Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-03-13
CHAPTER XXI.

|1HREE days later George was
able to sit up in bed and take
light nourishment. Mrs. Hill
yer proved the best and ten
derest of nurses. On the afternoon of
the third day she came in and sat be-
side him.
Il ortn't to bring my worries to a
sick man." she said, with little forced
laugh, "but you know Mr.. Hillyer
mighty nigh as well as 1 do, George,
an it's his actions that's trOublin' me
now. Ever since he set up all night
with the old men over Trabues body
he's been actin curious, an this morn
in he saddled a boss an went OFF to
the mountains, sayin' he wouldn't be
back till tomorrow. I axed i'm what
he was goin' fer, an he jest said, Bust
ness but it's powerful quar- fer i'm to
leave the warehouse in Jim Kenner's
charge an you fat O yore back.
lowed at fust that maybe he was after
the thieves that shot you, but Mr..
Hanks told me that nobody had claim
ed the reward he'd offered an that it
was believed the men had got clean
off out O. reach. No, it wasn't that,
an what Mr. Hillyer did go fer is a
mystery to me-"
George fancied he had the key to the
matter, but he did not feel at liberty
to disclose it, so he made no reply.
'Poor fellowr he said to himself. He
has gone to see Mrs. Hambright to
confess what he has been doing in re-
gard to her supposed pension"
"Pore boy" Mrs. Hillyer went on
sympathetically, Il reckon you've got
enough troubles O yore own without
me pushin' mine on you, but you man
age never to show yore'n."
1--WE all have them," said Buckley
| philosophically. 81 try to remember
| that and put up with nine
The woman sighed. AN through all
this last affair you hain't mentioned
one person that's been on yore mind
constant, George. I know you been
! thinkfn' about 'er, fer when you was
! delirious the other night her name was
on yore lips all the time. 1 set thar at
the window, my boy, an had the hard
|
wish she could "a come in the room
an overheard all you said. George,
you must "a been dreamin' that you n
her was fetched together, fer l never
in all my days heard such tender
words. You actually set up once an
put yore feet on the floor, an held out
yOre arms an called to 'er."
II did have a dream of that kind
Buckley admitted under his breath
He was silent for a moment, and then
he went on: ut was the most wonder
full thing l ever experienced. 1t seem
ed so real. l thought l was lying help
less out in the sunshine and that she
came to me across a meadow-an end
less meadow covered with fragrant
flowers. I thought her hands and arms
were full of them and that she came to
me laughing, singing, dancing. She
| seemed to have on the dress that she
wore that night in Atlanta, though hel
hair was down and blown about by the
wind. 1 thought she threw the flower:
over me and held out her hands t.
! help me up. And when we stood to
J 6NNANAf AOOAAA4S NON d4d lAAC SNbNAAS 49,
IL thought l kissed her and that w
stood alone in all the world-just sh
and l. l seemed to be unable to speak
but she told me that we were never
never to be parted. Then 1 though
something struck me like a stone in tn
forehead. and it began TO grow darl
: and she vanished. 1t was twinge il
my wound that walked me-"
What a purity dream!' said Mrs
Hilyer musingly. An it seems t
me that this life-or the future one
ought to be like that-be lest what