Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-06-11
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THE PASSING
OF MIR. and MRS.
JOSEPH BkGDER
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
BY Henry Irving Dodge.
Copyright. 1901,
ny Henry Irving Dodge.


Bruder was six feet four and bread,
and his wife was Eve feet and narrow.
Brudcr carried huge valise that cost
n dollar and had done service. also an
ak. Mrs. Bruder wore mitts and q
piaintiye, piquant smile. In her eyes
there was a standing apology for the
disparity In their sixes- This seemed
+ 10 be a sore point with the little wo-
/ man. for she was ever on the alert for
the quixzing giances Of strangers. and
| II one should stand apart and glance
ut the odd couple he was sure to have
his gaze arrested by a plaintive glance
from the woman which said as plainly
as speech. please don't make fun OF
US"
But the man never bothered his head
about what other folks thought He
was a woodchopper. and that's all he
knew or cared Next to his wife be
loved his ak, and IT used TO be his
pride that he could put keen enough
edge on II 10 shave with. He used TO
lay his cheek fondly against the purple
blade and pat 1t and call It his darling.
| And the Ak seemed TO understand him.
/ for II would bark with quick delight
when his giant arms swung II aloft and
/ bite the maple and bury Its nose 20 the
point where the tempered steel joined
/ the softer stuff.
When Bruder got OF the train. he
looked around In sort of inquisitive.
defiant way and put his hand cluinsily
around his wife and drew her shoulder
over against his thigh. There was no
| one at the depot but the agent. vet
| eran In the business. the tenure or
| whose position was due TO i've toes
that he had years before contributed
| TO the annual list OF accidents on the
road. Smith had heard that Bruder
| was coming to take the place OF one Of
the striking woodchoppcrs. and II allied
! him with grave concern Almost all OF
bis relatives belonged 10 the strikers.
and his sympathies were deeply with
| them. On the other hand. II fell to his
lot to show ostentatious loyalty TO the
company. Beaver Meadows was the
chief "woodin' up" point Of the read.
For miles the contiguous country yield
ed nothing from its stubborn soil save
stunted beech and knotted maple.
The president Of the company that
| supplied the railroad with wood was
Smiths hacker. A nod from him would
have iislodged that worthy from the
comfortable niche that afforded him q
comfortable living. So Smith was be-
tween the devil and the deep sea His
heart was With the strikers. his inter
est with the company. That's why his
usually placid mind was hlled with
perturbation when be beheld the lum-
bering form of Joseph Bruder aud the
dImlnuiive wife allght from the ca
boose OF Big Four.
Bruder had an arm as long as his
wife's tongue and could fell at a blow
either kind OF jaekass. human or
brute. Mrs. Bruder was the brains OF
the outfit She took charge Of the
money, when there was any. allowing
Joseph only enough for tobacco. 9th
erwise be was a teetotaler. On the
whole. this strange couple was deemed
a combination 10 be avoided. No one
ever knew where they came from On
that score Bruder himself was silent.
with a perslsteney that defied NIL the
subtle Influences of bucolie diplomacy.
SurrnIse said he was an ex-convict,
and as chapter and verse OF bis past
were not forthcoming this comfortable
theory crystallized into a very good
counterfeit OF fact
When the woodchoppers learned that
Joe Bruder was coming TO take Cy Sci
denis Job, they knew there would be
trouble. for they were determined
lot. There was an understanding. how
ever, a sort OF feeling. although no
words had been spoken. that somehow
Smith would settle matters. and so
1t was determined that no one from
among the strikers should meet Bruder
at the depot aud attempt by moral or
muscular force TO turn him back
Smith knew what was expected OF
him by his friends and relatives; he
also knew that the suspicious eyes OF
the president were upon him. and hence
the delicacy OF his position He hated
being double faced" but he had a
very comfortable niche indeed. and
times were exceedingly hard in those
parts He reflected with considerable
disgust that 1t was quite unjust that
be. who had no personal interest In the
matter. should be the one upon whose
shoulders the task OF adjusting the az
fair should be thrust
That explains why Smith was per
turbed upon the arrival OF Mr.. and
Mrs Joseph Bruder. IL also explains
why be alone was at the depot to meet
the distinguished pair. Ii is an axiom
that good luck always comes TO the
lazy. Smith was a lazy man. which
accounts for the piece OF good luck
which came to him on the morning OF
the arrival of Mr.. and Mrs. Bruder.
Bah Armstrong; two-year-old baby
boy had died OF cholera morbus few
days before. and the sorrowing par
! epts. who were farmers. had put the
little creature in simple pine box an
were sending him down the road to b