The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-08-19

head from the shabby old lounge where
the children had placed her. 1T will
soon pass away; it always does"
"If we can do anything began
Nickerson slowly.
won't you come in?' invited Mrs.
Bascom, with a feeble attempt to be
hospitable. "Lyddy. set chairs for the
gentlemen"
I The dusk was fast deepening. The
cloud wall had spread across the sky,
and a few great drops of the coming
storm were FLASHING down.
"Much obliged to you, mom," return
ed Conway, "but If we can't be of any
help well ride on. Is there any place
near here where we can git accommo-
dations for the night?'
1.-THE nearest house is two miles
away" said Mrs. Bascom. "You can't
ride on In the storm. You are welcome
to put your horses In the barn and stop
here"
The men made a show Of remon-
STRANGE.
eve needn't eat much" Nickerson
whispered to his comrade. "an' we can
pay for what we git"
The horses were hardly under shell
ter before the rain increased to down.
pour.
"Where," began Conway-"that is,
Is your husband comm home soon?"
"He is dead" answered Mrs. Bas-
com.
By this time she was able to sit up
on the rude lounge.
"Lyddy," she said, "set out bite
| for the gentlemen to eat. We haven't
got much, but you're welcome to what
| there is"
"Thank ye mom,y returned Conway
} awkwardly.
The children were shy at first but
| when the frugal meal was over and
the men were sitting back from the
table while Lyddy cleared it off little
Jackson advanced gravely and climb
ed on Conway's knee.
"W'ere you dom. misterT he asked
FLUSH, Jacksonw said his mother.
ooh, jest leave s tell as not, mom!
said Conway. me an Nickerson are
on our way back to the old Indiana
home we left twenty-five years ago"
"What part of Indiana?" asked the
widow. with pitiful eagerness.
Green county-Spencerville
The woman's eager look faded away.
eve are from Burtis." she said.
"An' we're dom back dere pretty
soonr' spoke up Jackson cheerfully.
"That so. mom" asked Conway
heartily. That's good!"
"I-I-we"- began the widow weak
ly.
She glanced at the children, and
there was an undercurrent of hope
men that, though she did not wish to
destroy the hope Of the children. she
felt little for herself.
"Yes, mom." interrupted Conway,
understanding. 1T costs heap of
money. fright heavy rain fallin',
hain't it?"
II dot money" Jackson uttered trt-
umphantly. '.in my bank! We dom
pretty soon."
He scrambled down from Conway's
knee.
Did my bank, Yyddyw he COM
manded. When 1t was handed down
to him he brought it triumphantly to
Conway.
Money! he chuckled. "Doin' back
to Indiana pretty soonp
Nickerson saw that there were tears
In the widows eyes.
want to look at my knife. Jack
SOM" he asked. producing a huge
many bladed affair. with a corkscrew
in the back.
Jackson grasped It, marveled and
was silent. Presently he fell asleep
in Conway's lap. with the huge knife
in his clutch.
The men. with awkward kindness
tried to talk of other things. but Mrs
Bascom kept returning to the one sub
ject ever in her thoughts-the old
home.
II have been hoping for years to
CO." she said. but
Same way with us, mom!' returned
Conway. me an Nickerson got to
gether four years ago-we came from
the same old town at about the same
time. but never happened to meet
again till four years ago-an' evel
since we've been 6ggerin' on takin' q
Ja'nt back there. but never got to IL
till now. We've finally managed tc
save up enough to make the trip"
Presently the widow told them O
part of her story She CLOSED over
the failings Of her dead husband. but
word or phrase let fall here and
there told Conway and Nickerson what
kind Of man he had been.
Jackson Baseom the elder had beer
neither depraved nor vicious. He hat
been simply combination of over
hopefulness and laziness-a contenteC
waiter for something to turn up.
In the meantime he farmed the
homestead in a half hearted fashion
which brought scarcely enough to live
miserably upon.
The years passed on. but the rail
road never came. When the claim be
came his own Bascom mortgaged i
and dribbled away the proceeds.
BY and by he died, leaving a broker
down, heartsick woman and half help
less children.
The future held but little promis,
for them. Before long the mortgage
nm tha hOmastaod vould fall dua mn