The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-01-29
A KINDLY
FRESHET
By T. B. ANDERSON

store at III CLOCK as was uSudlfs HIS
custom. The group of evening louns-
ers had departed, the front door was
locked. but he made no move to pro-
coed up stairs where he lived with his
family His son and helper, Gregory, 4.
yawned YEARLY.
TGoing to waltz he inquired.
Eyes, this is Thursday night, you
know"
That's so-ATorton Bridges?"
The father nodded assentingly. The
son dozed in his chair. He was aroused
by sharp tap at the rear door.
Make yourself scarce" spoke the
father. Bridges don't like to have
anybody around when he comes after
his weekly supplies" and old Jabez
proceeded to the rear door.
He opened it to disclose a man of
perhaps thirty, although his trampish
| attire and neglected beard made him
| look ten years older.
Its you Bridges, is it?" PROFOUND
ed JabeZ, but his visitor simply nod
ed an assent that was wOrdlesS. The
stOrekeeper accepted written sheet
of paper which the visitor had placed
on the counter with two capacious baS-
kets. He stood like a statue until
Jabez had filled the long written or
der. packed the articles and figured up
their price. Bridges paid his bill and
left the place as silently as he had
come.
For two years, every Thursday of
the week Morton Bridges, hermit, had
gone through this same UNMARRIED per-
Torrance Hot or cold, rain or snow,
he had never missed that weekly visit
/ to the store. No one had ever been
i present there except JabeZ, only a
few of the villagers had seen that
ghost-like figure steal into the town.
Morton Bridges was a promising
young business man when he fell in
love with Naomi Brill. For six months
: they were seen together, then all of
sudden because of trivial lovers
I? quarrel there was a separation. The
local newspaper one day announced
p the prospective marriage of Miss Brill
d to one Bradley Wayne. The next day
y Morton Bridges sold out his business
S and disappeared.
:, 1t was some time before his friends
= learned of his whereabouts. Then
= man who had been hunting told of
o. coming across the fugitive, the exile
" on Waverly island, q small body of
land situated in the middle of branch
p, of the turbulent Black river. The dis
g cOverer of the missing man had hailed
lie Bridges at a distance, but the latter
had made no acknowledgment of the
y greeting and had disappeared within
= a small lightly constructed hut where
he had isolated himself. Bridges had
m shut himself off from the world COM
re pletely. His only contact with it was
when he visited the store of Jabez
Arnold to purchase household neces-
sites to add to his rather restricted
menu of fish and game.
1t was destined, however. that this
I'LL regular system was to be disturbed
He did not appear at the general store
Ike the Thursday following that just de
,ss scribed Again Jabez Arnold and his
All son sat up to meet him. They even
remained on duty an hour beyond the
prescribed time. Then sleepy-headed
ITS Gregory GROSSLY suggested that they
= had done their full duty.
Yes" acquiesced the father Its
of the floods, Gregory. They say the
zee Black river is q roaring torrent, anC
ed the island pretty near out of sight"
id This was not literally true. but the
ITS sweeping waters. fed by period OF
ne phenomenal rains, the daily encroac CHI
ment upon the island had made it dan
~ gerous for Bridges to leave the lonely
,a+ spot he called home. Then came tn,
,ry climax. The water had for some day:
flooded the lower part of the hut anC
to he had been forced to cook his meal.
ght on high spot beyond the sight of thu
ter cabin. Nights, however, he slept in
' ul sort of garnet space formed by tn,
Az Az roof rafters of his circumscribed dwell
MS ing. He awoke one night with til,
the shock of a jar. He lifted himself oil
re- the rude mattress across the rafter.
Tho "Afioat!" he commented, peerin
through a break in the roof, With in
. credible rapidity the frail hut was be
-, ing borne along the swollen stream
.et Darkness and devastation surrounde
r. him. The framework was holding Il
,i,I gether stanchly although at times
was whirled about in the maeIstror
rush and havoc like a feather in
whirlpool
Bridges enlarged the hole in the roc
so as to be ready to trust to his pow
ers of swimming if collapse cam,
Hours ensued, miles were covered. h
n was lulled somewhat because outside {
frequent collisions with other fioatin
: objects, no real disaster resuIter
| Half-asleep finally, he was conscior
of the hut being tossed up and fo
8. ward. 1t collapsed and, driven sens
Z | less, he lay on dry land. amid its ruin
. It was broad daylight and the su
{ was shining down on his face as he r
covered sensibility. A woman stoc
e over him.
; Morton Bridges" she spoke in
q bewildered gasp. "How came VI
: here? / must run and tell my nice
Naomi She has been living with n