Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1918-12-13


In the spring my uncle hired a man
to work for us-a noisy, brawny
sharp-featured fellow with keen gray
eyes. OF the name OF Dug Draper
Aunt Deel hated him. feared him
but regarded him with great hope
because he had funny way OF wink
ing at me with one eye across the
table and, further, because he could
sing and did sing while he worked
songs that ratified from his lips In q
way that amused me greatly Then,
too, he could rip out words that had
a new and wonderful sound In them,
/ made up my mind that he was like
~ to become a valuable asset when l
heard Aunt Deel saw to my Uncle Pea
body:
you'll have TO send that loafer
away, right now, ayes, ! guess you
will"
"Whyf"
Because this boy has learnt to
swear like a pirate-ayes-he hasW
Uncle Peabody didn't know II but
/ myself had begun to suspect IT, and
that hour the man was sent away,
and / remember that he left In anger
with a number Of those new words
flying from his lips. A forced march
TO the upper room followed that event
Uncle Peabody explained that 1t was
wicked 10 swear-that boys who did
II had very bad luck, and mine came
in a moment. never had more or
II come along In the same length or
time.
After ] ceased 10 play with the
Wills boy Uncle Peabody used to
gay, often, II was a pity that / hadn't
somebody Of my own age for COM
pany. Every day felt sorry that the
wills boy had turned out so badly,
and doubt not the cat and the shep-
herd dog and the chickens and Uncle
Peabody also regretted his failures,
especially the dog and Uncle Peabody,
who bore all sorts of indignites for
my sake.
One day when Uncle Peabody went
for the mail he brought Amos Grim
shaw to visit me. He was four years
older than Ia freckled, red'haired
boy with a large mouth and thin lips.
He wore silver watch and chain,
which strongly recommended him In
my view and enabled me to endure
his air of condescenslon.
He let me feel 1t and look 1t all
over and slyly touched the chain
with my tongue just to see II 1t had
any taste to It, and Amos told me
that his father had given 1t to him ana
that it always kept him kind o
scairt."
"Why?"
"For fear I'll break er lose 1t an
git licked" he answered.
He took little yellow paper-cov-
cred book from his pocket and began
20 read to himself.
"What's that" i ventured to ask
by and by.
"A story" he answered. II met a
ragged OF woman in the road t'other
day an she give me lot Of 'em and
showed me the pictures an got to
readln' em. Don't you tell anybody
cause my Of dad hates stories an
he'd lick me til couldn't stan II he
knew | was readin' EN-"
begged him to read out loud and
he read from tale Of two robbers
named Thunderbolt and Lightfoot who
lived in a cave in the mountains. They
were bold, free, swearing men VINO
rode beautiful horses at a wild gal
lop and carried guns and used them
freely and with unerrlng skill and
helped themselves to what they want
ed.
He stopped, by and by, and confded
to me the fact that he thought he
would run away and join band Of
robbers.
"How do you run away?" / asked.
"Just take the turnpike and keep
goin' toward the mountains. When
We meet a band O. robbers give 'em
the sign an tell 'em you want to
join"
He went on with the book and read
how the robbers had hung captive
who had prosecuted them and inter
! fered with their sport. The story ex-
planned how they put the rope around
the neck of the captive and threw
the other end of 1t over the limb
Of tree and pulled the man into
the air.
He stopped suddenly and demanded
us there long rope hereT
pointed to Uncle Peabody's hay
rope hanging on peg.
LES hang a captive" he proposed.
At first | did not comprehend his
meaning. He got the rope and threw
its end over the big beam. Our old
shepherd dog had been noslng the
NOW near us for rats. Amos caught
the dog who, suspecting no harm, came
passively to the ropes end. He tied
the rope around the dogs neck.
"We1l draw him up on lit won't
hurt hin. any" he proposed.
| TT NVA,, J.