Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1903-02-11
THE RETURNED
at RAMP IT


the wornout livery coat with epau.
lets, even the leathern strap sus.
pending from his shoulder his boz
of knavish wares, affected military
air and countenanced his lies and
deceptions.
The face was not repulsive even
now. Some distinction appertained
to the heavy mustache, and the hol-
low beneath the high cheek bone,
the crows feet around the eyes, the
tanned, weather beaten ruddiness of
his complexion, might have beto-
kened honorable service in poison
Gus swamps or under burning skies
instead of shifty, footsore wander
ings with alternate hours of want
and wickeGness.
He dragged himself to the dusty
grass beneath the Give Ashes" at
the four crossroads. He was faint,
for the hill had tried him, and sat
painting with his back against tree.
Then he opened his box and began
rolling infallible pills between his
filthy finger and thumb. Their
composition was a secret, but doubt
less they did some people a lot of
good.
For twenty years his heart had
never softened with sentiment, his
soul never quickened with an inspi-
ration, and now his wandering eye,
resting on finger post across the
road, mechanically read: upton.
Leigh. Sutton-Darcy."
All so familiar once, and the last
his birthplace
a strange impulse, absolutely I'M
reasonable, for recognition might
still be dangerous, took possession
of him, an irresistible desire to see
the place again, even though it were
by stealth at night. From the
boughs above his head came the
"pink, pink" of challinch, and
through the filth and fog of quar-
ter of century of evil, indistinct in
the fumes of drink and smothered
in its own futility, cleaned a rem
iniscence clear and sharp as the
birds note:
An old farmhouse matched and
stone built, with mullioned win
dows; in the garden tall pear tree,
with yellow buds glistening in the
early spring, and beneath a youth
with a gun peeping to get shot;
then a man in breeches and hose,
elderly, but hale, drawing half hui
morously, "Why, Jack, my bwoy, |
thy shots do het off more buds than |
all the chailingers."
The old people must be gone now,
for Jack was the youngest and the
favorite five and thirty years ago.
Muttering against his own folly,
he slung on his box and limped
along the Sutton road.
AT evening he entered the Cups,
an inn on the outskirts of Sutton.
Everything was as formerly-the
same bench and stools, the same oak
settle by the hearth. Two laborers
playing at shovelboard called each
other familiar names, and the sing
song of their voices brought back
the past.
"What parish may this be,
please?' he asked.
"Zutton," replied both Abs and
Abe.
"a large village?"
"'Tidden 70 terrible large"
"Small 2"
"Tidden 70 wonderful small"
Satisfied with the subterfuge OF
.hese questions, he sat down and
continued eagerly:
"Any o the name of Craddock
i've here now~
"Craddock, eh p grinned ABS.
What dost zay, Abe? ?"
"Noo fear" said Abe.
He hesitated, but the longing to
NOW overcame his judgment like
he craving Of vice.
"And the farm at the foot of the
lives there ?"
"Mr. Craddock, be sure-Varmer :,
William"
"When l came this way before,
omebody people called Sand I
ord"-
"Ha, hap laughed Abs. "Then
GU be a woldish bird, not Matched
lst summer. Why, the old man
ave a-bin dead these twenty year, y
n the maid married Warmer Will o
am, an he took on the farm. But =
ears avore she thought to "a mar 0
led one Jack. But he took to hose Q
aeon, SO ties said, an signed some
ody's name an bolted. Never did
en- hear no more o he. But you be q
Old file. What dost Gay, Abe" p
"Noo fear" said Abe. n
John Craddock nervously rose, n
his back and fell into h
is familiar patter. 8
eyes. I'm al old soldier, wound N
in the trenches before Sevastopol
nd starved at Cawnpur, and when ii
d split my blood and ruined a fine m
institution in the service of my ma ci
We land they gave me my discharge ly
nd threw me upon the world With HI
t a penny. But, happily, among d
e prisoners taken by the British
rces in that memorable war was
e private physician to the rance OF -,
ansi. Seeing me wrlthing with IA