Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-07-14

though Billy Breen stood between him
and the vengeance of the angry men
who would have made short work of
him and his saloon, nothing could save
him from himself, and after the flu
neral Slavin went to his bar and drank
whisky as he had never drunk before.
But the more he drank the fiercer and
gloomier he became, and when the men
drinking with him chaffed him he
swore deeply and with such threats
that they left him alone.
1t did not help Slavin either to have
Nixon stride in through the crowd
drinking at his bar and give him words
of warning.
at is not your fault. Slavin," he said
in a slow, cool voice, that you and
your precious crew didn't send me to
my death too. You've won your bet,
but | want to say that next time
though you are seven to one or ten
times that, when any of you boys of
fer me drink I'll take you to mean
fight, and I'll not disappoint you, and
some one will be killed." And, so say
ing, he strobe out again, leaving a mean
looking crowd of men behind him. All
who had not been concerned in the
business at NiXon's shack expressed ap-
prevail of his position and hoped he
would see it through.
But the impression of NlXOn'S words
upon Slavin was as nothing compared
with that made by GeOrdie Crawford.
1t was not what he said so much as
the manner of awful solemnity he car
ried. Geordie was struggling consci
entiously to keep his promise to mot
be ard on the boys" and found consid-
cradle relief in remembering that he
had agreed ''to leave them tae the AL
MIGHTY" But the manner of leaving
them was so solemnly awful that
could not wonder that Slavin's super
stitious Irish nature supplied him with
supernatural terrOrS. 1t was the Sec
ond day after the funeral that Geordie
and | were walking toward Slavin's.
| There was great shout of laughter as
We drew near.
Geordie stopped short and, saying,
well just gang in a meenute,' pass
cd through the crowd and up to the
bar
michael Slavin," began Geordie, and
the men stared in dead silence, with
their glasses in their hands Michael
Slavin, promised the lad I'd bear We
nae ill wull, but just leave We tae the
ALMIGHTY, an l want tae tell ye that
I'm keepin' ma wur-rd. But" and here
he raised his hand, and his voice be-
tame preternaturally solemn, Ibis bluid
Is upon yer hans. Do We no see it?'
His voice rose sharply, and as he
pointed Slavin instinctively glanced at
his hands, and Geordie added:
"Aye, an the Lord will require it O.
We an yer hoose."
They told me that Slavin shivered as
if taken with ague after Geordle went
out, and, though he laughed and swore,
he did not stop drinking till he sank in
a drunken stupor and had to be car
ried to bed. His little French Canadian
wife could not understand the change
that had come over her husband.
Hes like one BEAR" she confided to
Mrs. Mavor, to whom she was showing
her baby of year old. Hes not KEGS
me one tam dis day. He's mos hawfu
bad. He's not even look at de baby
And this seemed sufficient proof thai
something was seriously wrong. fol
she went on to say:
. Hes tink more for dat leel baby daI
dat baby dan for me-" But she shrug
ged her pretty little shoulders in depre
cation of her speech.
"You Lust pray for him." said Mrs
Mayor, land all will come right"
"Ah, madame" she replied earnestly
"every day, every day. l pray la saint
, Verge ct tous les saints for him."
"You must pray to your Father il
| heaven for him."
l "Ah, oui, | weel pray" And Mrs
3 Mavor sent her away bright wit
smiles and with new hope and coura g
: in her heart.
0 She had very soon need of all he
e courage, for at the weeks end he
/, baby fell dangerously ill. Siavin's an2
|, iety and fear were not relieved niue
o by the reports the men brought hir
from time to time of Geordie's ominou
r forebodings, for Geordie had no dout
y that the Avenger of blood was he
l. upon Slavins trail, and as the sicknes
r grew he became confirmed in this col
ii viction While he could not be said
It find satisfa ction in Slavin'S impendin
atfiiction. he could hardly hide his con
IS placency in the promptness Of Prov
5. dence in indicating his theory of retr
6 button.
But Geordie's complacency was som
d what rudely shocked by Mr.. Craig
answer to this theory one day.
1t "You read your Bible to little prof
E. it seems to me. Geordie, or perhal
IS you have never read the Master
teaching about the tower of Siloar
" Better read that and take that war
er ing to yourself"
Geordie gazed after Mr.. Craig as
in turned away and muttered:
''The toor O. Sloan, is it? Aye,