Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-04-09
og DOLLAR PER ANNyM, INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.

! Gus, vehement or prosperous At the end of
twelve months Mr. Robinson Higgins was
oat and out, the most popular member of the
Barford hunt, had beaten all the others by a
couple of lengths as his first patron, Sir Has
ry, observed one evening, when they were lust
leaving the dinner table of an old hunting
squire in the neghborhood
! p" Because, you know" said Squire HearE
hold Sir Harry by the button-'I mean. you
see this young spark is looking sweet upon
Catherine and she's a good girl, and will
have ten thousand pounds the day she's mar
rled, by her mothers will? and-excuse me.
Sir Haray-but should not like my girl to
throw herself away"
Though Sir Harry had long ride before
him and bnt the early and short light of a
new moon to take it in his kind heart was
so touched by Squire Hearn's trembling, tear
anxiety that he stopped, and turned back in
to the dining room, to say, with more asserva-
tions than | care to give" My good Squire,
l may say | know that man nretty we'll by
! this time, and better fellow never existed d
! Ii had twenty daughters he should have the
| pick of them"
| Squire Hearn never thought of asking the
/ grounds for his old friends opinion of Mr.. Hig-
gins it had been given with too much earpest-
ness for any doubts to cross the old mans
mlnd as to the possibility of its being we'll
founded. Mr.. Hearn was neither doctor nor
thinker, nor suspicious by nature; it was
simply his love for Catherine, his only child
that PROMPTED his anxiety in this case and,
after what Sir Harry had said, the old man
could tOtter with an easy mind, though not
with very steady legs into the drawingroom,
where his bonny, blushing daughter Gather
inc and Mr.. Higgins stood close together on
the hearthrug-he Whispering she listening
with downcast eyes She looked 50 very hap
py, 50 like what her dead mother had looked
when the squire was a young man. that all his
thought was how to please her most His son
and heir was about to be married, and bring
/ his wife 10 live with the Squire Barford and
The White House was not distant more than
an hOnr's ride, and, even as these thoughts
passed through his mind, he asked Mr. lIg-
gins if he could not stay all night-the Young
moon was already set-tAe roads would be
dark, and Catherine looked up with a pretty
anxiety, which however, haG not much doubt
i'll it, for the answer.
With every encouragement of this kind
from the old Squire, it took everybody rather
by surprise when one morning it was discover
ed that Miss Catherine Hearn was missing
and when, according to the usual fashion in
such cases, q note was found, saving that SIZE
had elOped with the man of her heart and
gone to Gretna Green, no one could imagine
why she could not have qaietly stopped at
home and been married in the parish church
She had always been 4 romantic, sentimental
girl; very pretty and very afectionate, and
very much spoiled, and very much wanting in
common sense. Her indulgent father was We
ry much hurt at this want of confidence in his
never varying affection but when his son
came, hot with Indignation, from the Baronet's
(his future father-in-lawS house, where every
form of law and ceremony was to accompany
his own impending marriage Squire Hearn
pleaded the cause Of the young couple with
lmploring cogency, and protested that it was
a piece Of the spirit Of his daughter which he
admired and was proud of However, it ended
with Mr., Nathaniel Hearn's declaration that
he and his wife would have nothing to do with
his sister and her husband
" Wait till you have seen him Nat !" said
the old squire, trembling with his distressful
antcipatons of family discord. He's an ex-
cu8e for auy girl. Only ask Sir Harry's opin-
ion of him."
"Confound Sir Harry So that a man sits
his horse well, Sir Harry cares nothing about
anything else. Who is this man-thiS fellow
Where does he come from? What are his
means? Who are his fanily?"
1" He comes from the south, Surrey or Som
ertshire, forget which and he pays his way
literally. There's not trademan in Barford
but says that he cares no more for money than
for water he spends like a prince, Nat. |
don't know who his family are, but he seals
with a coat of arms which may tell you if YOU
ho
collect his rent from his estates in the south y
Mr.. Nathaniel Hearn gloomed and muttered
an oath or two to himself The poor old faith !
er was reaping the consequences of his weak
indulgence to,his children Mr. and Mrs Ma
thaniel Hearn kept apart from Catherine and
her husband and Squire Hearn durst never
ask them to Lewiston Hall, though it was bis
house Indeed he stole away as if he were
a culprt whenever he went to visit the White |
Housc and if he passed a night there, he
was fain to equyocate when he returned home
next day and equivocation which was well
Interpreted by the snrly and proud Nathaniel
But the younger Mr. and Mrs Uearn were
the only people who did not visit at the White
House Mr. and Mrs Higgins were decided !
" more popular than their brother and sister
il-law She made very pretty sweet-tem-
such as TO render us intoierant OF any want of
refinement in the associates WHO gathered ar
ound her husband. She had gentle smiles for
towns people rs we'll country people, and
unconSciousiy played an admirable second in
her husbands project of making himself pop |
ular
But there is some one to make ill-natured /
remarks, and draw iIl-natured conclusions from /
very simple premises in every place and in
Barford this bird Of iilomen was Miss Pratt. ,
She did not hullt-s0 Mr. Higgins admirable /
riding did not call ont her admiration She |
did not Cr So Via we'll selected wines so |