Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-07-14


Gray Knob rugged and uncouth
| Two lonesome cabins stood upon the
ksY clearing on its summit, stood and glar
ls6THE1 ed at each other In fair weather and
Gss2S.sSsD foul. as IL determined to stare each
other out Of countenance. The larger cabin was
evidently getting the adv antase Of it; 1t stood
forth clean. firm, and aggressive. while the
smaller one leaned shiftessly against the hillside
apparently Indifferent to what supported 1t, the
lowers on the dNapidated sill impertnent as a
posy In the buttonhole Of . beggar.
In these dwellings lived the skttleses Mrs. skit-
ties In the serespectng cabin. and Mr.. skittles in
the shiftess one. and between them lay fifty feet
Of hillside and ominous Of silence.
Ono blustery day Mrs Sixties carrying
Q vigorous cleaning campaign; she charged down
the middle Of the kitchen floor with her broom then
made Q left oblique and right obliQue, coming to
. position Of rest at the cabin door. She was large
and imposing with figure that had made no con
cessions to forty years Of hard work. She
. veteran In the army Of labor, but not from the
ranks; Mrs. Sixties had ever been in command
Her communications to the world were still issued
in the form Of orders. and she marched through
life on schedule time. wanting to court-martal a..
who failed to follow instructions.
In her small encampment upon the clearing, there
was but one deserter. Two years ago Mr. Skittles
had found the martial life strenuous and fail
Ing in his duties had been condemned to solitary
confinement in the cabin adjoining that Of his
perior officer For a living he stripped tobacco.
for diversion he chewed 1t. He still accepted his
ratons daily, in tin bucket. which carried to
him from the mess-room by one of the little Sk
ties, in return for which he was expected to render
obedience to Mrs. Sktles, who, though word
vas spoken, used code OF signals at once coer
Give and harassng.
AS she stood at the door of the cabin, she shaded
her eyes with her hand and looked up the river.
1T must be gittn' on to twelve O'clock" she said;
Il heard the Little Sandy whistle four times since
breakfast. Rhoda Ray" she called her should
er. have you seen the children comm home from
the vage?
Rhoda Ray, long and lank, emerged from the
bedroom. She had drab skin and weak little drab
eyes that looked patiently out from under a mop
Of drab hair. Her calico dress at the exact
slant to display to the worst advantage a pair OF
knocked knees. Her mothers question seemed TO
strike her dumb with confusion, not that her lips
were sealed; it a marked characteristic of
Rhoda Ray that she never closed her mouth when
It was possible to keep it open. After moments
hesitation she stammered:
Il seen 'em comm up bout hour ago."
Mrs. Sixties tossed her head angrily. mo use
TO say more. Rhoda Ray; / know where they
are at"
Throwing . shawl about her shoulders she stalk
cd across the strip Of land that divided the two
cabins Before she reached the door she heard
shrieks Of merriment from within. which served as
fuel to the IRE Of her wrath On the threshold sh,
paused. an avenging deity about to descend upon
the unconscious revelers
The interior Of the room presented an aspect Of
startling contrasts. In the corner unmade
cot. covered by an old piece of rag carpet, while
beside It stood an imposing schroeder upholstered
In crimson plush On the plain wooden walls hung
Two nulticolored chromos Respondent in wide gold
frames. while beneath them stood stove decrepit
with age and general debility.
Mrs. Sixties viewed these objects with increas.
Ing ire. for Mr. Skittles, be it known, chronic
victim OF the instslment plan. and his utter inabili.
" to Withstand the allurements OF travelling agents
had been the rock upon which their conjugal
lefty had been wrecked.
As she stood there wrathfuly recalling the past.
i've ecstatc shrieks recalled the present. On top
OF the deal table. in the centre of the room. five
noisy little Sixties were clinglng and laughing,
and crowding another while from under the
table, Mr. Skttles with his coat tied his head.
made frantic grabs at stray legs ard arms. emitting
dreadful growls and sna:ng with ferocous inten.
sity.
Suddenly there was pause. The beer subsidized
Bud sfttles slid to the floor and slipped past his
mother. while Lottie. Susan and Eddie 10 helped
three-ytar-od Ted down from the table. Only jim.
nile left, sitting cross-legged in the center OF
the table, fascinated into immortality by her moth
ers fixed glaro.
Jimmie" exclaimed Mrs Sixties in awful tones
"you tell yer Pew to right out from under
that fool table"
jimmie obedienuy repeated the message. and Mr.
SETTLES clambered forth with much dignity as
his envcoped head and the obstrucng table legs
would permit. He was small. slight man. will
slanting shoulders from which his arms dangled ir
perpetual, state OF relaxation His struggling beard
but hel. concealed the weak mouth where vacil
lat!ng smile tina point Of breaking
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