Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-10-11

snow, had imprisoned the sunshine of
fourscore and ten Summers; but she
still retained much of the physical sta.
nina which with her active sentiment
had made her SO vigorous a woman for
many years.
"What's that your saying, child,
about Farmer Keep?" said the old lady,
with a pleasant smile, as she pinned
her knitting sheath to her waist.
"why, was telling Uncle Charlie
what cold hard man he is. You've
always known him, Grandma Deane,
and now did he ever do a good thing,
or ever love anybody in his life?"
"Yes, he loved girl once, think 1
remember"
Farmer Keep loved a girl once?"
repeated Cora, with a half contemptu-
Gus and wholly skeptical curl of her red
lips.
"She's forgotten" she added, in an
undertone, to Uncle Charlie and me,
for Grandma Deane was slightly deaf.
"No, haven't forgotten, neither"
she said, placing her hand on Cora's
hair. 81 have held Lucy Reid on my
lap too often, and rocked her cradle
poor, little motherless thing g!-too many
times to have forgotten"
COra's look of incredulity was giving
way to one Of curiosity.
"Grandma Deane, won't you tell us
all about it? Jennie and l will sit
down on the stool, and know by that
look in Uncle Charles eye, he wants
to hear it. too. Come, let the flowers
go, Jennie;" and my vivaciOus cousin
established herself at the old lady's
feet.
Grandma Deane slipped the yarn
around her little finger, and COM
! menced:
| "Let me see-it cannot be more than
forty-two or three years this Summer
since Justin Keep came up to Farmer
Reid's to let himself out for the harvest
boy through harvesting.
"The Reid house stood a little this
side of Stony Greek. There is nothing
left of it now except the chimney, and
it looks ont gray and bold from the
grass all about it; but forty years ago
it was fine old place, with lilacs in
front, and the hop vines running all
around the back.
Lucy was hardly three weeks old
when she lost her mother. Her father
never married again, and the child
grew up there in the old home as fair
and sweet as the flowers about 1t.
"She was turning into fifteen when
Justin came that Summer. He was
shy, strange sort of lad, and the
neighbors said Farmer Reid would
never get the salt for his pOrridge out
of him.
"He'd been bound out until he was
Is to some man down in Maine, and he
hadn't relation in the world he knew
of, nor decent suit of clothes, when
he came to Farmer Reid's house. But
for all that, Justin proved smart,
likely boy, and the farmer, who some
how was never very beforehanded Il
always thought his wife's sudden death
hurt him-found that Justin was real
prize.
"At first he was gloomy and silent,
doing his work and taking little notice
of any body. But he couldn't stand it
long before Lucy. 1 wouldn't like to
have the heart that that girls smile
wouldn't have thawed out.
"She was just like bird around the
Old place, singing from morn till night,
and her blue eyes, that were like her
mothers, seemed to be sending out one
laugh and her lips another. L never
wondered her father dotted on her as he
did, and of course Justin wasn't long
in the house before she tried to make
friends with him.
"Poor fellow! it must have seemed
very strange to him at first, for l don't
believe any body had given him kind
word until he came to Meadow Brook.
"But he made ladders for her flower
vines to ran on, and got shells for the
borders, and propped up the dahlias.
and did thousand other things which
took them out into the garden after
supper, and made them the best of
| friends.
"Lucy had playful, childish way
about her. that made her seem much
Younger than she was: then she was
small of her age. so that at fifteen she
did not seem a bit older than you are,
Cora.
"well, she rode on top of Justin's
hay cart, and helped him husk corn in
the barn, and pretty soon the farmer
noticed change in Justin.
.'He got him a new suit of clothes,
and his face lost its down look, and
after harvesting Farmer Reid made him
an offer to tarry all Winter.
$50 Justin stayed, taking Lucy's ad-
vice, and went to the district school,
and, though he had no education be-
fore, he went ahead of many an older
scholar that Winter.
$50 Justin stayed with the farmer
four years; then he had a good offer
somewhere in New York State, and
concluded to stop for the Winter only.
"Lucy Reid had grown into a young
woman by this time, and handsomer
one, children, these dim eyes never
looked upon. l don't know how it
happened, for Lucy might have had
her pick among the boys for miles
around. but somehow she took to JUS
tin; and when he left they were en-
gagged to be married one year from that
time"
"why, Grandma Deane! you amt
going to stop now!" cried Cora, in
alarm; for the old lady had laid down
her knitting.
.No, my child" she said, moving her
spectacles and wiping her eyes; but
the rest is sad story, and must hurry
over it.
Il hnrn