Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-02-26

off down in the dark. The clock in
tie lonely tower over in North Fox
boro sent twelve lonesome stroke:
over The sleeping countryside; few
moments later the cheap little clock
bclowstairs fussily corroborated the
hour of midnight.
"Why doesn't he Gomez" sighed the
woman. "If he's got to come home
and make US all miserable, why don't
he have it done with? What's keepin'
him? He'll be sick for II week if he
drinks enough to keep him away AL
night!'
81 thought Il moment ago that
heard him." answered the girl.
Silence again!
Far down the Cobb Hill road the
figure of man climbed unsteadily.
He covered much unnecessary ground
He stumbled much and cursed cOntin-
TALLY. Withal he made progress.
When he reached the house at tho
top of the hill on the right, he turned
under the naples and into the yard
Mother and daughter, waiting If
the mconlit upper room, heard Z
curse come UP from the yard. They
heard mans step on the rear porch
floor. His heavy boot came down up
on u loosen board that settled back
into its place with Il bump. Thcl
followed u fumbling at the string
ncnded screendoor and the sl"D OF
the fimsy thing behind him. Next
he fell over chair in the kitchen
The girl had heard a repetition o.
all on countless nights. Yet thu
night she shivcred with Il nanclcse
dread.
"If he'll only drop asleep in onc o
the chairs!" prayed the wife.
Long ominous silence in the lower
kitchen.
81 hope he isn't up tc anything,
whispered the daughter.
The mother drew long breath fo
poisc and strength. She arose am
stood before the window, lookin; u
1T the clear-cut high rising moon arc
the myriad starS-up to the heaven,
Who're God is supposed to dwell.
"Holy matrimony!" she whispered
Holy matrimony" Thon ashamed o
her salcasm: "Deat God" she pray
ed with sudden nobility, "--hel3 &C
give me the trcngth.-for The sake
of my girl Give me the @trcngih--tt
70 onward and do what can :n(
save her from maxim her mother.
mistake
The silence grew into minutes. lh'
.wo in thc upper chanlbc" decided thu
nan had fallen into Il drunken slNm
Der. Then suddenly up from the Dot
ON Of the flight came the roar o
his voice.
"Sarah!" he beloved.
"Don't go down, mother!' cried The
girl.
81 got to go down, dc@rie. ]
Ion't, it'll only make him worse
And it amt mysclf,-it's you ant
Altic | got to think Of" She
gathered the rcd-yarn shawl abou
ler narrow shoulders as though 20!
protection. She disappeared in thu
shadows Of the narrow hallway
Strengthening out on the bed, the ,r
buried her face in the soft pillows.
Once she heard her mothers .jhril
voice in protest followed by a rotor
n bully bass. Only once. Tho
jpeaking soljtuics Of the summer
hight were resolving into whispers
The moon WAS moving so far cast
ward that the phosphoresccnt patch
lpon the bedroom floor was Il con
.orted fantasy in one corner. Even
he tramp cricket in the lilacs down
below had grown tired like the f"oy5
A quarter hour the girl lay think
ng, straininG her cars to hear evil
lcncc5 Of trouble below. SuIdcN]y
came u step upon the stairs.
She sat up in the bed, pulling the
'iothes to her white throat. The rays
from lighted lantern--wcak, weird
'ays,-showcd down the hallway
1tairs. A sccond later a man enter
ed her room.
He was a hcavy-stt, big boned man
N q black striped shirt and ovcralls
hat stunk OF the cowbalns. He
wore long ragged moustaches and
had fiat iowls with weeks growth
If charactcllcss black beard. His
features were coarse, with the eyes
deeply sunkcn. They were large,
FOUND, omnous eyes. When the ma.
vas under the influence of liquor they
with fire of deadly
yreen.
"Silent" Wheeler was the nickname
BY which the town knew him. 1t
Was an appropriate nickname. Dur
ng the day, as he met and mingled
with his neighbors, he was laconic,
,aciturn, friendless. On summer
lights he was down to McDermott's
where he spent the hours getting
drunk. In the other three
seasons he sat at home before the
ire nursing the poker, raising one of
he covers and splitting from time to
inc with sharp hiss into the stove
n this manner passed hours and
Iours. When addressed by wife or
ep-daughter he nodded or ignored
hem. Always he was thinking.
linking, misunderstanding over a
yronT Tho nnirb Ln,.- Ioc1aroI In