Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-08-12

field of duty. year hence we hope
to erect a suitable monument to his
memory
There was rustic of excitement on
the outskirts of the crowd where the
vehicle that had crawled up the dusty
road had halted A womans voice,
rising high above the tumult, angry
and expostulating, interrupted the Sc
lectman's speech. Il tell you I'm GO
Ing up front! This thing has got to
be stopped!'
A murmur of indignation followed
the speaker as she pushed her way
through the crowd and finally emerg-
ed into the open space about the grave.
She was a tall, rawboned woman,
with strongly marked features and
iron gray hair drawn tightly back
from her forehead.
"What do you mean by this disturb
ance, madam" asked DR.. Liscom Sc.
verely.
my names Bassett," she replied,
with little clicking movement of her
teeth
The reporter took q notebook from
his pocket and re6ectively sharpened
pencil.
"BassettT repeated the doctor af-
fably. Then l am sure you are a
relative of the hero whose dust lies
under this mound. We would have
included you among our honored
guests had we known there was a liv-
ing descendant of Theron Bassett,
Who
"Fiddlesticksv interrupted the wo-
man rudely.
The reporter scrubbed busily in his
notebook. The first selectman's mouth
hardened.
what do you mean, MADAME asked
DR.. Liscom patiently.
81 mean that just heard this morn
ing that you Pond Point folks were
going to hold a celebration over this
grave, and l came over here from my
home In Leetown to stop these sacri.
legious proceedingsw She looked tri
umphantly about her, while the people
gasped. Leetown was q mine Of his
| toric wealth; Washington's headquar-
| tiers, noted taverns where he had slept,
birthplace of a hundred heroes-Lee-
town had more than its share Of honor.
"What do you mean by 'sacrile-
giousY" There was utter silence as
| DR.. Liscom asked this question.
"I'll tell you. sir! Theron Bassett
was my ancestor-he wasn't anything
but a drummer boy, anyway, and he
deserted from the army before the
battle Of Long Island! He lived to be
ninety years old. and he died from sun.
stroke. He's buried over to Leetown,
and they're holding some kind of a
powwow over his grave this very min
ute / do believe" She snorted con-
temptuously as she faced the dismayed
| throng
I'VE were misinformed. then" cried
the first selectman, glazing angrily at
DR.. Liscom, who in turn fixed an
accusing eye upon the discounted En-.
rights.
The reporter chucked gleefully as he
scrubbed. and for few minutes there
was no sound save the sharp breath.
ing of the committee and the rustic OF
turning pages. Jefferson Foster won.
dered helplessly what the scribe might
be jotting down against his future
peace and dignity.
Eyes, you are misinformed," returned
the woman sarcastically. This grave"
indicating the decorated mound with q
sweep of her mittened hand, docs not
contain the dust of any of my ances.
tors, though it Is the grave of a
HERO! This first grave with the
weeping willow on the stone is Great
grandmother Bassetts. the next Is
great-grandfather's and this one under
the wall. which you have made so gay
and this gentleman has been declaim
ing over-this is the grave Of HERO
great-grandfather's favorite dog. The
old man thought sight Of him, and
when the dog died he buried him here
under the wall, and nobody knew any
thing about 1t. He always said Hero
was as good Christian as lots of folks
he knew!
She went amid dead silence, and II
was not until the dust from her car
riage wheels had settled again that a
faint chuckle from the visitors broke
the constraint. DR.. Liscom covered the
situation with a few words spoken
with a twinkling eye.
Pond Point seems fated to play q
passive part in the history of her coun
try. So be it! Let us be content to be
good citizens. heroes in our humble
way, and perhaps we may so conduct
ourselves in time Of national distress
our descendants may honor our mem
cries even as we would honor the mem
DRY of some great man! In the mean
time l move that we adjourn to the
picnic grove"
Amid loud applause the gathering
made its way to the grove. while thf
reporter replaced his notebook in his
pocket and thanked the doctor for thu
privilege of attending such an interest
ing occasion and the good doctor and