Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-06-06

or your employer, Mr.. Pickering, or
that damned hound Morgan, or you-
damn you, don't know who or what
you are!-think you can scare me
away from here, you've walked up the
wrong man; and I'll tell you another
thins.-and you may repeat 1t to your
school teachers and to Mr.. Pickering,
who pays you, and to Morgan, whom
somebody has hired to kill me-that
I'm going to keep faith with my dead
grandfather, and that when I've spent
my year here and done what that old
man wished me to do, III give them
this house and every acre OF ground
and every damned dollar the estate
carries with 1t. And now one other
thing! l suppose there's sheriff q
some kind Of a constable with jurisdc-
ton over this place. and could have
the whole lot OF you put into Jail for
conspiracy, but I'm going to stand out
against you alone,-do you understand
me, you hypocrite, you stupid. sinking
SPY? Answer me, quick before I
throw you ont of the ROOM"
had worked myself into a great
passion and fairly roared my chal-
lenge. pounding the table in my rage.
Yes, sir; quite understand you,
sir. But I'm afraid. SIT"
"Of course you're afraid" I shouted,
enraged anew by his hating speech.
You have every reason in the world
to be afraid You've probably heard
that I'm bad lot and worthless ad-
venturer; but you can tell Sister The
resa or Pickering or anybody You
please that I'm ten times as bad as
I've ever been painted. Now clear out
OF here"
knocked about the library all morn
ing without easing my spirit. and
after luncheon | went off for tramp.
Winter had indeed come and pos
sessed the earth, and It had given me
a new landscape. The snow continued
to fall in great, heavy fakes, and the
ground was whitening fast.
A rabbits track caught my eye and
followed it, hardly conscious that
did So Then the clear print OF two
small shoes mingled with the rabbits
trail. A few moments later | picked
up an overshoe, probably lost IN the
chase by one of Sister Theresa's girls,
| reflected remembered that while
at Tech | had collected diversity OF
memorabilia from school girl acQuaint-
ances, and here / was beginning a
new series with a string of beads and
an overshoe!
A rabbit is always an attractive
quarry. Few things besides riches are
so elusive, and the little fellows have,
| am sure. shrewd humor peculiar to
themselves. | rather envied the school
girl who had ventured forth for a walk
In the first snow storm OF the season,
and recalled Adrich's turn on eau
tiers lines as I followed the double
trail:
''Howe'er you tread. tiny mould
Bstrays that light foot all the same
Upon this glistening, snowy fold
At every step It signs your name
A pretty autograph, indeed The
snow fell steadily and | tramped on
over the Joint signature Of the girl and
the rabbit. Near the lake they parted
company, the rabbit leading off at a
tangent, on line parallel with the
lake, while his pursuer's steps pointed
toward the boat house.
There was, so far as ! knew. only
one student OF adventurous blood a,
st. Agatha's, and was not in the lsas,
surprised to see. on the little sheltered
balcony OF the boat house. the red tam
o-shanter. She wore. too the covert
coat l remembered from the day saw
her first from the wall. Her back was
toward me as drew near; her hands
were thrust into her pockets. She
WAS evidently enjoying the soft ming
ling Of the snow with the still, blue
waters Of the lake; and girl and q
snow storm are. II you ask my opin
ion. a pretty combination. The fact Of
a girls facing winter storm argues
nightly in her favor.--testifles. II yor
will allow me. to Q serene and daunt
less spirit for one thing. and a sount
constitution for another.
ran up the steps, my cap In one
hand. her overshoe In the other. She
drew back tribe. just enough to brini
my conscience to its knees.
~ didn't mean to listen that day.
just happened to be on the wall, ant
1t WAS a thoroughly underlined trick
my INVITING you about it-and ! should
have told you before II I'd known how
to sec you-!"