Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-05-09

abundant mud here in the driest sum-
mef); dim face sne"ring from bro
ken window-Six Crossroads was for
bidding and for.orn enough by day.
The thought of what might issue from
1t by night was unpleasant. and the
legends of the Crossroads together
with an unshapen threat easily fancied
in the atmosphere of the place. made
Miss Sherwood shiver as though cold
draft had crossed her.
ut is so sinisterw she exclaimed.
And so unspeakably mean! This IS
where they live, the people that hate
him, is it? The White Caps?"
They call themselves that" replied
Briscoe Usually White Caps are
vigilance committee in region where
The law isn't enforced. These fellows
aren't that kind. They got together TO
wipe out grudgeS. and sometimes dldn
need any grudga-just made their raids
for pure devilment. There's feud be-.
tween us and them that goes back INTO
pioneer days. and only few OF us ola
folks know much about il"
And he was the first to try TO stop
themf'
well. you see. our folks are pretty
long suffering" said Briscoe apologet-
ically. WED sort of got used to the
meanness of the Crossroads. 1t took
stranger to stir things up, and he
did. He sent eight of them to the penn
Tertiary, some for twenty years"
AS they passed the saloon a man
stepped into the doorway and looked
at them. He was coatless and clad in
garments worn to the color of dust.
| His bare head was curiously malform-
| ed, higher on one side than on the 9th
| err, and though the blackboard passed
rapidly and at a distance this singular
| lopsidedness was plainly visible to the
| occupants, lending an ugly significance
to his meager, yellow face. He was
tall, lean, hard, powerfully built. He
| eyed the strangers with affected Ian
| guOr and then, when they had gone by,
broke into s1alden loud laughter.
THAT was Bob Skillet the worst OF
the lot" said the judge. "Harkless
sent his son and one brother to prison
and it nearly broke his heart that he.
| couldn't swear to Bob"
When they were beyond the village
and in the open road again Miss Sher-
wood took a deep breath. Il think |
breathe more freely. That was a hid
! eous laugh he sent after u.s.
The judge glanced at his guests face
and chuckled. Il guess we won't
brighten you MUCH" he said. "Young
lady, | don't believe you'd be afraid of
many things, would you? You don't
look like it. Besides, the Crossroads
isn't Plattville, and the White Caps
have been too scared to do anything
much except try to get even with the
Herald for the last two years-ever
since it went for them. They're lay
ing for Harkless partly for revenge and
partly because they daren't do any.
thing until he's out of the way"
The girl gave low cry with sharp
intake of breath. "Ah, one grows tired
of this everlasting American patience
Why don't the Plattville people dc
something before they
Its just as I say" Briscoe answer
ed. "Our folks are sort of used tC
them. l expect we do about all we
can. The boys look after him nights
but the main trouble is that we cam
make him understand he ought to bt
more afraid of them. If he'd lived here
all his life he would be. If they ge
him there'll be trouble of an illegal ma
ture." He, broke off suddenly and nod
ded to little old man in a buck
board turning off from the road into /:
farm lane which led up to a trim cot
tage with honeysuckle vine by thu
door. That's Mrs. Wimby's husband,
said the judge in an undertone.
Miss Sherwood observed that Mrs
Wimby's husband was remarkable TO
the exceeding plaintiveness of his ex
preston. He was a weakened blank
pale eyed little man, with thin whit
mist of neck whisker, and he wa
dressed in clothes much too large TO
him. No more inOffensive figure thai
this feeble little old man could be i'm
agined, yet his was the distinction o
having received a hostile visit from hi
neighbors of the Crossroads. A vaga
bonding tinker, he had married the on
respectable person of the section,
widow, who had refused several ger
tlemen at the Crossroads, and so com
plete was the bridegrooms insight
canoe that to all the world his ow
name was lost. The bride continued
be known by her former name as Mr.:
Windy" and her spouse was usual
called "Widder Woman Wimby's hu:
band' or "Mr. Windy" The bride SUI
piled his wardrobe with the garment
of her former husband, and, allegin
this proceeding as the cause of the
anger, the White Caps broke into th
farmhouse one night, tore the old ma
from his bed and before his wife's eye
: dashed him with sapling shoots till b
was near to death. A little yellow CT
that had followed his master on b
: wanderings was found licking the oil
mans wounds. and they deluged I'll
dog with kerosene and then threw tt
poor animal upon a bonfire they ha