Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-10-04


Mr., ParlOw's mind.
During the time that the nurse was
AT the abandoned lumber camp caring
for Judy Mason, Carolyn May hoped
that something might take Uncle Joe
there
The next Friday, after school was
oht Miss Amanda appeared az the
stagg home and suggested taking Caro-
Ign May into the woods with her, "for
the Weekend" as she langhlnsly said,
Tim, the hickman, had brought the
nurse home for a few hours and would
take her back to Judy's cabin,
poor old Judy Is much better, but
she IL still suffering and cannot be left
alone for long" Miss Amanda said.
"Caroyn May will cheer her up"
Mr., Parlow would drive over on Sum
day afternoon and bring the little girl
home, OF course, Prince had TO 90
along.
That Friday evening at supper mat
tiers In the big kitchen Of the Stagg
house were really ut a serious pass, Jo'
seph Stagg sat down to the table yisl'
bly, without appetite, Aunty Rose
drank one cup Of tN after another
without putting a crumb between her
lips.
"say, Aunty Rose" demanded Mr.,
stagg, "what under the sun did we do
before FIannahs Car'lyn came here,
anyway Seems to me we didn't really
live, did wei"
Aunty Rose had no answer TO make
TO these questions,
In the morning there was n smoky
fog over eyerythIng-a fog that the
sun did not dIss!pOte and behind
which It looked Ike IN enormous saf-
from ball.
Mr., Stagg went down to the store rs
usual News came over the long.dls-
tHnce wires that thousands Of acres
OF woodland were burning that the for
est reserves were out aud that the farm
crs Of nm entire township on the far
side of the mountain were engaged In
trying 10 make Il barrier over which
the flames would not leap, II was the
consensus Of opinion, however, that
the fire would not cross the range.
"Scarccly any chance Of us swoop.
Ing down on us" decided Mr. Stagg.
"Reckon ! won't have TO go home to
pillow fire burrows
At the usual hour he started for The
Corners for dinner, Having remained
in the store all the morning he had
not realized how much stronger the
smell Of smoke was than 1t had been
ut breakfast time, Quite inyoluntarly
he quIckcned his pace.
The fog and smoke overcast the sky
thickly and made 1t Of brassy color,
Just MS though huge copper pot had
been overturned over the earth. Wom-
en- stood at their DOORS talking back
and forth in subdued tones. There
was a spirit Of expectancy in the air.
The hardware merchant was strdlng
along at n quick pace when he CAME to
the Parlow place; but he was not GO
ing so fast that he did not hear the
carpenter halllng him in his cracked
voice.
"IIey, YOU Joe Stagg Hey, your
Amazed, Mr. Stage turned to look.
Pnrlow was hobblIng from the rear
premises, grooming at every step,
scarcely able TO walk.
"That sclatIcN's got me ag'in," he
snared. "Tm Almost doubled up.
Couldn't climb into carriage to save
my soul"
"What dyou want to climb into a
carriage for?" demanded Mr.. Stagg.
"Cause somebody's got to go for
that gal Of mine-and little Car'lyn
May. Amt you heard-or is your mind
so sot on maxim money down there to
your store that you don't know nothin'
elseW
Haven't l heard what?" returned
the other with fine restraint, for he
saw the old man was In pain.
1.-THE fires come over to this side.
saw the flames myself. And Aaron
Crummit drove through and says that
you can't git by on the main road. The
fires followed the West Brook right
down and is betwixt us and Adams
old camp"
"Bless mel" gasped the hardware
dealer, pallng under his tan.
"Wal2" snarled Parlow. "Goin' to
stand there chatterin' all day, or be
You goir' to do something's"
Somebody must get over to that
cabin and bring them out" Joseph
Stage said, without taking offense at
the grabbed old carpenter.
"Walp exclaimed Parlow, "glad ter
see you're awake"
"Oh, I'm awake" the other returned
shortly. 81 was just figuring on who's
got the best horse"
81 have" snapped Parlow.
Eyes. And I'd decided on taking
cherry, too" the hardware dealer add
ed, and swung into the lane toward the
carpenters barn.
"Hey, you'll Needn't be so brash
about it," growled the carpenter. Hes
my boss I s'pose?"
Joseph Stage went straight ahead,