Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-01-29
CARROLLTON OHIO--FRIDAY, JANUARY 20 1871

Buck, who was pointedy left out. The urea
was elaborate for a country village, and Miss j.
rusha was uncommOnly assidious in her inten
tons to Mr.. Crochet during the evening. But tc
her inexpressible surprise and chsgrn, about egh
. O'Clock, Mr. Crochet put on his hat and grca
coat aud bade the company good night. Mrs.
Brown looked very blue, and Miss Jsrusha',
nerves were in state Of high excitement. Wha
could II mean! She would give anything in the
world to know where he had gone. She run "
into her chamber, and looked out from the win,
dow. The night was ra:her dark, but she fancieC
she saw him making his way towards Mr.. Bucks
/ The company for the remainder Of the evening
had rather a dull Jme; and Miss Jerusha passed
almost sleepless night.
The next morning Miss Jerusha was early al
the singing-school. She took her seat with a
disconsolaIe air, opened her singing book and
commenced singing Hallowel ia The following
words
"As on somo lonely buildings top,
The sparrow tells her moan,
Far from the tents Of Joy and hope;
| Sit aud grieye alone"
On former occasions, when the scholars were
singing before school commenced, the moment
the master opened the door, they broke off short,
even if they were in the middle Of the tunes But
now, when the master entered, Jerusha kept on
singing. She went through the whole tune after
Crochet came in, and went back and repeated
the latter half of it with loud voice, that caused
"a laugh among the scholars, and diverse slreaks
Of red to pass over the masters face.
AT the close of the evenings exercise, Miss
Jerusha hurried on her shawl and bonnet, and
watched the movements ofthe master. She per.
ceyed he went out directly after Betsey Buck
and she hastened after them with becoming speed
She contrived to get between Miss Buck and the
Master as they walked along the road, and KEEP
Mr.. Crochet in close conversation with her, ol
rather kept herself in close conversation with Mr.
Crochet, ill they came TO the corner that turned
down 10 Mr.. Bucks house. Here Mr.. Crotche
left her somewhat abruptly, and walked by the
side of Miss Betsey towards Mr.. Bucks. Thi:
was more than Miss Jerusha's nerves could vel
bear. She was under too much excitement tC
proceed on her way home. She stopped anC
gazed on the couple as they receded from her
and as their forms became indistinct in the dark.
ness of the night, she turned and followed them,
just keeping them in view ull they reached the
house. The door opened, and to her lneXpres-
sible horror, they both went in. 1t was pas! ten
o'clock, too! She was greatly puzzled. The
affair was entirely inexpressibe 10 her. 1t could
not be, however, that he would stop many min
utes, and she waited 10 see the result. Presently
a light appeared in the front room; and from the
mellowness Of that light, fire was evidently there
Miss Jerusha approached the house and recon
noitered. She tried to look in at the window
h..
seeing anything within. The curtain did no
reach quiTe TO the top Of the window, and she
thought she saw the shadow Of two persons before
the fire, thrown against the ceiling. She was de-
termined by some means or other to know the
worst Of it. She looked round the door-yard
and found long piece of board. She thought
by placing this against the house by the side OF
the window, she might be able to climb up and
look over the top of the curtain. The board was
accordingly raised on one end and placed care
fully by the side of the window, and Miss Jerusha
eagerly commenced the task Of climbing. She
had reached the top Of the curtain and cast one
glance into the room, where sure enough, she
beheld Mr.. Crochet seated by the side of Miss
Betsey. AT this interesting moment from some
cause or other, either from her own trembling,
for she was exceedingly agitated; or from the
board not being properly supported at the bottom,
it slipped and canted, and in an instant one half
of the window was dashed with tremendous
crash into the room.
Miss Jerusha fell to the ground, but not being
much injured by the fall, she sprang upon her
feet and ran with the feetness of wild deer
The door opened, and out came Mr.. Crochet
and MIR. Buck, and started in the race. They
thought they had a glimpse of some person run
ming up the road when they first came out, and
Mr.. Crotchet's long legs measured off the ground
with remarkable velocity. But the fright had
added so essentially to Miss Jerusha's powers of
locomotion, that not even Mr.. Crochet could
overtake her; and her pursuers soon lost sight OF
her in the darkness of the night, and gave up the
chase and returned home.
Miss Jerusha was not seen at the singing-school
after this; and Mrs. Brown said she stayed al
home because she had a cough. Nothwithstan-
ding there were many rumorS and surmlses atioat
and some slanderous insinuations thrown ou1
against Miss Jerusha Brown, yet it never was
ascertained by the neighbors for a century, what
it was that demolished Mr.. Bucks window.
One item further to be added 10 this vertable
history; and that is, that in three months from
this memorable night, Miss Betsey Buck became
Mrs. Crochet, Of QuaVertown.
The Forged Pa tent.
By JoHN RUSSELL,