The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-12
CHAPTER II.

So Now We Get Down to the Bus
ness of Living and Enter a Roor
Where FOOTBALLS Are flushed t
Witness the Almighty. Sending
Miracle.
Back to the Files Again. Unde
date of December the 10th. What
this that we find?
A pleasant social time was
held last evening on Pleasant
Street when about fifteen friends
and neighbors gathered to give
house-warming to Mr.. and Mrs.
John Purse. The evening was
spent with games and music and
refreshments were served. The
guests presented the young
couple with a valuable parlor
clock and the members of the
office force as body contributed
toward a bronze horseman to sur
mount its top.
Still further onward under date O.
February the twentyffth and prom
inently displayed on the front page
where it occupied two columns, ar
obituary which opened thus:
The community suffered a
great shock last evening when
Silas M. Truman, one Of the
towns most prominent business
men and leading citizens, passed
away in his magnificent Main
Street home of a complication of
diseases. He took to his bed
over fortnight ago, leaving his
affairs in the hands Of his son.
He grew rapidly worse and the
end came at twenty minutes to
seven last night. He was 81
years old.
Follows an elaborate obituary. The
grim comment about the town next
day revealed the universal sentiment
that Sam Hold had overdone it bit
There are few real tears at the death
of a highly successful plate-passer
and mortgage forecloser.
But greater even than the death
of Herbert's father and his sons in
heritance of the house, the wage
works and the family money-at
least to the Importance of the de-
nouement of this narratives one
little four-line item found in an Aug
ust issue after several months of
newspaper silence regarding the "Tel-
egraph" folk.
The Purse tenement had been a
coy little place that first winter
Jack and Mary had both Joined the
Calvary Methodist church, and be-
ing a willing, Accommodating little
body, the girl was in demand at all
sorts of social functions where there
were rooms to be trimmed or chill
dren to be drilled or dishes to be
washed-which was not without its
compensation in the matter Of per-
manent place in the village social
circles and among the younger mar
ried people. There were many little
"affairs" in the upper Purse tene-
ment, many surprise parties, many
attendences on singing schools where
the girls clear soprano and Jacks
fine tenor increased their popularity.
But toward the end of the Spring,
Mary left US. One April morning
she failed to report for work. Jack
carried home her black kimono apron,
the extra pair of emergency rubbers
and umbrella that had stood for so
long at her case and the corner Of
the wall.
She gradually dropped out Of
church society; she attended but one
lawn party. Jack went around with
a worried look and sought every OPP
portunity of running up overtime
for a reason other than the creditors
moral claims upon his slender pay
envelope.
july fourth came with its unholy
racket in the gray of the morning
and it's parade at ten o'clock, ending
with fireworks in the evening which
Mary watched from the little front
porch over the front steps. Lazy
August was upon us. And one day
the small Ashley boy who lived
downstairs under the Purses, PADDED
into the back room in his bare feet'
the understandings of his blouse hang
ing down and his nose very damp
He found Jack making up the last
palleys into the front page.
"Hey, Mister Purse" he announced
excitedly so that all the office heard
you better getcher hat and go
home quick. Somebody's brought
you baby"
Jack went home with strangS
feeling in his heart. He hardly mao
the strength to climb the OUTSIDE
hack stairs. He went in through the
kitchen. Mrs. Ashley was there
and Mrs. Potherton from the next
house and-Dr. Johnson.
"Your wife, son." announced 'ohh-
son. rolling down his sleeves as ne
stepped into the homely little sitting
room from the bedchamber on the
east. has just given birth TO .
whale of baby sonl" He stepped
before the bewildered young HUSBAND
s'You can't go in there, the doc1ol
declared, "Not until you come across
with c;oarsi Good onesi Two bits a