Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-12-10
+ HE POAc HER

He was richer In presents than in rep
utation.
fancy the girl gave him reason I'd
think she liked him. At all events she
did not return his fineries. One evening
Tom met the colonel in her company
somewhere about the grounds. Tom
assured me that he passed them civilly,
but the next time, he came across thu
| colonel he was surly and managed Ia
Insult him and then to speak his mind,
| which was none of the cleanest. The
colonel, you must know, was engaged
at the time TO be married to Squire
Peirs only danghter-mOney, but no
beauty. - .a let Tom get the best OF
him. BIZ, IA IA that day, Tom says, he
felt he ld III enemy and knew who
lnat tlien.l ,'1s.
Wasn't he n coward to hunt poor
fellow like that in the dark?" Tom said
to me and declared he knew the colo
mel was coward and was determined
to be revenged and satisfied Of it.
One night the colonel was In bed and
heard his door yield it's lock and open.
You shall hear the rest in Toms
words:
II knew that man was coward, sir;
80, once in the house an sure of his
room, knew I had him. knew the
bearin's of the bed. I watched how
the light fell two or three nights be-
FORE The moment opened the door 4
threw the light carried dark Ian
tern-threw the light slap on his face. I
saw him start. Did that man open his
eyes? Deuce a bit. Slept as sound as
tenpence. I laughed to myself. Why,
II he had got up it d have been fair
struggle between us an nabbed GER
tainly should a been. But deuce bit
did he stir Colonel Badger, thinks I,
I'll badger you. Well, walked slow
up to him, with the lantern in one
hand an my pistol in the other, lev
eled at his head There was he Sleep
in harder an harder. l couldn't quite
see his heart beat but I'll lay my life
1t galloped"
will spare you Toms oaths.
well, SIR" he went on, I'D half
mind at one moment to do for him out
right. For coward who's nothin' bet
ter than a villain what goods he for
to live? Close down to his forehead I
put the muzzle of the pistol. 1t was
temptin' then. Just hair an he'd
have had an extinguisher on his small
candle. Lor', sir, his eyes were shut,
but I'll wager he saw 1t all clear as
day. An there was the perspiration
a-burstin' out of his forehead an roll
in down his cheeks. l remember
large drop of perspiration on his nose.
An he pretended to sleep hard all the
while! Why, the stoopid ass, did he
think l didn't know that chap never
sweated in his sleep-leastways not
natural sweat? Well, 1 kept at that,
drawin' the pistol away an putin Of
it close, for, should think, forty min
utes or more, but took no account. l
was cruel glad, to be sure, an he per-
spirin' harder an harder. Not a move
right or left. I didn't speak. thought
to myself: oh, you villain, daresay
you think yourself better than me.
don't you? An if you had me in your
power now wouldn't you let loose?
But I amt such a coward as you. You
shall bleed, my fine chaplin the peck
ct. Thatll do For" said Tom to me-
IT hadn't come there an run the risk
only to brighten the colonel. Two birds
at one blow was always my game.
$50 by an by" Tom pursued, when
l thought I'd give my gentleman a
pretty good sweat for the benefit Of his
health, began to ransack. knew the
whereabouts Of his desk an things. I
collared the desk entire an made as II
I'd walk away. He had chance then.
The cowardly beast! There he stuck.
He'd have liked to snore just to per-
suade me he was a-snoosin'. An such
a fellow as that to 60 misleadin' Of
young women! Amt 1t disgustin'.
sir?"
Tom was a bit Of a moralist, you see.
Well, the end Of 1t was that Tom,
after giving the colonel another dose,
made up his mind to quit the prem
ises.
"An' l went. SIR" said Tom. Got
OF scot free. just spoke these words
in a solemn voice: Colonel, whether
you're asleep or whether you're awake.
just you keep quiet the next quarter of
an hour, or you're dead man. amt
goin' yet, but my comrades are Il was
all, all alone, sir; never took pal II
I could help it, but thought I'd tell
him so, the coward, an I'll stop out
side the door, | says, till they're safe.
80 mind your eye l says. I'm in
earnest An then touched his fore
head with the cold iron an moved
back, pointin' at him still, an his face
shinin' with the cold sweat. He won't
forget that hour give him in hurry.
l knew very well he'd sleep on, bless
you, an so he did, an never heard
nOthin' till month ago, when they
bounced on me for it. an here I am.
goin' to see foreign lands, thanks to
you, colonel But you won't forget me.
30 don't try. An everybody's talkin'
Of the story, for outs with it at the
trial. neck an crOp, told 1t all about