News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-10-01


DIDN'T / nurse him?" said the OLD
woman softly. He'd red hair like his
stuck-up mother, blue eyes same as
Jesse, and a. birthmark on his off kid
ney. Now, did you ask her about that
birthmark?"
i told her." said Pete, that sus-
picious female, with face like a
grebe and an inquirin' mind is wistful
to inspeck Dawes kidneys"
Mother wagged her head. IT own
I'd like to believe Kate Smith is back
in this country, but you're such con-
tinuous and enduring liar
THAT'S So" said Pete.
One day when the sun shone bright
ly into the cabin, Billy arrived with a
letter from Captain Taylor. Pete
would not give it to mother, or read
it aloud, or even tell the news. He
danced an ungainly hornpipe, and
mother had to shake him.
Now what on airth's the matter with
yew?" mother boiled over.
Finish them riggings by first May,
says he.
Says I'm partner and boss of the
outfit, and running the whole shootin'
match, and I'll get more wealth thanIl
patch hell mile, and
There's none like Nancy Lee, l trow,
Ow! Ow!
"Oh, mother, Bolts give me a half
interest, and amt this a happy little
home, my darlin'!"
At that Mrs Pete flung her skinny
arms around his neck, and the two
silly old things sobbed together.
A week later, when, to save Pete
a long tramp, Billy rode down with
the rations, he found the old people
concerned "about this yere partner
ship"
Mother allows this Brooke is
trash" said Pete, wagging his snowy
head, "and for all the interest he
takes he's mostly corpse. Thar's
shorely holes in my 'skito bar"
Billy read the letter thoughtfully.
Brooke been to see the riggings?"
he asked.
"Once in December. He don't know
uOLulu elIuer.
wonder what he wants?"
"Smells mean, eh?"
"a mean smell, Pete"
Billy had spent the week tracking
down the two bad characters who had
served as witnesses to a false agree.
ment. Their confession was now in
evidence against Brooke, in case he
dared repudiate Mathson's rights as
partner, but there was no need to
alarm the cargador. So Billy changed
the subject, demanding tea, and there
was fine gossip.
Once after his Saturdays tramp UP
the great hill, Pete returned looking
very old. "T axed Bolt" he explained,
about this yere partnership"
"Well?" asked mother sharply,
"Well?"
Bolt says thar's pigs with pink
bows to their tails, just stretchin' and
around his sty."
The old woman turned her back, for |
Pete was crying.
In April there came a rush OF |
warmth out of the west, licking up |
all the snow, save only on that high |
plateau where the Hundred Mile and |
Spite House seemed to wait and wait |
in the white silence.
Pete sat under a roof of cedar |
shakes which he had built to shelter
the new "riggings." He was riveting |
the last of sixty hackamores, as he
dreamed of the great north trail, OF !
open meadows by the Hagwilgaet, Of
the heaven-piercing spire of Tsegeor
dinlth at the Forks of Skeena.
Mother" he said, I'm no SLOUGH OF
a cargador. Them red gin cases is
still to rig for kitchen boxes, and it's
all complete. The mules is fattening |
good, hear, and the mems the same
as last Summer, all worth their feed.
too"
But mother, grim and fierce in the
throes of her spring cleaning, had not
rnme TO admire. pete" she shrilled.