The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-06-04

ishing all OF Mrs. Parleyss best china
out of sheer revenge, because she hat
boxed bis ears the dav before
Il always knew that boy wouldn'
come to no good, said Deacon Jones
"There was q vicious look in hi
leyes," f" croaked Miss Lavina Denham
aand I only wonder he didn't set fir,
TO the house, or burn YOU all in you
/ BEDS
But little Alice cried bitterly. ant
treasured more tenderly than ever, {:
goggle-eyed doll, with arms out Of al
proportion, and feet several degrees
larger than her head, which was tbs
last wooden exploit Julius presented
10 her.
III never have another bound boy
asserted Mrs. Parley.'
well, weH,n sighed the farmer
"how time does slip away from Us, tC
be sure Alice is nineteen to-day
and it don't seem right she should bt
away from Us on her birthday. She:
been three months in the city now
wife"
Yes said Mrs. Farley, noddine
her head sagely, "and / don't b'lievt
she'll come home alone, neither"
"Eh ~ the farmer opened wide hi.
blue eyes you don't 'spose she's en-
gagged to that Mr.. Clinton ?"
You men are so slow TO put two
and two together said Mrs. Farley,
with conscious smile I've suspi
eioned it this long while, and Mrs
Carter writes that it will be a splen
did match, and half the young lsdie:
in Boston are enrying our little
country girl Only think, won't il
be nice to have our Alice o rich lady,
livin' in big house in Boston"
Mr.. Farley stared steadfastly al
the fire.
Who is be, any way - he asked
in troubled voice She's all the
child we've got, wife. We canT
give her to q man without KNOWN
who, and what he is"
"You needn't worry said hi,
wife, with the super ealmness of one
who is posted Hes as study goin' as
you be yourself-at least, so Mrs.
Carter writes-and he's an inventor
whatever that may be- Anyway
he made a great fortune out of a
patent he's sold to the government
Alice won't have to work all her days
as hard as / have done, and that's
one comfort"
And when Alice's shy letter, which
implied far more than it told, intima-
ted that she was coming home under
Mr.. Clinton's escort, the old farm
house was duly swept and garnished
for the reception of the honored guest
Mrs. Farley put on her best silk, and
the farmer donned his buttermilk
suit, which seemed to him as gor.
geous as it had been on the day be
bought it, twenty years ago.
II wonder which train they will
come in" said Mrs. Farley, reAec-
lively. Il should hate the worst way
to have that turkey spoiled"
But such q catastrophe was
happily averted, for the travellers ar
rived just as the stormy twilight
made the glow Of the great wood fire
doublv grateful There was the
crunch Of wheels in the deep snow
without, the opening Of the door. and
then Alice was in her mothers arms
In the back ground, tall figure
stood, stately and dignifed and self
contained, with jet black hair and
graye violet-grey eyes, and the farmer
made his best bow as Alice intro
.duced Mr.. Clinton with a deep,
red flush upon her cheek.
You must ike him very much,
father, for my sake" she said "be-
cause, because, have promised to be
bis wife"
When the hospitable neal was
over, and Mrs. Farley came in from
the kitchen, pulling down her sleeves
that had been rolled up to her elbow,
and tying on q clean checked apron,
Alice sprang to her feet
"Mothe-," she said, with her face
all smiles and dimples, Mr.. Clinton
has brought you down present"
a present." cried Mrs. Farley.
'And father must get a hammer
and screw driver and open it very
carefully, for it's china"
"China -
"Yes, real china, imported from
Canton, SO transparent that you can
look. through it in the colOrs of life
Oh, it is very beautiful r
She stood by, gleefully clapping her
hands as the treasures were unpaeked,
and enjoyed her mothers delight as
the beautiful fragile things one by
one made their appearance from the
countless wrappings Of silver paper
How kind it is of you. Mr.. Clin-
ton !" said Mrs Parley, looking up
with beaming eyes. Il always did
set store by china"
..Not kind at all, /" said the young
man quietly. "it is simply the settle
ment of very old debt
"a debit repeated the farmers
wife with puzzled eyes, Il don't
think ! fairly understand you, Mr..
Clinton
He smiled. 1T is to replace the
set, whica / broke, trying expert
ments, twelve years ago"
Mrs. Parley stared. beginning to
have uncomfortable doubts as to the
entire sanity of her daughters lover.
And then, as he smiled again, sud-
den ligh: broke in upon her brain
1T amt never" she began, and
ihen stopped short
"Yes it is, mother :" cried Alice,
radiently. "It's Julius-our Julius p'I