The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-06-16

not to disobey him hastily. To be sure,
his prejudice seems unreasonable" Z.
Unreasonable! 1t is absurd" inter-
rupted Charley, hotly. "Why, he has
never seen you, to my knowledge" A.
Mrs. Carriers cheek flushed family.
81 lived here when was girl, you
know. l knew your father then. He
has some reason for disliking me which
l don't understand" 'rl
cit is only prejudice, notion, am
sure" said Charley. "And he has no
right TO dictate to me in such natter"
And he was beginning his eager plead
ing over again, when Barnes appeared
with note. There was no address on
the outside and Mrs. Carter opened it,
while Charley waited in fever of sus-
pense to know what his father could have
to say to Mrs. Carter. 'r.t f.,. . Gosh
Her face was a picture of amazement
as she read, but pleasure alone shone
through it as she handed the note to
Charley.
1t was brief and to the point:
Let him have her.
EDWARD Fl. HURLBURr.
81 always told Rose he had heart if
one could only get at itw cried Charley
in a transport of delight. Now you
can make no objection; we have your
promise! And ] am going away the
day after tomorrow, you know, and
must take my wife with me-" t.
The day after tomorrow My dear
boy, you are beside yourselfw exclaimed
Mrs Carter.
'' You and Rose have said wait to me
so long that you can't have the heart to
say it longer, now that there is no reason
for waiting. | shall coax Rose over to
my side, and then you can't refuse"
And he did coax them both over to his
side, after countless arguments and OBJ
jectiOns. 1t was arranged that there
should be very quiet wedding, to which
only a few intimate friends were to be in
vited, the next evening. Then Charley
hurried home to express his gratitude to
his father, whom he began to think he
had misiudged.
While this thing was transpiring at the
cottage Samuel Hodgkins had received
DR.. Hurlburt's answer to his note, and,
being somewhat surprised and puzzled
by it, had transmitted it to the widow
Thomas, thus relieving himself of all
responsibility in the matter. .'
So the widow, who was adjoining her
best cap with new cherry ribbons, in an
ticipation of the doctors taking her
gentle hint and coming himself to drive
her to the quarterly conference meeting,
was called from that pleasing occupation
to read the following note, a mere
scrawl, written evidently in haste and If
ritation: -,.s a..
Let her take a dessertspoonful of extract
of vaerian, night and morning, for her
nerves, common sense in as large doses as
she can get it, and stop gadding about even
ings. EDWARD II. HURLBURT.
The widows eyes snapped so that the
doctor, if he had been there to see,
would have liked them less than ever
and the roses that had deserted her
checks, she thought forever, Teappeared
in full bloom. She had been angry often
in her life-thc departed Reuben had not
been very easy to manage-but never be-
fore had she felt anything like the wrath
she felt at that moment.
&C The impertinent old scoundrel!
'Gadding about evenings, indeed! Vale
rian for my nervesr as if / were some
fidgety old maid! Common sense in as
large doses as l can find Wen, have
had lucky escape! Stupid, cross
grained old wretch! life of it l should
have had with him" ..,...
And the widow put on her cherry-rib.
boned cap upside down, and fell to dust
ing the portrait of her deceased spouse
with vim. With all his faults Reuben
was not the worst man that ever lived!
Charley was obliged to repress his
gratitude for while, for when he
reached home he found that his father
a medical convention, and would not re-
turn until the following day. .s.hL
When the doctor returned the next
afternoon Charley was absent, busted
with preparations for the approaching
wedding. Dr. Hurlburt, finding leisure
afternoon on his hands, made an unusur
ally careful toilet, and drove out to call
on the widow Thomas ....... ~. -.
He had fully made UP his mind that it
would be a lesser evil to have the widow
Zilpha Thomas for a wife than have Mrs
Barnes for hOuse-keeper, but he had
not the air of a very eager wooer, and
III bluIA, hS saw III JLC
widows black eyes swapping defiantly at
him and Wondered if he should not re.
pent, if she proved to be of quarrel
some temper.
Widow Carriers cottage was on his
way, and as he passed he certainly
sighed. The widow had been in the
window and she had bowed to him
bowed, and actually smiled little,
though in shy and Sad way. DIR. Hurl..
burt did not quite understand it. He
had seen her but twice, to be sure, since
she had come back to~Athe village, two
years before, but at neither of those
times had she shown any disposition to
recognize him. His looks had not in.
vited recognition either then or now,
but here she was as sweet as a May
morning! 1t was all her artfulness, Of
coursei She thought that she could ca
jole 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 out of Rose Carriers
way To i.i4'
| Still it is certain that he sighed deeply
=, as he passed the cottage, and the widow
Thomas black eyes snapped before him
In Al. 49,