Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-03-22

Not you, trust, Mrs. Payne ?" in,
quired, gravely, with the malicious inten.
ton of teasing her. which failed, as it de,
served to-
No, not me- Thank Heaven, Pve gone
by the days when a white hand and red
cheek would carry me away, if l was ever
50 foolish E; but Phil. Gleason has it pretty
much his own fashion among the girls here.
He's engaged, to be sure but my doubt is
whether he means to keep his word. It's
my belief that promises don't mean much
with such chaps as he, when any thing hap
pens to make them want to change their
minds"
And you think something has happened
in his Case"
Yes, has or will Do you remember
that girl you noticed in the singers seat
last Sunday?"
did remember her we'll, for she had the
sweetest face | had seen in many day
Not strong face-you could imagine her
doing weak and foolish things-but face
AS innocent of evil child's, and exquisite
ly lovely with delicate, hower-like grace
and bloom.
She's the one-Dely Schofeld. She's a
pretty little thing-the prettiest girl here
and as loving, trusting creature as you
ever saw i'll your life. She's silly in some
things, to be sure--if she wasn't she wouldn't
be engaged to Phil. Gleason, as she has
been for more than year Her mother is
widow, and poor, only she's got this girl;
and declare to you, I've thought many a
time that l give all the money Deacon
Payne left me, and work good deal har-
der than ever Miss Schofield has had to, if
only | could have such a girl as that to
look up to me and call me mother But |
haven't felt quite so much since she got en-
gagged to Phil. If she been my daughter
that would trouble me more than a little
And it did trouble Miss Schofield, that's a
fact, as first. She stood out against it
pretty we'll but after a while Dely had
her own way, as I've noticed. these only
children most always do. specially where
their mothers are widows. That girl amt
strong in anything but her love but she's
strong in that It's my belief that she'd
make no more dying to save Phil from any
trouble than she would of eatin' her break
fast It's strong, too, for there amt but
dreadful little to that young man besides
his black eyes and his red cheeks; but then
Dely's silly little thing, and somehow he
just suits her"
What could possibly make him want to
change his mind 2" | asked, filling up a
pause i'll Mrs. Payne's monologue. Sure
ly, he will never find any prettier or sweet
err"
No, that he won't You see it went on
for about year all right. Phil was real
proud of her. for every one calls her the
prettiest girl in Greendale. He was there
every Sunday night and every week day
night too, for that matter, when he could
get away from the store. He carried her
to all the dances and singing schools and
pic-nics, and there was some talk about
their getting married next fall. But this
spring new family moved into the place
Squire Holbrook died, and his farm was
sold, and man by the name Of Day bought
it, suppose he's we'll off, and he, too, has
an only child. Maybe you noticed Hetty
Day, i'll the singing seat, next to DEFY
She's regular high-fyer-not half SO re-
ally handsome as DeIy, but a great deal
more snowy, und, you know, show is just
what takes such fellow as Phil. Gleason.
Besides, DEFY is poor, and Job Days daugh-
ter will be we'll off. If Phil. married her
he could go right home now and live with
the old folks l suppose he's engaged to
DEFY yet but he only goes there Sunday
nights now and it looks nightly to me as
if he'd like to find an excuse to stay away
altogether. AS for Hetty Day, she's doing
her best to get him. | s'pose she'd wan
ted him, like enough, if he hadn't been en-
gagged to Dely but that just made her
good deal more in earnest, and set her on
to see what she could do"
a should almost hope she would sue
I ceed," | said, if | thought Dely would
have strength enough to get over it
She'd be just throwing herself away on
him."
Mrs. Payne shook her head.
That's the trouble. She hasn't got any
Of that kind of strength Dely hasn't. But
we shall see what we shall see"
With which oracular utterance she left
me, and made her way to the dairy
The next day was Sunday, and every
time the singers stood up in the gallery,
and the congregation turned and faced
them alter the manner of Greendale, | had
good opportunity to compare the two
/ girls between whom Phil. Gleason's weak
heart was wavering. If it had been a
( quarter of mans heart no wavering
| WOulu nave Deen pOSSlOie. Dely iOokcu
ike fresh wild rose half opened and with
the dew yet sparkling on its pink petrals
Hetty Day made me think of dahlia-
handsome, indeed, i'll a certain way, but
without fragrance or significance. She had
eyes as black and as devoid of expression
as Mr.. Glcason's own, heavy black hair, a
brilliant color, and full buxom figure
There were men, knew, who admired just
such highlycolored flowers and women
But to my eyes the contrast of these pro
nounced charms only made the dainty grace
of Dey Schofeld more noticeable. Hel
soft, ripping hair ith the golden lights
where the sunbeams struck it, framed the
pink and white prettiness of her face as its
caIyx does its flower. Her blue eyes droop
ed shyly under long eyeashes, curled like
u child's. The delicate bloom on her cheeks
came and went with her thoughts and the
expression of all was innocent and trusting
as an infants.
After church Mrs. Payne introduced me
as had before requested her, to the Scho
fields, and we walked toward home in com
pany. found DEFY just what | had expec
ted-simple, con6ding, with not much o
her, perhaps. but all there was of her
tbOrOuuhlv in earnest and true as steel