs swinging in the striped
stockings were the only discriminating
features, and old Fitch was glancinl
from the one to the other, wondering
why neither had saved him from thii
l. 10, 81 agA Ia
thoughts, and his eyes CLEANED.
$50 you think I've come all the way
in these here, do you?' he cried, tap
pug enc ,uIn voII yUu wdIKr'
and walked till my bare legs wer,
frozen, and then sat behind hedge anC
slipped these ON and rubbed them Il
life again! Where do you think | go
these rotten old buds? OF scarecrov
in a field, l did wasn't going to breal
into no houses and leave my tracks al
along the line But yesterday | got
long lift in goods train, or | shouldn
be here now, and last night | did cracI
crib for this here oyercoat and a bi
of supper and another for the shooter
That didn { so much matter then Iva
within 20 mile of you OF you, You oil
devil-do You hear;''
Fitch nodded with an ashen face.
And now do you know why Nv
Gomez"
Fitch moistened his blue lips, To
tn murder mer' be whispered, like
dying man.
That rests with you, said the con
Wet, fondling his weapon.
! "What do you want me to do?"
Contest
, Confess WHAT" whispered Fitch.
. THAT you swore me away at tn
trial"
The old man had been holding hi
, breath. He now expelled it with dee
+ sigh, and, taking out huge red hand
kerchief, wiped the moisture from hi
face. Meanwhile the convict had d.
! cried writing materials ON a chiffC
. nier and placed them on the table b,
: side the brandy bottle and the tobacC
: jar.
9 Turn your chair round for writing.
Fitch did so.
Z Now take up your pen and writ
b. what tell you. Don't cock your hea
o and look at me. l hear the psalm SIM
Z ing as well as you do They've onl
b.. just got started, and nobody'll CON
. near us for another hour Pity yo
y didn't go, too, isn't it? Now write WIFI
Il Na.h g.. hal