Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-07-30


and thea said: "Eis,e,s late tonight
her"
school work, s'pose She's workin'
harder'n she ought to, | think"
"Fircg'
The word was shouted, and the room
rang with it. John Baxter, whose
weakness had hitherto been so great
that he could not turn himself in bed,
was leaning on his elbow and pointing
with outstretched finger to the open
stove door.
'Fire"' he shouted again. Its
blazin'! It's burnin'! It's wipin' the
plague spot from the earth. l hear
you. Lord I'm old, but l hear you,
| and your servants ready. Where will
, it be tomorrerG Gone! Burnt up! And
the ways of the. wicked shan't prevail"
| They forced him back On the pillow,
but he fought them fercely for mo-
ment or two. After they thought they
had quieted him he broke out again,
talking rapidly and clearly.
Il hear the call, Lord" he said. Il
| thank thee for shown it to me in your
book And they burnt all their cities
wherein they dwelt, and all their good
ly castles, with fire. With fire! With
firep'
"Ssh-h! There, there, John! Don't
talk So entreated the captain.
where's the kerosene?" continued
the Old man. And the matches? Now
softly, softly. The shavins. It's dark.
Here, in tie corner. All, ha! All, ha!
And all their goodly castles with fire.
Now, Web Saunders, you wicked man!
Now! Burn! I've done it, Lord! I've
done it,
"Hush!" almost shouted the agoniZed
Captain Fri. Hush, John. Be still.''
There, there. Cap'n Baxter said
Mrs. Snow soothingly, laying her hand
on the sick mans forehead. Somehow
the touch seemed to quiet him. His
eyes lost their fire and he muttered
absently that he was tired. Then the
eyes closed and he lay STILL. breathing
heavily.
Land of Iever exclaimed the cap
tain: ''That was awful. Hadn't / bet
ter go for the doctor?"
81 don't think 50, unless he gitS
worse. He had jest such turn, as
told you, last night"
Did he talk like he did jest now?''
Jest the same
"'Bout the same things"
Yes
The captain gasped. tThen yol
kneww he said.
''That he set the billiard room afre
Yes I've always rather suspicione(
that he did, and last night, of course
made me sure of it,
well. well! You haven't said moth
in bout it to anybody?"
"Of course not
mo; course you haven't You mus
excuse me-I'm kind Of upset, 1 guess
Dear dear.T Did you think l knew it 2
Il sort Of guessed that you did,
'Well, I did. I've known it eve
sence that night he was found. H
had his coat on when l found him
: and twas all burnt, and there was al
!: empty kerosene bottle in his pocket
t l hid the coat and threw the bottl
l away and turned him so he was facir
: toward the saloon stead of from il
And lied when 1 told tie doctor tina
: he was jest as he fell. There, the mu1
S der's out! Now, what do you think, O
e me?' q
Think? think you did exactl
S right"
v You do?'
a 81 sartinly do.''
''Well, l snum! I've been over tina
thing time and time again. and w
felt like l was sort of a firebug mysel
sometimes. I've heard folks layin'
to fust one and then the other and ca
latin that Web did it himself to e
the insurance, and all the time "
known who really did do it anu haven
said anything 1 jest couldn't. 70
see, John and mes been brothers a
most But didn't spose anybody els
would see it the same way"
'Capn Er!, do you s'pose 1 blaln
you for tryin' to keep your best frien
out of trouble that he got into by bell
'-well-out of his head. Why, land {
mercy! He amt no more to be bel
! responsible than a baby. You di
what I'd have done if I'd been in ypt
place, and respect you for it."
The captains voice shook as he al
swered:
"Marthy Snow he said, you're tt
kind of woman that I'd like to hay
had for a sister,
1t was perhaps a half hour lat
when Captain Fri started for Il
. schoolhouse to bring Elsie home. Jol
~. Baxter had not Weakened and MI
:. Snow said she was not afraid to I
main alone with him. The thaw b;
j., turned to light rain and the capita
- carried an umbrella. 1t was dark |
- this time and when he came In sig
. of the schoolhouse he saw atlight
the window.
One of the scholars-a by no mea,
brilliant one, whose principal educ