Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-11-16

A' -Oij "ho 0hO poASiJ AAi"i HANh va
Yes, Jacob"
"Then I'll Gomez he cried. "I'll
come and help you with your oats;
don't talk of pay! Only tell me I'll
be welcome. Susan, don't you believe
I'll keep my word? ?"
Il do, indeed" said she, looking
him firmly in the face.
That was all that was said at the
time: but the two understood each
other tolerably well.
On the afternoon Of the second day
Jacob saw again the lonely house of
his father. His journey was made, yet,
if any one of his neighbors had seen
him, they would never have believed
that he had come back rich.
Samuel Flint turned away to hide a
peculiar smile when he saw his son !;
but little was said until late that even
ing, after Harry and Sally had left
Then he required and received an ex-
act account of Jacobs experience dur
ing his absence. After hearing the
story to the end, he said, "And so you
love this Susan Meadows ?"
1'd-Td do anything to be with
her."
"Are you afraid of her ?"
:No!' Jacob uttered the word so
emphatically that it rung through the
house.
"Ah, well" said the old man, lifting
up his eyes and speaking in the air,
"all the harm may be mended yet. But
there must be another test" He was
silent for some time.
Il have il" he exclaimed. Jacob,
you must 60 back for the oats harvest.
You must ask Susan to be your wife,
and ask her parents to let you have her.
Bnt,-mark my words! you must tell
her that you are poor, hired man on
this place, and that she can be engag-
ed as hou5ekeeper. Don't speak of
me as your father, but as the owner of
the farm. Bring her here in that be
lief, and let me see how willing and
honest she is. can easily arrange
matters with Harry and Sally while
YOU are away; and I'll only ask you
to keep up the appearance foc month
or two"
aBut, father" Jacob began.
Not a word Are you not willing
to do that much for the sake of having
her all your life. and this farm after
me: Suppose it is covered with a
mortgage, if she is all you say, You
two can take it of. Not word more,
it is no lie, after all. that you will tell
her."
a am afraid" said Jacob, . that she
could not leave her home now. She
is too useful there, and the family is
SO poor"
Tell them that both your wages, for
the first year, shall go to them. It'll
be my business to rake and scrape
the money together somehow. Say,
too, that the housekeeper'S place can
not be kept for her-must be illed at
once. Push matters like a man, if you
mean to be a complete one, and bring
her here, if she carries no more with
her than the clothes on her back
During the following days Jacob had
time TO familiarize his mind with this
startling proposal. He knew his IA
theirs stubborn will too well to sup
pose that it could be changed; but the
inevitable soon converted itself into
the possible and desirable. The sweet
face Of Susan, as she had stood before
him in the wheat field, was continually
present to his eyes, and ere long he
began to place her, in his thoughts,
in the old rooms at home. in the gar
den, among the thickets by the brook,
and in Ann Pardon's pleasant parlor.
Enough: his fathers plan became his
long before the the time was out.
On his second journey everybody
seemed to be an old acquaintance and
an intimate friend. 1t was evening
as he approached the Meadows farm,
but the younger children recognized
him in the dusk, and their cry of O,
here's Jacob y brought out the farmer
and his wife and Susan, with the heart
lest of welcomes. They had all miss.
ed him, they said; even the horses
and oxen had looked for him, and
they were wondering how they should
get the oats harvested without him.
Jacob looked at Susan as the farmer
said this, and her eyes seemed to an
swer, "I said nothing, but l knew you
would come" Then, first, he felt cour.
age for the task before him.
He rose the next morning before
any one was stirring, and waited until
she should come down. The sun had
not risen when she appeared, with a
milk pail in each hand, walking IN.
suspectingly to the cow-yard. He
way-laid her, took the pals in hi:
hands and said, Susan, will you be
my wife ?"
She stopped as though she had re
ceived a sudden blow; then a shy
sweet consent seemed to run through
her heart. 40 Jacobr' was all she
could say.
"But you will, Susan ?" he urged
and then (neither Of them exactly
knew how it happened) all at once
his arms were around her, and they
had kissed each other.
"Susan," he said presently, [ am a
poor man-only farm hand. and
must work for living. You could
look for better husband"
81 could never find better thar
YOU, Jacob"
"Would you work with me, too, a
the same place ?"
"You know am not afraid of work,
she answered, "and | could never wan
any other lot than yours"
Then he told the story which his ia
ther had prompted. Her face grew
bright and happy while she listened
and he saw how from her very hear
she accepted the humble fortune
Only the thought of her parents threw
a cloud over the new and astonishing
? vision. Jacob, however, grew boldel
| as he saw fulfllment of his hopes 81
r near. They took the pals and seated
/ themselves beside neighbor cows, on
? raising objections and misgiving
, which the other manfully combated
Ianohis aarnasfnesS nnnnSninnSlv ra