The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-02-08
A..
POM TER
BY JOHN \. LARNED

In tie good old days when there was
ito cast iron railway rule to prevent
a passenger from riding on locomo
tive, about 10 start on a run between
two stations, / went forward and Oh !
tanned leave or the man 1T the thrOt
tie To DO the distance-about twelve |
miies-with him. He was near fifty |
years old, but hale and hearty.
Just before starting 4 woman about !
thirty years old came to the engine
and stood talking TO the engineer ear
nestly for a few minutes, then turned
away. AS she did so | could see by
the look she gave him that she had 4
great affection for him, but whether it
was that of wife or sister could not
tell. Yielding to curiosity. | asked the
question.
shes not my wife, he said. shes
had two husbands and / shouldn't
think she'd want another Her first
husband was u bad one, and the see
ond didn't live long"
''There seems 10 be a story in her
| case | remarked. I'D like to hear it."
! He made no reply until we We're weLl
out in the open country. Then he said:
Somehow l feel like telling you the
story this morning. I've kept it long,
but now it seems to want 10 come out
/ The young woman you refer TO was
little more than a kid when | was
coming OH to middle age. She was III
| love with Il youngSter named Perkins,
| n little older than she WAS. but her
father wouldn't let her marry him.
Perkins Went off somewhere. aud
SalIie-thats her namc-married man
named Thorpe, who had just come
| into some money Sallie's father
thought he knew what was best for
his daughter and made the match. Sal
lie not being willing. for she loved
Perkins. Thorpe run through the mon
! ey he'd inherited-they said he gam
bled it aWay-and it wasn't long aft
crward that he lit out. leaving his
wife TO get OH the hest way she could.
she heard nothing from him for Two
| or three years: then one day she saw
notice of the death OF Il man of thr
same name in "a hospital in a distant
+ city. IL was too far away for her t.
u 20 and investigate the matter. and She
. didn't have the money anyway, 50 she
j wrote for Il description OF the man
l and the enc given her Tailed with her
J husband exactly.
u Another year passed ana Perkins
: came back one fine day. ANA Icagnin.
: that Sailie was widow went TO Sc,
her. Perkins WAS nice chap and ha,
made some money Sanic would have
married him right away. but she fcI
u e
t ing certain that ne was dead SIN
$ waited . yea. Perkins begging hcr T.
c marry him all the while; then Sh
give in
There was another man who hat
Il wanted SaIlie from the time She WA
Il seventeen years Oil but he was the
IL double her ace and had no Sho,
1t against the souugsters"
d That man. interrupted, "i~ you
Il self"
IA lie turned toward ne with st sill
Il priscd look aud asked how I Enc,
that. | made no reply, and he couln
ned:
''Sallie WAS very happy with her SCI
0nd husband tor about two years: the
n something happened. | had AWAY
:. lived near her. and she knew IN.
whenever She needed amy one to lel
l. on she could come 10 me. one ni-i
about II O'Clock there was "a rap
+. my door. / put on some clothes. wei
:; down and opened it. There stood 81
) lie. white As Il sheet and trembling 4:
over. | begged her 10 tell me VII;
N was the matter, but instead Of doig
- 50 she clutched my wrist ana led Il
10 the back yard of her home. The
was man lying there. but | couldr
see who he WAS. | struck a mate
lie and saw-Thor1c lie was dead
II lit was clear that Sallie had bee
n living with Perkins white She WAS Il
OF other mans wife. / had 10 make
We my mind mighty quick what 10 do.
OK FIRING me tabiccloth or Il sha'
ne or something I said 10 Sallic.
mp "She went into the house and can
lr- back with big shawl | wrapped
go around The body, then took it mp in II
arms.
Don't say word to amy one
said, Till see YOU again
Ell II carried the body TO my own ya
lie and put it in an clubhouse while | d
lks 4 grave; then | buried it six feet L
ell derground and pat back the sod OK
| it,
,ht And risIicd being hanged for mt
der?' | interrupted,
The next morning | watched f
Perkins TO leave his house. then We
10 Sallie and told her what | had dol
Eel | made her believe that MI would
bill we'll if she could keep the secret.
md mentioned the risk I'll taken. We
my neither of rs mentioned the matt
= to the other dr@to any one else, u
no harm h1s-eyer come Of il. rs 4
been hard on me. hut it was tcril
On Salie white Perkins lived.
ing when viii you marry S.IIic:"
t a aske0
18th Il marry Sallie. What makes y
arg think that