The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-06-21

y eoiA 81 W inC- SIG SdlI
1t hotly and fast. Then she ran ava,
u and left fim alone on the road
L Some owl must have heard th,
IS conversation, and told the story, fol
Aunt Ermy said to Mr.. Brown the
g next evening: so we're gone tc
It bave weddin' s'pose they'll have
,, to come and live here
t who is coming to live bere.n
why haven't you heard?" Our
e Ratio has proposed to 'Zena Hart.
y man. OF course she'll have him."
}; Farmer Brown was so an@ry at
: first that be could not speak. Bot be
1 got over that in few minutes. and
4 spoke his mind pretty freely to his
e son. 81 won't have H." he said.
!, "lou sha'n't bring Dutch girl into
this house where your mother has
liyed-not while live,'
. "Who said | would?n said Horatio.
] quietly enough; and be too was very
angry and disgusted with everybody,
! Gazena included.
| When Mr.. Hartman heard the
story, it made him laugh, and be on
ly said: "yat? Gif mine daughter to
Won lazy man? Not mucb,n
Gazena did mol laugh at all. She
! cried every night when she was safe
in her bed "0h, what bad people
} they are!" she said. Il wish l could
get chance to speak my mind to
somebody"
She had her wish. One afternoon
she met Farmer Brown as be was
going to his fields They were alone
on the read and he spoke first.
"Look here my girl, you had bet
ter be careful what you do. You
are not wanted at my house. You
understand"
Gazena's face turned red, then white,
but she answered bravely: Ear
mer Brown, | amt your girl, so you
needn't call me SO. And | don't
want to live with proud folks, and
work for my husband We are so
good as you be, my father is."
And away she ran.
Farmer Brown was so surprised at
this speech that instead of going to
his fields, be went home and went to
bed, declaring that be was sick and
should die That was way he had
1t was one of his oddities
When he was more than ordinarily
troubled about his affairs, be always
thought be was going to die Some
times be made a few last remarks,
then took a dose of rhubarb, and
then-the next morning be was well
as ever
SO when Aunt Ermy called out:
Come in quick boys. Your father
thinks be is dyin'!" the boys went in-
to the house without hurrying very
much. They had seen tLeir father in
the same condition before
The scene was quite impressive
Mr. Brown lay on his bed, dressed in
his Sunday clothes, his head propped
up on several pillows.
Come here, boys he said. in
weak voice. II am going to die for
good this time, and want to speak
to you"
The boys stood by the bed, and
Aunt Ermy sat down near the pa
tient. who spoke thus:
"Ermv. you have been good sis
! tr,. sssA Gao, ana Il io, my S~ish that you
should stay here till you die. You
dear, Marcus? Take good care OF her
The house is yours, my son, and the.
land; .he whole farm is yours, be-
cause you have been good and duti-
full son. Horatio, come here. | haven't
much to say to you. Here are fifty
cents. Go and by a rope to hang
yourself with"
Horatio took the fifty cents with
yery faint thanks. If be bad any
doubts before, be was certain now
that bis father was going to die. He
did not even stay to see. He put on
his hat and marched out of doors in
transport OF mingled wrath and
modification.
Alone in the open air, he begun to
plan what be should do. He would
go to large city. and become a
great preacher, great lawyer, a
great
"No, ] won't" be said, stopping
suddenly. 81 will stay here and
work. | will be a great farmer, and
marry Gazena Hartman! Then we
shall see who will buy a rope and
hang HIMSELF Aha | will keep that
fifty cents for good luck" (taking out
the coin and holding it up in his fin
gers). There, that's settled"
He went back to the house and to
his room, slept few hours, got up
very early, made a bundle of bis
clothes, and left the house before any
one was awake.
At broad daylight Farmer Brown
got up, well and strong as ever-of
course. But it was some time be-
fore he discovered that his son was
gone.
The next day the whole village Of
Tusculum was all a-buzz with great
news. Ratio Brown had left his
fathers house and bad gone and hired
himself for a year to Mr. Maynard, of
West Farml Wasn't it queer? and
how long would it last?
1t lasted a whole year, to begin |
with. Then it was said that Farmer
MAYNARD found Horatio so handy |
that be had hired him for another |
year, and paid him good wages, all
of which was true During the first
and even the second year Horatio |
was not once seen in Tusculum. But
one bright day, when Mr.. Hartman
was enjoying his after dinner pipe,
surrounded by his women folks, there
was knock at the door that startled
GaZena.
Coon in" said Mr.. Hartman. |
And Horatio came in.
Gazena blushed rosy red. Mrs.
Hartman stared, and her husband
took the pipe out Of his mouth. But
before be had time to speak, Horatio