Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-07-16

what 1 did; but, as 1 said to Elsie,
meant well, and I'm sorry
Sorry? Sorry for what:"
"Why. for leavin' you and her alone
so when you come to the house. You
see. l never thought but what you'd
both like it, and 'twa'n't till she raked
me over the Goals so for dom it that
l realized how things was"
"Raked you over the Goals? Tn
afraid | don't understand"
1t is unnecessary to repeat the whole
of the long and tangled conversation
that ensued. The captain tried to ex-
plain, tumbled down, metaphorically
speaking, got up again and started off
ON another tack. In his anxiety to
quoted from Elsie's remarks of the
previous evening and then, thinking
perhaps he had gone too far, tried to
smooth these over by more explana-
tons Repeating this process several
times got him into such a snarl that
he scarcely knew what he was saying.
When the agony was over Ralph had
received the impression that Miss Pres
ton had said his visits were a perfect
torture to her, that she objected to be-
ing left alone with him, that she held
Captain Jerry responsible for these
for something or other, though what it
was he Ralph) didn't know or care
particularly. To the captains con-
tinued apologies he muttered absently
that it was "all right and walked
slowly away with his hands in his
by this expression of forgiveness. He
felt that the situation wasn't what he
/ would like to have it; but, at any rate,
he had done his duty. This was a
great consolation.
Ralph didn't call that evening or the
next. When he did drop in it was
merely to inquire concerning John Bax-
ter's progress and to chat for a mo-
ment with the captains. His next visit
was week later and was just as brief
| and formal
| If Elsie noticed this sudden change
| she said nothing. There might have
| been some comment by the others had
| not a new sensation so occupied their
| minds as. to shut out everything else.
| This sensation was caused by Josiah
| Bartlett, who ran away one night with
his belongings tied up in a brown pa
per parcel, leaving a note saying that
| he had gone to enlist in the navy and
wasn't coming back any more.
There were lively times the next
morning when the note was found.
! Captain Perez was for Harvesting up
immediately and starting off to find
| the lost one. hit or miss. Captain Fri
soon showed him the folly of this pro-
ceeding and instead hurried to the rail
| way station and sent a telegram de-
| scribing the fugitive to the conductor
of the Boston train. 1t caught the
conductor at Sandwich, and the local
| constable at Buzzards Bay caught the
! boy. Josiah was luXuriously putting a
| five cent cigar inzthe smoking car, and
it was crestfSllen and Inundated
| prodigal that, accompanied by the
aforementioned constable, returned to
| Orham that night.
But the stubbornness remained, ard
the next day Perez sought Captain Fri
in troubled frame of mind.
Ere he said dejectedly 81 don't
know what I'm goin to do with that
boy. He's too many for me. that bow
is. Seems he's been plannin this run
min away business for moren a month
been doin' errands and. odd jobs round
. town and savin' up his money on pur-
pose. Says he won't go back to school
again no matter what we do to him
and that he's goin'' to git into the navy
if it takes ten years"
"Humphv exclaimed his friend,
'.'Stuffy as all that, is he? You don't
say! He amt bad boy-that is, a
reel bad boy, either
NO that's jest it. He amt reel bad
-yit. But he will be if he amt fetch
ed up pretty sudden. Course l know
what he needs is to be made to mind
fuSt and then preached to afterwards
And | know that naturally I'm the one
that ought to do it, but l jest can't
there, If l should start out to give
him the dresSin' down he needs F(
be thiukin' of his mother every min
ute and how | promised to treat hin
gentle and not be cross to him. Blu
somethin's got to be done, and if yol
can help me out any way I'll never
forgit it. Fri"
Captain Fri scratched his chin
"Humph.' he grunted refectively
HE couldn't git into the navy; he's
too young. More likely to be a stow
away on a merchantmen and thel
roustabout on a cattle boat or som,
|, such thing. Even if he lied bout hi
:, age and did git to be sort of a ship
,, boy on saflin' vessel, you and M
. know what that means snowadays.
presume likely 'twould end ia his bein
killed in some r1mshop seri1nInage LAT
er on. Let-me-see. Bound TO be ],
sailor, is hep -