The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-07-09
THE HOUSE
ON THE HILL.
By M QUAD
Copyright. 1910. BY Associated Lit.
erary Press.

on t. Twenty years ago a stranger
went to the town and bought the hill
and built frame house there. When
the house was about completed he
died. 1t was a decaylng wreck when
along came Mr.. Bushwlck from no
one knew where and bought the prop.
erty for 500. As soon as he had the
deed he offered 1t to any vlllager for
$500 and was laughed at as weak in
the top story.
Failing to effect a sale, Mr.. Bushwlck
had the house put IN repair and an
nounced that he intended to live there.
lie also announced that be should use
1t as an observatory. OF course the
villagers knew what an observatory
was. When Mr.. Bushwlcks telescope
and tripod arrived and were set up on
the veranda he permitted the villagers
TO have look-not at the heavens, but
at the earth. They could almost see
the housetiies In the town beneath
their feet.
Gentlemen" said Mr.. Bushwlck
when all was ready, "the price OF this
property is $500. 1t win increase 500
per week until sold"
OF course he was loony, but so long
as be appeared harmless the people
would only laugh at him. The first
one TO make a discovery was Mr..
Graham. He was an old man, and be
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 bit the husband looked
around, and. seeing no one passing,
he administered a cuff A moment
later he happened 70 look up on the
bill and saw that the telescope was
trained upon him. II there was any
doubt that Mr. Bushwick bad seen that
cur inflicted II was dispelled by the
waving OF small white Gag.
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 1t
was to be real good, when 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 aud ran his
dog into the house. 1t was no more
than a good man should do, but when
he lsosed up and saw that accusing
seisscope and white flag he felt hurt
and conscience stricken.
4 dozen otnrf things Of the hiuu
happened during the first week, ana
then the citizens decided that an OBJ
seryafory was unlawful. They con-
suited lawyer, and he smiled az them.
He told them the town could be sur
rounded by obseryatories and not con-
filct with any law. Then It was
thought best to make up shake purse
and buy Mr.. Bushwick out.
acentlemen," said the telescope man
when they approached him on the sub
feet "the price OF this property 10
$500. Take 1t or leave IT."
aBut you have no right to be spying
m our homes" was retorted-
aTnere il no spying. am simply
a,n.xevtng tho earth before me. II any
~ Won happen to come within my
range OF vision cannot help It, oe
not think shall write a book on wha'
Tsae. I may, but do not think so"
rhe citizens refused to pay the sun
named and went down the bill to theil
homes. while Mr.. Bushwick returned
Il his post and his telescope One 9
the residents OF tho village was an ole
maid named Miss saunderson. sh'
,haA q home OF her own. She was font
of strolling in her garden. A MI BIOS
som. who lived next door. was FOND Q
leaning over the line fence ana quot
sh0 noetry to her. His wife had warn
~ him to stop 1t or she would quot
something 10 him, but on a certain ar
ornoon he forgot the warning and wa
~anaatinr s.Sheridan's Ride" to Mis-
saunderson when there came WIT
4 club and cataclysm. The telescop
4ooE II all in. The white flag wave
sovously. Dozens of people saw
wave and went hunting for the caus'
ana there was some more to tai
about. Two or three days later q con
mtttee climbed the hill with 5000 IN \
hind pocket and told Mr. Bushwick
TAKE 1t and get out
nGentIemen. am sorry II you nav
been put to any trouble" be kindly :
piled. "but the figure on the proper'
Is 5000. You see, a sort OF real esta'
boom has set In"
The committee hemmed and have
and refused to pay. TWO days aIl'
that the report spread that the obser
atory man was going to have nigl
as wen as day glass-a glass IN
would almost see through a pine doc
Then there was a hustle. Three me
took up the task Of collecting. on, n
they were not afraid OF the day gla
or the night glass or any other XII
of glass, but 1t would be great Il
provement to the landscape to reno
the house on the hill and set out son
nine trees there. When they went
to see Mr.. Bushwick again be want
g700 but, seeing it was they and g
Ing they wanted to better the Ian
ecape, be would throw off $50 and
out. IN three days he was gone. a.
the sigh Of relief that went up "
heard all over Lorraine county. Thin
do hannen vet in that town. but I