Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-09-03

thought first Id go up to Eastwich
village and telegraph to Hartley. Then
thought I'd better not; no use to
scare him til had to. Nate had
heard about the pig chase and Hart
ley's doings over there and he pes.
tered the life out OF me with questions
about that.
Queer that boy should turn out to
be his brother. want IT." he says.
Whose BROTHER" says I, leaning
out over the yawl's side and watch.
Ing for signs Of the Dora Bassett.
why, Hartley's." he says
Brother" says I. "'Twan't his
brother. No relation to him"
Il heard different" he says. 81
heard twas his brother. name Of Oscar
Dennis. And that woman from the
school was his brothers wife. Some
says she amt living with her husband
and some say Hartley's right name is
Dennis and that she's his wife and he
was down here hiding from her Seems
when that boy first dove into the
crowd twas because he'd seen Hart.
ley. They say that when that woman
and this Hartley met. she sings out:
My God. my husband That's what
some says she said, and others says
She never said no such thing" ]
says. She wouldn't swear If he was
her husband four times over: she
amt that kind. And she amt his wife
nor his sister nor his sister-in la "
nor his grandmother's cats aunt Meth
err She's no relation to him and
neither's the boy. Who's been givins
you all this rigmarole?'
1t seems he'd heard 1t from a Teller
that lived next door to Ebenezer; and
the Teller had heard 1t from somebody
else that had got 1t from somebody
else and so on and so on. highs
could find out it had started from
Hartley's telling me that the boy was
a brother outcast." Some idiot with
poor ears and worse brains had
thought he said brother Oscar" and
the whole string Of yarns had sprout
ed from that Shows you what good
soil there is for planting lies down
our way. II lies was fetching ten
cents q barrel the whole neighborhood
would have been rich years ago.
All the time me and Nate was pow
wowing this way the yawl was sailing
up the bay towing my skiff behini
her. There was a nice fair wind and
a smooth sea and twas so clear after
tho rain that we could see the hills
across the bay. But no sign coulC
We see of the Dora Bassett nor hel
passengers. | was getting more wor
ried every minute.
We cruised along till We got abreast
Of the point from where the Old
Home pier was in sight, But tho
sloop want at the pier. No use coins
any farther. so we come about and
begun to beat back again the wa!
we'd come. Scudder was worried
too, but his worr1ment had caught hin
In the pocketbook; proves how dis
ease will always get hold Of a feller's
tenderest place.
Look here, SOL" says he; do 20,
callate Hartley II want to stay tc
my house II his chum's drowned?"
II don't know" I says, impatient
"No, guess not"
We'll now, ne agreed to take it TO-
a month and there's five days to rur
yet. Amt he liable for them days?'
he says.
was feeling Just mean enough t.
want somebody else to feel that way
so answers:
Well, you can't hold a lunatic
'cording to law. And you and Huld.
Ann have agreed that he's crazy"
He thumped the boats rail Graz,
or not" says he. ~ can't afford to lost
them days. I shan't give him bacl
none Of his money" Then he though
q minute and begun 10 sec a specl
Of comfort. Maybe the shock o
t'other feller's drov~ling II make hin
SICK" ne says. Then he'll have t.
stay longer than the month"
Trust Nate Scudder to see a silve
lining to any cloud-and then riI
out the lining and put 1t in hi
pocket
BY th,n time he was beating in to
wards where the Neck Road come
down to the beach. And there on thu
shore was a Teller halling us. AM
when we got close in It turned GU
to be Hartley himself.
He was glad enough to see me, bu
when he found that Van and LORI
James had turned up missing he wa
in a state. He'd been kind Of scare,
when we didn't come back during tn
night ID had walked down to tn
beac< In the morning to sec II h
could sight us.
We headed OF shore again. Nat
watched Hartley pretty close and
suppose when he seen that the Twil
didn't show any symptoms Of gettin
sick, he begun to worry again. II
got out a piece of pencil and an oil
envelope and commenced to figure.
"Mr, Hartley" says he, after awhile
about them lady friends Of your
over to Eastwich. Do you callat
they're going to like where they are
Seems to me 4 place that's a. cas-
to run away from ~ that amt tn
best place for boys school. II the
was on an island now, the scholar
couldn't run Of. l know a nice islam
they could have cheap. Fact 10.
own it-that Is, Hubby owns 1t; It
In her name. That's II over there"
Hartley didn't answer. locke
where Nate was pointing.
"Oh! says ]. "Horsefoot Bal