The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1871-07-11


too"
"What of that?''
"Much. If you have got spooney in the
matter, there is very little chance of my
getting my money back. When we struck
this bargain, Daniel Hatfield, it was to be
purely a business arrangement. 1 was to
furnish the money and set you up in good
style. You were to do the work and mar
ry the girl. When we got possession of her
property, we wore to divide the profits.
Now you've broken faith and got sweet on
her, and you know, as well as do, if you
marry her, not one cent of her money shall
/ ever set eyes on"
"Tom Burns" said Hatfield, al told
you when / was in such trouble six months
ago, that if you would pay off my debts and
advance me enough to live on until next
year, would undertake to marry rich
| girl, and that you should be paid for your
investment at least four fold out of my fu-
ture wife's estate. To this you agreed,
and the result of our bargain was that l
sought the acquaintance of May Dunham.
l tell you fairly that although l owe to you
all my opportunities of knowing her, yet l
have bitterly cursed the day when that
miserable contract was matle. For / have
found in May Durham true-hearted, no
BILE, generous girl, Thomas Burns-well
worthy the earnest love of more honest
man than l, and / have hated and despised
myself for the wretched part am playing
in this matter. But l promise that you
shall be well paid for these advances May
Durham will be worth million on her
fathers death, and her marriage settlement
will not be less than quarter of that sum.
And if you hold to your bargain as 1 have
so far held to mine, you must let me have
another installment at once"
81 have better plan than that in my
head" returned the other. "Walk down
towards the town with me while explain
it to you. This shrubbery is a dangerous
place to discuss secret like ours.'
parted the branches with my hand and
looked through at them as they moved
away. The stranger was a thick-set, red
haired man with heavy, animal jaws, and
carried in his hand n stout stick The
couple walked slowly down the lane towards
the road, the stranger gesticulating in an
explanatory manner, while Hatfield ever
and anon interrupted him with graceful
movement Of his arm, as though depreciat-
ing what his companion was saying.
Here was conspiracy in good earnest.
leaned back against the fence considerably
astonished and not a little bewildered as to
what ought to do. My first impulse was to
go straightway to May and reveal to her all
that / had heard. Then the afterthought
came to me that even if were to do so, /
should not be believed. Mays confidence
in her lover was unlimited. should never
be able to shake it by any bare statement
Of facts unsupported by other evidence.
Therefore | resolved for the present at least
to keep my accidental knowledge. of Hat
fields plans to myself. He seemed to be
not so much villain as weak fellow who
had got himself first into pecuniary difficult
ties and afterwards into bad company,
Perhaps he would confess the whole LafIair
himself to May before the wedding, and
in the sincere hope that he would do so, /
resolved to keep quiet at present and say
nothing about it. aid n..
A day or two after this, while we were
all at breakfast, there came letter in the
morning post, addressed to Charley. f
"That looks remarkably like the COVER
nor's handwriting" said Charley, looking
at it and breaking the seal. "What's up
now, wonder ~
He dived at once into the contents, and
in moment pushed away his plate with a
movement of annoyance.
"IIe's coming home day after to-mor-
row." he said. Bother Why couldn't
he stay his time cute"
May looked at him out of her tender blue
eyes reproachfully. .I .,.hGI
"That isn't the worst of it either" con-
tinued Charley, not needing her. She's
going to bring company with him--old Mr.
Pedroncelli and his wife," w aur
"Mr. Pedroncelli ~ exclaimed May.
eyes. Wen all have to toe the mark
while he's here, confound him. Coming
events cast their shadows before. Here's
posts script about the family plate" D
"What about the family plate9p asked
May. ''" on 'i p. a'i'.aa
He, says it must be got home and rub
bed up in honor of our distinguished visitor,
who is Of very aristocratic family and used
to considerable splendor in all his surround