The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-07-11

her singing cock, which she ,esd and
answered.
4 rUf course he'll 90 home with her
Tonight, ' thought Hiram. "ItH te
tHs Hrs lime I've missed :: f6T q
year Hes welcome, though"
The G1yDiogy closed the school et
iss. and there va 4 grand bCstllng
about the Gc1E, and eager pushing
among tre yGgDE men % make sUTe
~! th-.. .1vgri.o7. Hiram was trying
to force his way through the crowd
when se found himself ~ the elbow
Of Jenny Bztee, and st the same
n JTneEt tie hateful voice Of ElnA-
than Rogers was heard in the words.
"Shs!l l see you home tonight,
Miss Bstes ."
"No, sir" was the prompt reply,
Il shall walk home alone"
Hiram was totally unprepared for
this.
perhaps its one Of her fits," he
gaid 10 himself. "The deacon said
she had 'em, that nobody knew but
himself Pm glad she mlttened him,
though
The word mitten reminded Hiram
that he had left both OF his on his
seat in the schOOl-rOOm, and he step
| ped back just a. the candles were be-
/ ing put out.
Here's Jenny Bates's singing
book" he heard one boy say to anOth-
CT. 'She went of in such y hurry to-
night, that she forgot it."
Give IL b me-" said Hiram, who
| remembered what had taken place
I that evening, and with eager look
sought ont the written message that
had passed between Jenny and hls
rival. They were as follows
"Hell your father that he cheated
me when ] bought old Jenny. /
| thought by her name that she must
10 good for something, but she bites
and kicks ten times worse than he
ever told me. / wish now / had
spoken for the Jenny in the house in-
stead Of the one I'm the barn"
Aud the answer;
81 guess the horse is as good 81 you
deserve. As for your choosing be-
tween the two you mention, you
won't be able to do that this year.
You have got the only Jenny you can
from my father"
a light broke IN upon Hiram.
"Well, OF all the Internal fools /
ever heard OF, / am the biggest A
dog would have had more sense.
'Ti5 not too late now, thank heaven"
The departing crowd started "a Hi
ram with his singing book In his
hand rushed down the stairs, two at
time, and up the road which led. to
Deacon BAtes's. II he was not too
late ne was nearly so, for Jenny was
just opening the gate Of the front
yard.
'fStop, Jenny :" he exclaimed,
painting for breath, Here's your
singing bOok-yOu left on your seat.
l tried 10 Overtake you 90
"You needn't have taken the
trouble, MIR. Jenkins guess no one
would have stolen it," said Jenny,
with q great dignity. and making a |
show OF going into the house.
''DOn't, Jenny Walt-Rait Just a
minute. 1 know pVe acted like q |
fool but let me explain"
JeunY hesitated q moment, made |
another start toward the door, then |
turned and went back to the gate |
where the discOmiitted Hiram stood |
waiting.
"Well," she said, In as freezing q
tone as she could command.
"NOW don't look and talk that way,
Jenny Bates. You know L never
would have acted as L have if 1
hadn't thought you We're going to
marry Elnathan Rogers.
"What business had yOu to think /
any such thing >" asked Jenny, fir
ing up. "a pretty explanation that
is !' and again she turned away from |
the gate.
"StOp :" Let me tell you. Can't
you listen a minute ?" said Hiram in
He felt there was no
other way than TO make a clean
breast Of it, and plunged into his
story at once. Word for word he re-
lated the conversation he had heard
in the horse barn, and the effect 1t
had upon him. He was deeply In
and in closing, humbly Rp-
pealed for forgiveness. He saw her
tremble and put her hands to her
face. Poor girl, she pitied him. His
heart rose, and his hand was upon
the gate to open it, when a peal Of
laughter, louder and louder from be-
ing so long pent up rang out upon
the night air, almost startling Hiram
out of his boots, and waking the Dea-
lsUlA dllu HIS hllb u 6Oualu blGEN |
in the upper front bed room.
Up went the window and O night
capped head was thrust on. with a de-
mand as to what was the matter.
Still Jenny laughed, while Hiram
stood silent by the gate, angry and
not knowing whether to
advance or go back. At last Jenny
found her voice.
"GO home, Hiram Jenkins" she
said, "Say your prayers and go to
sleep, and If you want TO say anything
more TO me, come up tomorrow
evening after supper. But mind,
don't 20 TO listening at any horse
barn on your way hOme," and she
went off into another peal Of laugh
ter.
Hiram did not wait to say good
night. Whether he slept or said his
prayers that night is not recorded,
but it is an established fact that s
o'clock the next evening found him
in Deacon Bates's parlOr. The inter-
view was long and probably inter-
esting one, and its immediate result
was that before Thanksgiving the
deacon had neither a Jenny in the
house nor In the barn.
That was year ago, and Hiram
has since done the town some service
rs selectman, and is likewise q digni-
lied justice OF the peace. But in the
midst of all his dignities and hOnOrs.
# he ever happens to insist upon hav-
ing his own way, the threat of telling
about the horse barn brings him to
.erms at once. 1t is the one check Of
his independence-the magic charm
by which Mrs. Hiram Jenkins Wields
he household scepter.