The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-02-26

nothfn' butt BE Suddenly assumed
a reflective attttoda. his hand upon his
smoothly shaver chin, his gaze upon
the ceiling.
But whatT' Mr.. Kelly spoke win
the sharpness OF long starved and
desperate inqufsitiveness.
ut-gratftnde. It was tho rumna-
sst 90 of me Life. I followed the lay
lust as you'd give II to me. I went
through the FIRST floor first, gatherin'
up stuff worth maybe tenner of hum
dreds. II I'd quit right there ID
well, Id be lookin' forward to fifteen
more years of It stead OF bein' here
with me future before me bright as
paste. But everything was 30 nice and
quiet I just says to meself, TIL tour
the next door, So piles me stuff By
the grand exit, where can pick II up
when strolis out, and climbs thestairs.
"And the FIRST thing know I'm TAX
I'm part in a high life tragedy drama.
'Twasn't no supe part either; twas the
role OF the hero that drops In when
he's least expected and saves the whole
cheese. opens the first door l comes
TO. and I nearly faints OWN to gas.
The room was full of H. and I closed
the door, standin' for a minute with
nae hand on the knob, thinkin'. Twas
no picnic Of mine, Of course, but
couldn't help feelip' that somethin'
was wrong-&hat somebody was tryin
to croak and that It was up to me to
save 'em II they was to be saved. That
settles II. draws In two bagfuls Of
wind and opens the door again, slidin'
across the floor TO window and rails
IN the curtain, and then tumblee.
There's a girl on the bed and letter
on the table-the same old layout I
tries TO raise the window. but 1t won't
bulge. II didn't take me all summer
to find the leak. The stencil was com
In from hole fn the wall where
pipe-one Of these things that sticks
ont about feot--had been busted of
She must have hung her whole weight
on that thing and jumped mp and
down. But she'd got an elegant low
Of gns--way ahead of what she'd have
got by turninf on the burner, and the
beauty Of 1t was that nobody could
turn It of. I couldn't see nothin' else
to do but put me thumb over the hole,
and that's what / done, tskin' short
breaths TIL enough of the vapor had
got out at the door to let me pump
somewhere near normal, and then
"And thenTr Mr.. Kelly had planted
HIS elbows upon the table, contemplate
ing Mr.. Dawson fixedly.
"And then---I waited. What else was
there to DOT l couldn't sneak, leavin'
things that way, could n I'd have
been ashamed to look an honest man
In the face forevermore II I'd done
that. And after awhile hears a patti |
pat In the hall and dopy voice say,
Seems to me smell gas You're
dead right, me friend calls. Hustle
IN here and don't strike glim for your
lifer
"And then has the pleasure Of max
in the acquaintance OF the Hon.
James Van Altren. He's in his paja-
mas, and bis hair Is tousled, and his |
feet have no coverin', and bis eyes are
blinlry. Ills two minutes maybe be-
fore he can shake himself together. |
The first question he asks is double
header. Who are you, and what L. the |
meanin' Of thisr he says I'm thief
says !, and the young lady on the bed
there is one, too-at least she's been
tryin' to rob the world Of her pres
ence' oh, horrorF says he, SEEM
what's up And what are you doin'T |
I'm hoIdin' me thumb over this gas
well,' says I. and I'm gettin' weary
"'0h.' says he and skins over to the
bedside. ETe shakes the girl, and she
sits up, starin' like a wild thing. Then
be turns to me again. How long have
you been hereg he says. I don't
know. says l. but plenty long enough