Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-04-15

afternoon OF the day appointed Nancy had
| sent to say that she must be- excused. on
account OF a bad headache. Job comfort.
! ed Lucy by saying that Nancy would sure
ly come 10 the husking bee; but Nancy.
as she lay awake nights. with the tears
wetling her cheeks, thought to herself that
she would not go and witness that girls
triumph. From her place of vantage by
the window. with her face looking pale
and her breath coming fast, she had
watched Enoch pass by in the moonlight.
with Lucy clasping hts arm and gazing up
In his face, and she almost despis,d her.
Sell bee tusc she could not see il uumoycd
Eltoch was bewitched with Lucy; hut
the be"itching did not 90 very far. He
was young man who had very good
opinion of himself. and his con.tancy mad
not been developed. lie liked to have >
number OF girls foad of him: and he
thought it was rather a ane thing to cool
off toward flame rs he had done toward
Nancy Riynor. Still with all her innocent,
pussy like ways, Enoch dStrusted Lucy
He had caught her sending biilet> private
~ To MidIletown By the farmland. Zekr !;
and he h al not forgotten her adventure Ia
the stage coach
The preparations for the husking bee
were almsst complete, and LLcy was quite
nicely Illuminated, and the supper of
pumpkin pie. doughnuts. aud cider to he
spread IN the Kitchen after the good Old
orthodox fashion. Aiterward the great
barn-d door was to be cleared. aud black
nddlers, engaged at Middletown. were to
play FOR dancing.
Two days before the hu-king- bee was to
come OF. Lncy made Job an apple-piebcd
Job meant to be even with her, aud the
next afternoon he called up the stairway;
Cousin Lacy, don't you want TO take a
ride behind Brown Betty
Lucy was OF course, delighted with
the proposition. 50 She stepped To the
windows and pceped thragh the blinds.
and there was Brown Betty hitched to the
suiAv-a hight, airy thing, shat looked as il
made Of cobwebs, with the tinicst Of back
less seat, hung in the middle Lucy ap-
precatcd the joke. and. while job ran
back To the car.iage-house to get hi coat.
she slipped down stai-s. unhitched Brown
Betty, aud WAS of down the road Ike
ash
% masSy To us" screcched Aunt Dorset.
running to the door. That child viii
surely get Killed. She don't know nothing
about driving, and the mare IL skitti,h a,
. colt.
job dashed out Of the carriagc-house.
looking crest fallen enough. shes
plncAy little piece OF baggage said he
and there's no use trying TO get ahead OF
her. Don't worry, mother; Lucy is able
to take care OF herself
There certainly was sweet little cher
ub somewhere up alot. who looked out
for audaciou, Lucy. In AN hours timo
she came back, with dcmurcly wicked
gieam 10 her eye. Brown Betty had cyi-
"a, q
threw down the lines with a professional
air, and ordered job to give her nag .omr
wafer FOR -he is as dry a a contribution
box. she added; and | would Ike 70
AnD who Is a little sulky now
Lucy explained, later. that accidentally
she had met Mr.. Allen, the young man who
was polite 70 her in the stage. IL rrtuIu
for turning her horse round. She hld asked
him % come over 70 the hu,Aing-bcc.
Tie night oi the hu>Aing. bee had come.
and Milton Rayuor was backing h., boots
at the back door OF the farmhouse.
Arenty you gong over 10 Dorset, TO-
nightF d. inquired Of his sister.
Now. / would. 49,.
uJu't look well tor YOU 10 stay rn,,'.i
here at home. Folks vail begin % say YOU
are love sicA.
4 don't care what they saw returned
Nance ; and her voice -oundcd harsh aId
metallic IN her own ears. She went up ~
her room, and sat down by tile little WIN
dow. THAI wa> fc-tooned by the virginia
crccper. burning with a deep autumual
crimson. The moonlight was falling stiu
and white on the siubbie fields aud belts
OF woods. Il blanchcd Nancy, facr-not
a patient or submissive face. Her eyes
might have read a poem In that lovely cy-
ening, but they were full OF trouble. She
ed 10 crush out OF the core OF Cpn.tan-
cy and devotion in her heart; but She knew
not how to do II. She WAS too restless -
stay within door, 20 snr wrapped her
head 10 4 shawl AMI gliicd out into the
shadow Of the tires along the roadside.
until she came nearly opposite to Uncle
DOrsets house. where she could see the
Ii ights from the barn and catch the sounds
OF iuu and froIc from the huskers. She
was haunted by an irrational desire 10 spy
upon Enoch and Lucy aud 10 coniirn what
she 80 much dreaded 70 find trne.
Mr.. Allen arrived early and with his
white hands. his want OF chin, black mus
tache, and city-made clothes, quite capti-
waited the rustic beauties of S:ockburn. But
Nelly Blake, blue-eyed blonde, received
u mIch larger share OF his attentions than
Lucy Maicom did; although Lucy. In her
scarlet spencer aud black skirt, below
which perped the trimmest of ankles and
iidest or buckshin shoes. was certainly
very charming. She was always with
Enoch. laughing and sparring, and fling
iug back her bright saucy wit. Enoch
had jUst whispered to her that If he found
the red ear She would have to suffer, when
some one screamed that Mr.. Allen had
found it. The dOve-cot was rufiled, aud
the girls scaInpered over the piles OF corn
and hid in the horse-stalls trying to avoid
the penalty OF Il kiss. At last the young
man took after Lucy; and the light-tooted
little mink gave him a chase round the
barn, and then dashed away through the
door into the moonlight, he after her, and
the ring OF her silver laugh was the last
that was heard OF little Lucy.
In the confusion. nobody missed them.
The whole company went 10 supper pretty
soon. anu more than half an hour had pas
sed. when Enoch came and took hold of
jobs coat--leeye. They stepped outside
the kItchen-door together, and then Enoch
said IN an agltated whisper.
For Heavens sake. where Is Cousin In
cy: That fellow Allen has disappeared,
too? Can it be she i playing one of her
pranks: Father has gone TO bed. Don't
speak to mother yet. Get a light and come
with me-.
The two brothers slipped noiselessly up
the staircase into Lucy's chamber. where
the moonlight was lying quietly upon the
carpet. Everything seemed just as usual
ouly note lay on the bureau, addressed to
Uncle Dorset. in Lucy's pretty girlish
handwriting, Enoch snatched il and tore
IL open. Ii ran as follows:
Don't be- cross aud scold me; that's a
dear. am going TO marry Charlie Farms
worth. He isn't Mr.. Allen at all. think
pa has been very cruel toward Charlie. He
wouldn't let him come 10 the house, be-
cause he was a little wild once. But now
Charley has reformed and don't drink a
drop, and if he couldn't get into business.
l am sure il WASN'T his fault, poor fellow.
The only business he had in Mddletown
was seeing me. Maybe you will think
am TO blame, but do love Charley to dis
traction, and We mean to get married this
very night Nobody need follow US, for
it will be too late
Perhaps Enoch uttered an oath at any
rate, he crushed the note IN his hand. Go
down stairs. job said he, and try and
keep the folks agoing. Get up a dance il
you can. Don't tell mother quite yet.