Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-06-13
The vindicaiion
Of Paphroditus.
BY s. 3. HAcklEv.

The afternoon sun beat down fierce
and seorehing on the bent figure in the
saddle. and the yellow dust On the
parehed road. stirred In cloud by the
hoofs OF the cattle the man was driy
Ing TO water at the mile distant river
stung his somhre blue eyes. but he
paid little heed TO these discomforts
the pain of the heart wound Lueindy
had given him at noon oyerpowered
them.
"Paphry Ramsey" she had said
eaustically, Il don't want TO hear an.
other word about what that gypsy over
on the river told you bout good for
tune soon a-comin' 10 you, have no
patience with your belieyln' In signs
and with doin's. and what makes me
sick Is your everlastln' sayin'.
there's a promise o. this and O. that
In the air the sign is favorable and
sich like, You're always a feelin'
sometimes goin' to turn up and what
goods ever turned up sence married
you nigh S5 year ago?
First soon's We married. the house
burnt down, and afore we got any
paid on the new house. mother and
brother Lem. the only kin | had. took
sick and died, and what with their
doctors bills and funeral expenses,
and everythin, the yeller Jersey a.
breakin' her leg along o. Canler's dog
a runnin' loose, and the hogs takin'
the cholera, and your slowness and
mismanagement we got clear behind.
And wust of all. none o. our five
chillern lived to see three year until
Prilly came and her the sweetest
thing that ever lived. born blind, And
now. Holly Brock. he says. there's an
eye doctor away OF in New York that
he knowed last year when he was
there studyin' medicine, that he
knows could operate on her eyes and
she could see. but hit'd cost hundreds,
EFF them signs and indications
you're so everlastinly believin' in"
she wound up in bitter sarcasm, "ef
they'd show you how to raise the
money to pay off the mortgage on
these so acres, and dig us the well
we're a fairly sufferin for sence the
springs got so it dries up ever year
besides payin' the doctor to git Pril-
lies sight, so she'd be willin' to marry
the man she's lovin, and as has
been a wantin' her five year (blind as
she isl and worryin' because she
won't let him take her blind-mebbe
you'd better ride off to the gypsy camp
after you water the cows and ask 'em
to tell you some more signs!"
The week before Paphroditus had
refused to go to town with the butter
and eggs because he heard a hawk
screech, and it was bad luck to go
against it, and the next day when he
went with the marketing he had taken
a portion of the slender sum the but
ter and eggs brought. to have his for
tune told.
Lucinda might jeer, indeed, but
wasn't it sort of sign Ga rabbit that
crossed the road that caused him to
leave the highway and take the field
path that led him to the home of old
Abner Jenkins, there to serve as farm
helper?
Old Abner owned so acres in the
Chadwick Hills, but his choicest pos.
session was not his well-tilled land, his
commodious double log cabin, nor his
stalwart son Lemuel, nor yet the So
900 which to save from the guerrilla
bands that rendezvoused in that To-
cality, he buried during the absence of
his family, and, of which, after his
sudden death, no trace was found.
From the moment he caught sight of
Abner's black-eyed, sharp-tongued and
pretty daughter, Lucinda, Paphroditus
singled her out as Abners choicest OBJ
ject of his unwavering admiration and
love.
This September the drouth was ter
rible-the corn was withered, and the
grass Drowned as in an Overland.
worst of all, the Ramsey spring had
failed and their water for household
needs had to be hauled daily from the
river.
EFF the signs wusn't so long a COM
in true-ef somethin' would only Jest
turn up now' Paphroditus. repeated
mournfully to himself, as, still under
the depressing spell of Lucinda's
scoffing, he drove the cattle back into
the pasture, and hitched the gray
mules to the wagon.
Sort of short of water. friend?"
a man called to him from the river
bank, as he filled his barrels out in
the middle of the stream.
Paphroditus fell into ready converse.
ton with the stranger, and soon
learned he was printer going on to
the nearest city, and "dowser" or
water-witch" as well, who could locate
underground streams.
Whats to bender you stayin all
night with me, and shown me where
to dig fer water?" Paphroditus pro.
posed eagerly.
The tramp accepted his invitation.
''Lucindy, he knows the sign. and
he never fails, he says--and-we
might, we orter dig we'll soon!"