Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-08-20

Thinks |, I'll scare you, my fine rel
Ter And so says, "A month? Well,
I don't know. Maybe, to accommo-
date. | might let you have It for two
hundred | sort Of edged of then.
thinking sure he'd be mad; but he
wa'nt-not him. Two hundred II
blank book and one Of thcm pocket
pens.
Names Scuddcr?' he asks.
YES says I. Nathan Scudder.
One T In Nathan
And don't know as you'll believe
1t, SOL" says Nate. finishing up, but
that Teller made ont check for two
hundred and passed II over to me like
twas a postage stamp. What do you
think OF that"
didn't know what 10 think OF II.
On general principles I'd say that a
man who wanted to board with Nate
and Hubby Ann Scudder was crazy
anyhow; but Of course these fellers
didn't know.
TT beats me, Nate" says, What
do you think"
blessed If know" says Scudder,
with another Of them long breaths
"All I'm sure Of is that they're mp
home, with the parlor blinds open and
the carpet fading, and me and Euldys
living in the barn. She's doing tho
cookin' for en- I'll this man Of theirs
comes Land knows what kind OF a
man he is. too And that check was
,r<
been up TO Trumet here with II and
the cashier says twill he week afore
I know whether It's good or not. And
I cant make out whether them two
are thieves. or lunatics, or what. And
Hubby can't neither, I never was SO
worried IN my life
kind Of chuckled down inside. The
idea Of anybody's SHINING Nate Scud-
der was the highest to the biter's be-
ing bit Of anything ever come across.
And Just then see my two passengers
coming.
We'll, cheer up. Nate" says.
Maybe you'll get the reward, whether
It's lunatics or thieves. Only you
want to look out and MT be took up
LOT an aCCC1npllCe.
He fairly shrivcled up when said
that and laughed to myself all the
way out Of Trumet harbor. One thing
was sure Of: Them two New York
ers must be queer birds and wanted
to see EN-.
And the very next afternoon | did
see EN-. They come down the Old
Home pier together, walking ms II they
didn't care whole continental wheth-
err they ever got anywhcres or not.
Ono OF EN-. tho smallest one-he
want morc'n six foot one and a hat
looked sort Of sick TO me. He had a
white face, and that kind Of tired,
don't-care look In hts eye; and the
bigger ono sort Of tended to things for
him.
Good morning." says the big one
the Van Brunt one, judged-cheer-
full enough. T'other chap said, Good
morning" too.
Morning" says I.
Can you take US out sailing"
"Why-er-I guess So" says. Il
don't know why can't. II you feel
like going. Course"
hadn't finished what | was going
to say afore they were In the boat.
Now, generally speaking. there's some
bargaining 10 be done afore you take
folks out for a three-dollar sail. You
naturally expect It, you know-not so
much from boardcrs as from towners,
but still. some. But not for these two
no. ST! 1t was this powerful sud.
denness of theirs that hit me bctwixt
wind and water, same as 1t had Nate.
Made me fec! sort Of like I'd missed
the train. Stirred up my suspicious
again. TOO.
Twas q nice day one of them clear
blue and green days that you get early
In June. The water want rugged, but
Just choppy enough 10 he pretty, and
the breeze was about northeast, givin'
us a fair run down the bay.
This Is grand" says the big fell
low, as the Dora Bassett began to feel
her oats and lay down to her work.
Caesar! Van" said the other one;
why do you bring me down to earth
like that? Grand! Blecckcr next"
fIe hollorcd out this last part In a
kind of screechy sing-song. Then they
both laughed.
looked at EN-. There want moth
ing to laugh at, so far as could sec
and the "Bleecker" business didn't ap
pear to have no sense In 1t, either
They made two or three other
speeches that sounded just as foolish
Thinks l: Il wonder II Scudder's
right" They didn't look like luna
tics, but you can't always tell. Ole
man Ebenezcr Doane went to church
Of Sunday morn!ng Just as sensible
acting as a Second Adventer could be
but when he got home he fred thu
bean.pot at his wife. chased his chill
dren out door with a clam hoe, ant
they found him settin' a.straddle O
the henhouse singing "Bculah Land
to the chickens. These fellers nigh
. be harmless looms that had beer
, farmed out, as you might say. by thu
asylum folks. There was that man
that Nate said was coming. He nigh
DO their keeper.
Il understand you've got frient
coming" says !. by way OF grount
), bait.
"Friend!" says the big one
= Friend? ! don't understand"
"Scudder said you had another mai
. | coming IN HIS house" enys