Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-02-28
The Light in the Clearing
Continued from page two)


worked there for bout forty year, I
guess.
oval, sir, fust we knew Kate was
there in the house Twin with her ia
ther. We wouldn't "a knowed it, then,
If it hadn't been that Tom Llnney
come over one day an said he guessed
the OF squire wanted to see memo,
sir, we wouldn't-fer the squire amt
sociable an the neighbors never dark
EN- his door. She must "a come In the
night, jest as she went-nObOdy see
her go an nobody see her come, an
that's fact. Wal, one day las fall
after the leaves was off an they could
see a corner o. my house through the
bushes, Tom was walkln' the OIL man
round the room. All to once he
stopped an p'inted at my house
through the winder an KEEP p'intin'.
Tom come over an said he ca'llated
the squire wanted to see me. SO 1
went there. Kate met me at the door.
Gosh How old an kind o. broke down
she looked! But l knew her the min
ute | set my eyes on her-uh huh-an'
she knew me-yis, sir-she smiled an
tears come to her eyes an she patted
my hand like she wanted to tell me
that she hadn't forgot, but she never
said a word-nOt a word. The OIL
squire had the palsy, so t he couldn't
use his hands an his throat was para
lyzed-couldn't speak nor nothin'.
Where do We suppose he was when I
found hlm?"
'In bed?" l asked.
"NO, sir--nO, street He was In hell
that's where he was-reg'lar OF fash
Toned, down east hell, burnin' with fire
an brlmstun, that he'd had the agency
for an had recommended to every sin
ner in the neighborhOod. He was set
tin In his room. God o Isr'el You
orto a. seen the motions he made with
his hands an the way he tried to
speak when l went in there but all 1
could hear was jest long yell an
kind of rattle in his throat. Heavens
an airth how desperit he tried to
spit out the thing that was gnawin'
his vitals. Ag'in an agin he'd try to
tell me. Lord God how he did work !"
Gall to once 1t come acrost me what
he wanted-quick as We could say scat.
He wanted to have Rates headstun
took down an put away-thats what
he wanted. The stun was kind o. lay
in on his stummick an painin' Of him
day an night He couldn't stan 1t.
He knew that he was goin' to die purity
soon an that Kate would come here
an see it an that everybody would
see her standin' here by her own grave,
an 1t worried him. 1t was kind o. like
fire in his belly.
81 guess, too, he couldn't bear the
idee of layin down fer his las sleep
beside that hell hole he'd dug fer Kate
no, sir
oval, We know, mister, l jes' shook
my head an never let on that | knew
what he meant an let him wiggle an
twist like a worm on hot grlddle, an
heller like a cut bull til he fell back in
a swoOn.
damn him! 1t don't give him no
rest. He tries to tell everybody he
sees-that's what they say. He bel
lers day an night an II you go down
there he'll heller to you an you'll know
what it's about, but the others don't.
you an me are the only ones that
knows the secret, guess. Some day,
fore he dies, I'm goin' to take up that
headstun an hide 1t, but he'll never
know It's done-no, slr-nOt til he
gifts to the judgment seat, anyway"
The old man rose and Strengthened
himself and blew out his breath and
brushed his hands upon his trousers
by way Of stepping down into this
world again out Of the close and dusty
loft of his memory. But 1 called him
back.
what has become of Enoch" I
|
asked.
"Wal sir, EnOch started off West
bout three year ago an we amt heard
word from him since that day-nary
a word, mister. suppose we will some
time. He grew into a good man, but
there was kind OF queer streak In
the blood, as we might say, on both
sides kind o.. We've wrote letters out
to Wisconsin, where he was plntin'
for, an to places on the way, but we
can't git no news bout him. Mebbe
he was killed by the Injuns."
We walked out of the graveyard to-
gether in silence.
I could see a glimmer Of light In
the thcket of pines down the valley. 1
unhitched and mounted my horse.
"Take the first turn to the right"
sold the old man as he picked up his
scythe.
"rm very much obliged to you" I
said
mo we amt, nuther," he answered.
'Leastways there amt no reason why
ye should be-"
My horse, impatient as ever to find
the end Of the road, hurried me along
md in n moment or two we were down