The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-07-14
THE HOUSE
ON THE HILL
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Lit
erary Press


hill is there yet, but there is no house
on it. Twenty years ago stranger
went to the town and bought the hill
and built frame house there. When
the house was about completed he
died. 1t was n decaying wreck when
along came q Mr.. Bushwick from no
one knew where and bought the prop
erty for 500. AS soon as he had the
deed he offered it to any yillager for
$500 and was laughed at as weak in
the top story.
Failing TO effect n sale, Mr.. Bushwick
| had the house put in repair and an
nounced that he intended to live there.
He also announced that he should use
1t rs an observatory. OF course the
J villagers knew what an observatory
was. When Mr.. Bushwick's telescope
and tripod arrived and were set up on
the veranda he permitted the villagers
| to have n look-not at the heavens, but
at tie earth They could almost see
the house1ies in the town beneath
| their feet.
Gentlemen" said Mr.. Bushwick
when all was ready, "the price of this
property is $i00. 1t will increase 500
per week until sold"
! OF course he was loony, but so long
as he appeared harmless the people
would only laugh at him The first
| one to make discovery was Mr.
Graham. He was an old man, and he
had an old wife. They were always
| wrangling, more or less. When they
had wrangled about so long each time
| he would box her ears. Two days aft
er the observatory" had been estab-
lished and as the old couple sat on the
piazza Of their house a wrangle took
place. After n bit the husband looked
around, and, seeing no one passing,
he administered cuff A moment
later he happened to look up on the
hill and saw that the telescope was
trained upon him. If there was any
doubt that Mr.. Bushwick had seen that
cuff inflicted it was dispelled by the .
waving of a small white flag.
Elder Thompson was good man, a
very good man, as all elders should be
and are. He was sitting In his back
yard under an apple tree, thinking
how good and peaceful and nice it
was to be real good, when a humble
bee came along and lifted him once
for his mothers sake. After coming
down from his high jump the elder
broke down a young cherry tree, tore
down panel of the fence and ran his
dog into the house 1t was no more
than a good man should do, but when
he looked up and saw that accusing
telescope and white flag he felt hurt
and conscience stricken.
A dozen other things Of the kind
happened during the first week. and
then the citizens decided that an OBJ
servatory was unlawful. They con-
suited lawyer, and he smiled at them.
He told them the town could be sur
rounded by observatories and not con-
flict with any law. Then it was
thought best TO make up shake purse
and buy Mr.. Bushwick out.
Gentlemen" said the telescope man
when they approached him on the sub
ject "the price of this property is
$500. Take it or leave it,"
But you have no right to be spying
on our homes" was retorted.
There is no spying. ! am simply
surveying the earth before me. If any
of you happen to come within my
range of vision l cannot help if. | do
not think ! shall write q book on what
l see. / may bui do not think So"
The citizens refused to pay the sum
named and went down the hill to their
homes, while Mr. Bushwick returned
to his post and his telescope One of
the residents of the village was an old
maid named NIias Saunderson. She
had home of her own. She was fond
Of stroling in her garden. Mr.. Bios
som, who lived next door, was fond Of
leaning over the line fence and quot
ing poetry to her. His wife had warn
cd him to stop il or she would quote
something to him, but on a certain aft
ernoon he forgot the warning and was
repeating "Shoridan's Ride to Miss
Saunderson when there came wife.
a club and a cataclysm, The telescope
took it all in The white flag waved
joyously. Dozens of people saw il
wave and went hunting for the cause,
and there was some more to talk
about Two or three days later COM
, mittee climbed the hill with $500 in its
hind pocket and told Mr.. Bushwick TO
take it and get out.
Gentlemen. | am sorry If you have
been put to any trouble" he kindly re-
piled, but the figure on the property
is 5000. You see. a sort of real estate
boom has set in"
The committee hemmed and haWed
and refused to pay. Two days after
that the report spread that the obServ-
atory man was going to have night
as well as n day glass-a glass that
would almost see through Il pine dOor.
Then there was n hustle. Three men
took up tho task of collecting. Oh, no;
they We're not afraid cf the uay glass
or the night glass or any ether kind
of glass, but ii would be Il great i'm
provement TO the landscape to remove
the house on the hill and set cut some
pine trees there When they Went up
to see Mr. Bushwick again he wanted
$780, but. seeing it was they and see
ing they wanted to better the land
scape, he would throw off $50 and get
out In three days he was gone, aud
the sigh of relief that went up was
, heard all over Lorraine county Things