Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-07-10
By NIasser s. EiseIy.

come to beat me at draughts!'
Young Graman's face coored, and being unable
at that moment to speak from confusion, he looked
upon the ground and was silent. But quickly
covering himself, he replied
4 hope, sir, that you will not feel it necessary
to pain either your daughters feelings or my own,
longer, by what cannot believe to be any thing
more than Jest.
The old mans brow darkened. al am not sed
to triding, sir he said You have heard my terms
Let me you, that they must be fulfilled to
the letter. If you do not intend trying for her
and in the only way that it can be won, then give
place, sir, to some more worthy suitor.'
Deeply panied, as well offended, at what he
considered as equivalent to an insult repeated,
Graham turned suddenly away from both father
and daughter and FASTENED home.
1t was nearly four weeks before the young couple
again met, and then it was without concert at the
house of neighbor. For the first part of the
ing they seemed shy OF each other; but after
while, were observed to be earnestly engaged in
conversation they passed the lawn in front of the
kening influence of bright August moon.
win you not consent said Graham, becoming
more animated.
No, John, cannot. love you,' and her voice
trembled and faltered but leave my father o,
no, no, neverH
'Then you DO not 10 but be paused with the
word unuttered. There was an embarrassed ST.
ence of some moments at length the young man
said, in melancholy tone
Then Anna we had better see each other no
more.
John she said, looking him in the face fxedy
will you not try to- But she hesitatej, aud
then hung down her head.
'Try TO beat your father in game of draughts
you would have said Even if there was hope
Anna, of doing that wich there is none, could not
give my consent to so humiiang an act. What
has the playing of game skilfully, to do with ma.
king you good husband =
But this did not satisfy the mind of the maiden.
She thought that her lover ought to be willing to
do any thing, no matter how unreasonable it might
be, for the sake of gaining her hand. She could
not however, say more than she had.
They parted tha, evening gloomily enough, but
the sight of her face and the sound of her voice,
had stirred mole deeply in his heart the waters of
affection.
'She must be mine = he said 10 himself pas
sionately as he strobe homewards.
BY degrees, but with great reluctance, he began
entertain thoughts of applying himself to the game
at which her father was sklllfuI and such pro-
gress had he made by the next evening in his Incl
picnt resolutions, that he actually went over to
neighbor's and after sitting a while, proposed
game of draughts. But although his antagonist
was poor player John Graham was beaten every
time.
you wouldn't do to play with old Woodruff
remarked his companion, after winning for the sixth
time.
Graham colored deeply, as he looked up, a, the
remark bu, he perceived by his friends coun,en-
ance that it was innocenly made.
Much discouraged he went home that night,
and dreamed that he had played with Mr.. Wood
ruff, Anna's father, and beaten him. On the next
evening he went over again, and spent two or hree
hours in playing. Once he beat his antagonist.
This gave him hope, and as he though. of it next
day, he said TO himself, Il have certainly improved
little, and if keep at will certainly improve more.
"And old Woodruff will improve too, and he is
far enough ahead :: whispered an opposing thought
and his spirit sunk suddenly to freezing point
That evening he staid moping and gloomy-at
home. But on the next night he tried draughts a.
gain and felt all increasing confidence and sense of
coming skill.
Three weeks passed away in practising almost ev.
cry evening, when John became SO much of an a.
dept as to beat his friend at every game. This
made him feel quite uplited, and he determined to
have trisl with Anha's father. So he dressed
himself up and went over.
Anna met him at the door, and blushed with ioy
and confusion. The old man extended his hand
with a blunt welcome, tha, had in il some remains
of his former cordially.
Before tea Woodruff talked with Graham abou,
the wheather, the farm, and the stock. After tea,
at which little was said though many glances were
exchanged between the lovers, the old man pointed
Significantly at the checker-hoard and Graham
with face suddenly flushed, nodded assent.
Anna's heart beat audbly in her bosom, and
she lelt oppressed with sutfocatng sensation, as
she saw the two draw silently up to the table and
begin to arrange their pieces the board. 1t beat
quicker still when the moves began, aud sank
heavily IN her bosom after brief passage of the pie
ees from square to square--ior her lover had lost
the game, The pieces were again replaced. and