Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-01-24
The LiQht in the Clearing
CONTINUED from Page TwO)

BOY mas got to tell the truth right out
plain. couldn't muzzle him If /
tried-hes too much of man. If
you're scared O. the truth you mus
know that Amos is guilty"
Mr. Grimshaw shook his head with
anger and beat the floor with the end
Of his cane.
"Nobody knows anything o. the kind,
Baynes," said Mr.. Dunkelberg. "Of
course Amos never thought o killing
anybody. He's harmless kind of
boy. / know him well and so do you.
Under the circumstances Mr.. Grim
shaw Is afraid that Barts story will
make it difficult for Amos to prove
his innocence"
Uncle Peabody shook his head With
a look of firmness.
Again Grimshaw laughed between
his teeth as he looked at my uncle.
In his view every man had his price.
~ see that I'm the mouse an you're
the cat" he resumed, as that curious
laugh ratified in his throat. Look a
here, Baynes, I'll tell We what I'll do.
I'll cancel the hull mortgage"
Again Uncle Peabody rose from hiS
,halr with a look In his face which l
nave never forgotten. How his voice
.ang out
mo, Sirw he shouted so loudly that
we all jumped to our feet ard Aunt
Deel covered her face with her apron
md began to cry. 1t was like the ex-
Dlosion of blast. Then the frag-
nents began falling with loud crash:
"NO, SIR! YE' CAN'T BUY THE
NAIL ON MY LITTLE FINGER OR
HIS WITH ALL YER MONEY
D-N your
1t was like the shout of Israel from
the top of the mountains. Shep
bounced into the house with hair on
end and the chickens cackled and the
old rooster clapped his wings and
crowed with all the power of his lungs.
Every member of that little group
stood stock still and breathless.
/ / trembled with a fear | could not
have defined. Mr.. Grimshaw shuff1ed
out of the door, his cane rapping the
floor as if his arm had been stricken
with palsy in moment
Mr.. Dunkelberg turned to my aunt,
his face scarlet, and muttered an apol-
ogy for the disturbance and followed
the money lender.
"Come on, Bart Uncle Peabody
called cheerfully, as he walked toward
the barnyard. Lets go an git in
them but'nuts."
He paid no attention to our visi-
tors-neither did my aunt, who fol
lowed us. The two men talked to-
gether moment, unhitched their
horses, got into their buggies and
drove away.
oval, I'm surprised at Mr.. Horace
Dunkelberg tryin' to come it over us
like that-ayesl l be-" said Aunt Deel
oval, | amt" said Uncle Peabody
"Ol Grimshaw has got him under hit
thumb-that's what's the matter
You'll find he's up to his ears in debt
to Grimshaw-prob'ly."
AS we followed him toward the
house, he pushing the wheelbarroN
loaded with sacks of nuts, he added
AT last Grimshaw has found some
thin that he can't buy an he's awful
surprised. Too bad he didn't Learn
that lesson long ago"
He stopped his wheelbarrow by thu
steps and we sat down together or
the edge of the stOOp as he added:
81 got mad-they KEEP pickin' on mt
sO-I'm sorry, but | couldn't help 1t
Wen start up agin somewheres if W.
have to. There's a good many days
work in me yet"
As we carried the bags to the atti'
room | thought of the lodestOne anC
the compass and knew that Mr.. Wrigh
had foreseen what was likely to hap
pen.
When we came down Uncle Pea
body said to me:
81 feel sorry, awful sorry, for tina
boy"
We spent a silent afternoon gather
ing apples. After supper we played
5 old sIedge and my uncle had hare
work to keep us in good countenance
We went to bed early and l lay long
hearing the autumn wind in the poppl'
leaves and thinking of that great thinl
: which had grown strong within us
| little by little, in the candle light