Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-08-09

mer-window. She never could tell, a;
she declared afterward, what made hei
peep.
She saw the back door of Dick Sea.
mans open, and Louisa Thatcher look
mysteriously out. Then she saw Tim,
the miller's boy, creep stealthily around
the porch with the pickaxe and spade.
which he gave to Miss Thatcher, who
disappeared with them into the house.
Then Tim, stealing back again as far as
the lilac bushes, and cautiously survey
ing all approaches, put his hand over
his mouth and gave a low whistle.
Immediately from the horse-shed by
the church man came very quickly,
and, nodding to Tim as he passed, has
tened to the high-road. Miss Tabitha
was sure, although his cap was drawn
over his face, that this man was the
young stranger to the village, who had
been so infatuated with Miss Thatcher.
Then Miss Thatcher came to the door
again and beckoned to Tim, and whis-
pered; and he went, around by way of
the church, down the plum orchard. to
the mill.
A pickaxe and spade! Miss Tabitha
had cold shivers; she could think of
nothing but a grave. When, two hours
afterward, the coast being clear, she
sped across the garden patch, to the
"meetin'-h house she'd" her fancy lost
none of its horrors, for there, in the
northeast corner, was space of fresh
turned mold.
Miss Tabitha went home, put on her
sun bonn ct, and was 'down TO the viii
lage In no time"
The next excitement was at the SOM
nolent dwelling of old Squire Wells.
Mr.. Mansfield had been closeted with
him an hour. And when the Squire
re-appeared he nearly upset his ancient
wife in the hallway in haste to get his
hat and coat, and choked till he was
scarlet, screaming in her wrong ear
that he was going to u ''on biz
ness"' of lie went at such a novel
pace that the poor DANES feeble facul-
ties aroused themselves TO concentrate
upon one fatal remembrance. "When
an old horse that has alters walked
takes to runnin' away, there's no ind
o. damage"
Excitement third was a sealed letter,
dropped by Mr.. Seaman's Ezra into the
post office at 10 o'clock, the hour of
general delivery, directed to the trus-
tees of the district school, which body,
being in quorum on the spot, opened at
once the resignation Of Miss Thatcher
in favor of the highly recommended
candidate for the winter term. for
whom they had kindly given her the
preference.
Excitement fourth attacked flaxen-
haired Nettie's mother, a pleasant-faced
little widow, to whom Tim, who had
ridden TO u and back again at
break neck speed, brought note from
the Congregational minister of u,
saying he would sup with her that
evening, 'if agreeable" as he was
coming to Red Cedar Pond Sin virtue
of his Office" a sentence underlined
like pleasantly, that so upset the good
widows brain as to spoil the count of
her one-two-three-four cake.
Last Of all, and the grand excitement
of the day, was the ringing, at 4 O'Clock
in the afternoon, of the Westinghouse
bell. "Who is dead ?" every one asked,
as the first few slow strokes were
counted; but once fairly set going, the
old bell tripped up all calculations;
fifty, eighty, hundred; still on /;
quickly, jubilantly-ringing not for
the dead, but for the living; ringing
for wedding!
Such scampering as there was up
the Millbridge Road! There was no
lack Of witnesses to the simple. solemn
service, and of the coming down the
aisle, on the arm of her proud young
of delicate little bride, with
mourning laid aside for purest white,
and day lilies on her bosom.
Not married in haste to repent at
leisure were the two loving people who
took the evening train that day for a
far commercial city, preceded by in
dices Of good fortune in the shape of a
strong box loaded with Spanish dou-
blooms and English bank notes, so in
geniously bequeathed by an eccentric |
and discovered in its
hiding-place by woman's wit, kindled |
by wOman's sympathy.
Within the happiest of homes, set
apart upon its elegantly embroidery
iraped pedestal that looks at the first
glance like a prieu dieu, lies, yellow
with age, the long-neglected diary.
Not in vain had the once homeless
orphan suffered. Not in vain at one
lark moment of her life she accepted
Is hers the song that can never more
belonged to her,
mo one TO love, none to caress-