Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-26

in his shoulder; they say jest as he
was eXpirin' feller bent over i'm an
his last kick landed in his ad-basket.
an doubled i'm up like razor. All,
come off, you needn't argue with mc,
Hon!"
The listener to ills frownod, as he
swung his basket to and fro. but he
did not want to be misunderstood by
his brother.
what [ mean, David, is that if 4
young man really has it in him, and will
study hard enough, he GAG climb to
the highest ruug of the ladder of sue.
cess"
Dave laughed loudly for fully min
ute, then he said:
"Your ladder would have to be stout
enough to hold up all creation, fur the
minute you begun TO mount oil four
of them overweights at our house would
start after you, an they'd stick to you,
eff they saw you on the cimb-thev
would eff they fell an smashed the'rsels
into jelly. Huh! I'd "a run for
president myself long ago, but don't
like the idea o. them three in low
neck an short sleeves helpin' me n my
wife shake hands in the white house
with the whole shootin'- match O. big
Ike"
Ronald gave up the discus ion. His
brothers coarse alluSion to his mother
aud sisters failed to appeal to his sense
Of hunor. He was thinking of Evelyn
Has brooke patrfcian features and 1.-the
form-of her exquisite refinement and
delicate sympathy. by this time the
two brothers had almost reached their
home; they could see the sngeing roof
of their fathers house. Half Il mile fur
Their on i'll the gathering dusk loomed
the white walls and lighted windows of
Carnleigh. At this point the dull,
steady beat OF horses hoofs fell ON
their ears.
'I,'s the Hasbrooke gang" an
nounced David.
Ropald's heart sank like plummet.
He had hoped to reach home before
the party overlook him. He reproached
himself for the feeling but he shrank
from being seen by Evelyn and her
friends in company with one as i'll
clothed as his brother. David stepped
to the side of the road and stood OPEN
mouthcd. to see the trap and horses
pass, but Ronald. without looking back.
simply kept on his way. lie had made
up his mind that he should not dofi' his
hat, as he knew David would, like the
peasant he was. He heard a woman's
voice singing plantation melody. ac-
companied by 4 mellow bass. He de-
cided that the woman's voice had a
harsh quality which could not have be-
longed 10 Eyelyn's, although he had
never heard her sing. The vehicle was
just behind him. lie heard his broth
er shouting out shril warning. and
was turning to see what had occasioned
il, wher the horses brushed by him, the
front wheel of the trap striking the
hand which held the baS ket. das hing il
to the ground and scattering its con-
tents over the sand. Ike heard Evelyn
scream out in terror from her scat be-
side Capt. Wrinkle. who was driving, and
saw her desperately pulling on his
arm.
The vehicle drew up n few yards
away. and it looked as if the driver was
rojnr 10 ofrcr some ,ncIon,. I'm, .no
inr that Ronald was s,ill ON hie foo.
Wrinkle vigorously applied the whip to
the horses aud drove on rapidly. David
ran up and began TO pick up the fallen
articles.
"Dv Joe Won had = c1oso .horo, ho
grunted. Il lowed once Won was n
dead coner.'
He had put all the things back into
the basket. when he no1iced for tho
first time The awful white Iool, on Rom
AIDS face.
"Whv. what's the mattcro" he asked
ibid il hurt vou?"
Ronald was slowly rubbing n bleed
ing br,ise on the back Of his hand. but
he seemed not to be thinking Of if.
"Ilc drove against me on purpose" he
said. the worGs seeming to come from
far down in his deliberately
on purpose, tell YOU"
do you reckon so. ROM"
II know it,"
David gazed at him steadily for a
moment. then he remarkcd:
$40 tell you the truth Ron. thought
so myScf. You see, | was behind; he
kept the bosses squar in the road till
he passed me, an then | seed i'm pull
like all possessed on the left rein. But