The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-06-12

days"
Joe has your note for five hundred
sir, ane he only takes up half of his
wages every month"
i "Oh ho! so you can tell without
looking, can you, Miss Book-keeper
Then it has gone so far as that, has il
Pray, how much do | owe you FOL
butter and eggs? 2"
The egg money belongs to Kate
father"
"Ycs, yes, so it does. You girls
have that fixed to suit yourselves
What were the profits on your flock oI
sheep last year,"
about two hundred dollars. sir
and there was not quite Il hundred
dollars worth of butter sold. But |
must 80 and skim the milk if YOU
have done with me"
Don't be in hurry, child to-day
is your birthday isn't it p
"Yes, sir"
How old are YOU ?"
why, father, you know that | am
twenty, don't you 7"
Suppose | should. puss, if | stop
ped to think about it: but it is easier
! to ask you than to reckon up. How
much will you give for the lower
, farm ?"
"Why, haven't enough to pay fer
the stock that is on it, to say nothing
of the farm. | haven't over eight
hundred dollars besides MY stock Of
sheep
"Go to my secretary, and bring me
that large envelope that is in the lit
tie drawer on the left side"
The girl did as she was bidden.
"Opcn it, child" he said, as she
again stood before him, "and see il
you will agree to the provisions of
the document
Hastily running Lcr eyes over the
paper, she threw her arms around the
old mans neck, exclaiming, why,
YOU dear, good father, if YOU meant to
give me the farm, why did youput in
the deed that was to give youa dol
lar for it ~
because a gift, without a consid-
Grafton therefore does not constitute
a legal transfer. But, Mary, has Joe
ever asked you to be his wife ?''
"He has said that he should, sir, if
| were not the daughter of a man in
so much better circumstances than
himself -
What did YOU tell him?n
What could say, sir? He didn't
ask me to say anything"
What would your answer have
been if he had ?"
That my father began life with
nothing, and that his daughter has
been taught not to consider an indus
truous young man like himself as un-
worthy of Il much better wife than |
could make him."
Tut, tut, | can't allow that. Ny
Mary is worthy Of any young man in
the land"
Ten years have passed since the
above conversation took place
Farmer Foster is seated at twilight
under the old porch, with erandchild
on each Hnee. The last load of hay
from the hillside is passing, on its way
to the barn. The old man seldom re-
mains in the field all day now, for he
is needed at the house to mind the
children, he says; and Mary, but a
trihe more matronly in her appearance
quite agrees with him.
4 bearded man, with a rake upon
his shoulder, walks behind the wa
gon and stops close to the farm-yard
gate. As the children run to meet
him we notice that he extends but a
single hand, for the possession of
which a playful sculile takes place.
Joc's right arm struck its last blow
for freedom at Five Forks, but he Of
ten quietly remarks that it is surpris-
ing how much man can do with one
hand after he is used to if.
Seating himselfupon the lower step,
he bids the little girl ask mamma if a
poor cripple can have bowl of bread
and milk. The tiny sprite laughs
and runs into the house.
Returning presently, she replied:
"Ycth, thir, if he won't carry off the
thtoOn.
Just then boy, riding up to the
gate, calls out Mr.. Granger,
l brought up your mail from the vii
lage."
Thank you, my lad" answered
our old friend, you needn't get off from
your horse, I'll come for it..
Opening a newspaper and glancing
rapidly over its columns, Joe said:
There's another strike on the rail
road, and the militia have been called
out. Bless me! if the discharged
brakemcn haven't been stoning the
troops until they have provoked them
into firing upon them. Let's see,
here's list of wounded: Patrick
Morrow, James McCaffcry. Bernard
Coyle, Mat Ferguson and John Mar
VIM
"What ~ said old Farmer Foster.
''can that be the young fellow that
used to work on the farm, Joe :"
Il fear it is, sir. John was rail
reading the last that knew anything
about him. He was conductor Of a
freight train for a while, but was so
careless and unsteady that he had to
go back to a break"
poor fellow, | am sorry for him. :"
remarked Mary "He has no home
to go to-" !
an just drive down TO the village
and see how badly he is hurt" said
the younger of the two men, rising
I'VE were bows together, and if j John
is in trouble | must do what | can
for him.
Late that night, Joe returned,
bringing with him in a hired convey
ance, his old schoolmatc stretched
upon bed. He had found him upon
the floor at the railway station, andre
fused to leave him to the care of the
town authorities.
The poor fellow never recovered his
former vigor, but does light work
about the farm, and lectures soundly
all idle young men he chances tomeet.
Il have right to preach, y he says,
"since | furnished text in my own
person"