Ellsworth American., 1876-11-23

ed your slightest wish. You ought not t,
disobey him hastily. To be sure, his pre-
judice seems unreasonable
! Unreasonable ! IL is absurd interrupt
ed Charley. hotly. Why, he has never Sc
much as seen you. TO my knowledge!
Mrs. Carter's cheek flushed family.
lived here when was girl, you know
I knew your father then. lie has SOM
reasons for disliking me which don't un
derstand.'
1t is only a prejudice, notion. l All
sure. said Charley And he has no right
to dictate TO me in such a natter
And he was beginning his eager plead
ing over again, when Barnes appeared
with the note. There was no address o,
the outside, and Mrs. Carter opened it
while Charley waited in fever of sus
pens- 10 know what his father could have
TO say to Mrs. Carter.
Her face was a picture OF amazement as
she read, but pleasure alone shone through
Il as she handed the note to Charley.
i, -. h-iaf and To tho ro'~.
Let him have her.
EDWARD II. HURLBURT.'
L always told Rose he had a heart if one
could only get at it, cried Charley, In a
transport ofdelight. Now, you can make
no objection; we have your promise
And | am going away the day after to-
morrow you know, aud must take my
wife with me-
The day after tomorrow My dear boy,
you are beside youI SELF exclaimed Mrs.
Carter.
You and Rose have said wait TO me so
inup hat cant hat- ha
it longer, now that there Is no reason for
waiting. shall coax Rose over 10 my
side, and then you can't refu Sc
And he did coax them both over to his
side. and after countless arguments and
objections. Ii was arranged that there
should be very quiet wedding, TO which
only few intimate friends were to be in
vited, the next evening. Then Charley
hurried home 10 express his gratitude to
his father, whom be began TO think he had
mi,judgedd.
While this thing was transpirIng at the
cottage. samuel IIodgkIns had received
Doctor IiuTlburts answer To his note and
being somewhat surpi>ed aud puzzled BY
il. bad Transmitted ii directly 10 the Wild
ow Thomas; thus relieving himself of all
responsibility in the matter.
30 the widow, who was adornEg her
best cap with new cherry ribbons, in am
ticipalion OF the doctors taking her gen
tie hlnt and coming himself to drive her
TO the quarteiiy conference meeting, WAS
called from that pleasing occupation u
read the following note. "a mere scrawi,
written evidently IN haste and irritation :.
Let her take des,ert-spoonful of ex.
tract of yalerian, night aud morning for
her nerves, common sense in a. large
doses as she eau get il, aud stop gadding
about evenings.
EDWARD II. HURfBCRT.,
Tie widow : eyes snapped 20 that the
doctor. IL he had been there To see. would
have liked them less than ever, aud the
roses that had deserted her checks, she
though forever. reappeared in fun bloom.
She had been angry often IN her life the
departed Reuben had not been very easy TO
managc-but never before had she felt
anythin. like the wrath she ielt ut that
moment.
The impcrtinent old scouudrel tad
ding about evenings Indeed. 'Nalerian
for my nerves :. a. if | were some iidgcty
old maid Common sense 10 n large doses
a. | can lind. How dare lie write such "A
note, Well have had a lucky escape
StIpid. cross grained old wretch 4 lie
VI - Nilbb4Al utI VIII Iltu
But the widow put on the cherry ribbon
ed cap upside down. and fell TO dust
ing the protrait OF her deceased spouse
with vim. With all his faults Reuben
was not the worst man that ever liyedl
Charley was Obliged TO repress his graf
itude for a while, for when he reached
home be fou nj that his father has gone 10
neighboring town 10 attend a medical
convention, and would not return until the
following day.
When the doctor returned the next after
noon Charley was absent, busted with pre-
paratlons for the approaching wedding. DR..
Hurlburt finding "A leisure afternoon up
ou his hands made an unusually careful
toilet aud drove out To call upon the W i'd
ow Thomas.
He had fully made up his mind that it
would be lesser evil 10 have the Widow
Zilpha Thomas for a wife, than have Mrs.
Barnes for housekeeper, bu the had not the
air of very eager wooer and. IN truth, he
saw in imagination the widows black
eyes snapped dciiantly at him. and won
dered il he should not repent, II she prov
ed 10 be of A quarrelsonle temper.
Aud he east two or three glances back
at the Widow Carter's cottage, AMI a he
cid 50 hc certainly sighed. The widow had
him bowed. aud actually smiled a little.
though in shy and sad way. DR.. Hurl-
burt did not quite understand il. He had
met her but twice, TO be sure. since she had
come back TO the village, two years before,
but at neither OF those times had she shown
any disposition to recognize him. His looks
had not Invited 4 recognition either then or
now. but here sue was a, sweet "a a May
morning. Ii was all her artfulness, OF
course, She thought she could cajole him
into letting Charley marry her daughter.
She would see, He would send that boy
TO Europe. to China. If need be, to get him
ont OF Rose Carter's way.
Still 1t is certain that he sighed deeply
as he passed the cottage, and the widow
Thomas's black eyes snapped before him
all the more ominously in contrast with
the widow Cartars soft shy blue ones.
Was Esther Wagg right, and was it pos
sible that there was still spring Of sent-
meni ia the doctors heart. which tifty
years and his crusty temper had not been
able wholly 10 dry.
FIom afar cE tuc widow Thomas saw
him coming, riding along with that grand
careless air, as il he owned the whole
town as she declared. and prepared TO do
battle. She was in such Quiver of indig-
nation that her cap-ribbons stood up
straight, aud the swapping eyes of his i'm
agination were as nothing compared with
these.
How dare you comeIhere. lyou insulting
hypocriticallvilain you periidious wretch.
Leave this house, sir, and if ever you come
here again I'll set rowser upon you as sure
as YOU live" she screamed
10 say that the doctor was amazed would
but feebly lexpress his emotion. He was
thoroughly alarmed, and lost no time in
escaping from the presence of the maniac
Gas he felt sure she must beg, to his car
riage.
Insane from an evil temper; ah, knew
those eyes were net for nothing. But why
her anger should be directed against me
can't understand; though | suppose her
wrath falls upon any one who happens to
be near when the fit seizes her. O,,what an
escape have had.
And DIR. Hurlburt took his homeward
way, resolved to be contented with a
housekeeper, and thankful that his lot was
no worse. -..
Barnes met him with an unusually smil-
ing couDtenance.
Mr.. Charley has been whiting to see you
sir; he waited while, but Of course he