Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-05-15

thought, far the finer the handsomer gentleman
That Johnny'S face had now become perfectly
slckenlng to her, and Done the less so because
kester would talk of their marriage school
master, with salary Of thirty pounds, q cot
tage and garden rent free, and Goals ad libitum
so that he had home to take her to-
Katie was having good cry one afternoon
in the house by herself, over the though of
Johnny, when there came a knock to the door.
She got up and opened it, expecting to see a
neighbor come in for gossip but, instead,
| there stood Alick
Directly he saw what she had been about he
cried, "Who has been veXing the, Katie p
| Only tell me, tell me- Katie !" A a smile
broke through her tears as she said, 90 Alick
it's that Johnny !" And they looked iu each
others faces and laughed.
| What Alick said more, this tradition betray-
eth not but, whatever it was, Johnny'S pros
poets of a wife were not increased thereby and
when Alick went home to his cottage at the
park gate, it was with a triumphant step and
his curly head in the air and Katie cried no
more over her knitting that afternoon.
Village gossip soon proclaimed the fact of
Alexis visits to Kester PatemanS cottage :;
and amongst the first to hear of them was
johnny. lie went and demonstrated with
Katie, and threatened to tell her father Ka-
ties blood was up, and she dared him to tell
at once SO johnny did tell and Kester bade
Ack keep away. ''Katie's for no IRISH beg
gar but for decent Harwood lad" said he
j surily. And you'll come about my place no
more, Sir Gamckeeper-dye hear ~
Ack feigned obedience but he and Katie
met in the green lane on Sundays There was
little gate from the pasture where KeSter's
COWS were, into the wood and often at milk
ing time, you might have seen Alck leaning
over the gate, talking to Katie at her task :;
but, as the evening grew cold and the cattle
were brought up to the house, these meetings
were less frequent for kester began to watch
his daughter as q cat watches q mouse He
suspected her.
The neighbors noticed Katie become graver
and paler, and shook their heads portentCusly.
'She's fading, like the rest of them, they said
She'll not see the Spring. keSter's smItten
her, poor man !"
And, byandby Kester saw the change him
self. When he did see it, his heart stopped
beating. "Why Katie, my BARN :" cried he,
with fully awakend love and fear; ''katie,
my BARN Thou'st not going off i'll waste,
like thy brothers and sisters ?"
Katie was knitting by the freight and
as her needles went, her tears fell " don't
know father, but the heighbors say look like
it. Pm sick and ill" And her tears flowed
faster
Kestcr kissed her, and went out in black
mood.
"Oh, what'll do? Whatl do for thee,
Katie, my BARN 2" said he, aloud Pm fit to
tear my eyes out o'my head What have /
done that all goes i'll with me ~
1t happened that Ack was lettering about
in the hope of a chance word with Katie, and
he overheard Kester's lamentaton.
Whats the matter, Master Pateman
Katies not i'll, is she !" he ventured to ask
Glad to unfold his misery to anybody, Kester
told AIick of his daughters changed looks.
and what every body attributed them to.
Go to the wise man, Barn Rex, at Swim
tord, tomorrow he's got a charm agen the
Evil Eye" suggested Alick in haste. He'll
tell you what to do you may trust him."
Somewhat comforted, KeSter re-entercd the
house Alick went off to Swinford to prepare
the sage for his visiter the next day.
VI.
Where are you going, father ?" Katie ask
ed, the following morning, as her father came
w III cSSCt IL lOl Glt vi htl
Pm going to Bran Rex, Katie, to hear
what he says about something He's Won
derful wise man."
as it the stacks, father? I'd fear none: all's
right 50 far Them Irish reapers brought
you luck, Pm thinking"
It's not about the corn, Katie, but thee
| maun't lose thee, my BARN. Alick says
Bran has got charm, and I'm going to
get it for thee. | don't like thy white looks
and thy crying"
Katie dropped her spoon, and smiled to her.
self as she stopped to pick it up again. with
face like rose, which she was fain t o hide by
looking away through the window for ever so
long.
After breakfast, Kester mounted his old
gray mare, and went slowly to Swinford, very
mournful, and,much troubled in his mind. The
village of Swinford was, by the river, seven
miles from HarwoOd, and the high road ran
along the bank, with steep fall to the water
which was covered with hazel and low shrubs
Wherefore shouldn't fling myself in there,
and save the poor barn 2" he said to himself,
as he saw the river shining and glancing
through the bushes " But after all' he add
ed, "it will be as well to see old Bran Rex
! first, and hear what he's got to say to her. NV
poor BARN Poor Katie !"
So lie went forward to a small Slated cot
tage at he entrance of the village, and knock
ed at the door
Come in" said rough voice Kester
fastened his bride to the paling of the garden
and entered.
The wise man was sitting in large chair
by the fireside, stirring composition in pan
which had far more of the perfume of poach-
hare than hell-broth, which the gossipS said he
was in the habit of making. Bran was an old
man with a long beard and the subtilist and
most willy of smiles. He looked up at his Wis
tier from under his brows cunningly and
shrewdly, then motione1 him to be seated, by