Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-07-04

oeNeuty Sue Wa6 repeating tu
figures again, this time in tone of al
most frenzied citation. "Seventy Thirty
eight, and now or 10! Won't Lizzie
be surprised! Seventy! Thirty
heard no more--she had bounded int,
her cottage and shut the door.
"Waal, what do you think of hel
now'ochuckled Mr.. Simsbury, touching
UP his horse. ''She's always like that
saying over Numbers and mutterinl
about Lizzie Lizzie was her daughter
Forty years ago she ran off with mar
from Boston, aud for 3S years she's been
lying in n Massachusetts grave. But hei
mother still thinks she is alive and is
coming back. Nothing will ever make
her think different, But she S harmless,
perfectly harmless. You needn't be
afeard of her. "
This because l cast look behind me
of more than ordinary curiosity, | sup
post Why Were they all so sure she was
harmless? | had thought her expression
little alarming at times. especially
when she took the money from my
hand. If had refused it or even hel(
! it back a little, | think she would have
fallen upon me tooth and nail. | wish
ed / could have had peep into her cot
tage. Mr.. Gryce had described it as foul
walls and nothing more, and indeed II
was not only of the humblest proper
/ tions, but had the look of being mere
shanty raised to protect her from the
Weather. There was even no yard at
tached to it, only little open place in
front in which a few of the commonest
vegetables grew, such as turnips, car
rots and onions. Elsewhere grew the
forest-the great pine forest through
which this portion of the road ran.
Mr. Simsbury had been SO laxative up
to now that was in hope he would en-
ter into some details about the persons
and things we encountered which might
assist me in the acquaintanceship l was
anxious to make. But his loquacious
ness ended with this small adventure
have just described. Not till we We're
we'll quit of the pines and had entered
into the main thoroughfare did he deign
to respond to any Of my suggestions,
and then it was in manner totally I'M
satisfactory and quite noncommunica-
tive. The only thing he deigned to offer
remark upon was the little crippled
child we saw looking from its window
as we emerged from the forest
"Why, how S this?" said he. "That's
Sue you see there, and her time isn't
till arter noon. Bob alters sits there of
a mornin l wonder if the little chaps
sick. S'pose 1 ask. -
AS this was just what would have
suggested if he had given me time,
nodded complacently, and we drove up
and stopped.
The piping voice of the child at once
spoke up:
"How d'ye do, Mr. Simsbury? Mas
in the kitchen. Bob ism feelin good to-
day
I thought her tone had touch of
righteousness in it. l greeted the pale
little thing and asked if Bob was often
sick.
Never" she answered, Except, like
me, he cannot walk. But I'm not to
talk about it, ma says I'd like to, butt
Mas face appearing at this moment
over her shoulder put an end to this in
nocent garrulity.
"How dye do, Mr.. Simsbury?" came
q second time from the window, but
this time in very different tones.
whats the child been saying? She's
SO sot up at being allowed to take her
brothers. place in the winder that she
don't know how to keep her tongue
still. Bob's little languid, that's all
You'll see him in his old place tomor
row." And she drew back as if in polite
intimation that we might drive on.
Mr. Simsbury responded to the sug-
gestion, and in another moment we were |
trotting down the road. Had we staid a
minute longer, l think the child would
have said something more or less inter
esting to hear She looked bursting with
q desire for gossip, but then, goodness
me, who wouldn't if obliged, like her,
to sit in one window the half of the life .
you did not spend i'll little dark bed
room under the caves of cottage whose
whole dimensions could be embraced by
the walls of my parlor?
The horse which had brought us thus
far at pretty sharp trot now began to
lag as we drew into town, taking up so
much of Mr.. Simsbury's attention that
be forgot to answer even by a grunt .
more than half of my questions He
spent most of his time looking at the
nags hind feet, and finally, just as we
came in sight of the stores, he found
his tongue sufficiently to announce that
the horse was casting shoe and that
he would be obliged to go to the black
smith with her
"Humph, and how long will that
.ake?" l asked.
He hesitated so long, rubbing his
nose with his finger, that l grew sus-
oicious and cast glance at the horses
loot myself The shoe was loose. be-
gan to hear it clang.
"Waal, it may be matter of cou-
de of b urs, he finally drawled 1--WE
rave no blacksmith in town, and the
'ide up there is two miles. Sorry it hap
,ened, ma am, but there's shops here,
you see, and I've alters heard that
woman can easily spend two hours hag-
fling away in shops. ="
l glanced at the two i'll furnished
he pointed out, thought of Ar
hold & Constable's, Tiffany's and the
,ther New York establishments l had
,een in the habit of visiting and sup
pressed my disdain. Either the man I
vas a fool or he was acting part in
he interests of Iucetta and her family.