The Columbus journal., 1879-01-29
THE FARMERS STRATEGY.

ished proportions with considera-
BILE lowering of his shaggy eyebrows.
Somebody's helping themselves"
he thought. 81 must set my wits to
work to discover the offender"
He sat down on a log, rested his
elbows on his knees, and after
scratching his head awhile by wGy
of Frightening his ideas, he settled
his head in the palm of his hands
and meditated. His cogitations
must have been satisfactory, for he
rose by and by with a queer smile
overspreading his weather beaten
face, and walked into the house
chuckling, an DO it; that'll let the
cat out of the bag!"
He found Harry Bailey, a young,
likely-looking farmer, in the kitchen
with his daughter.
"That young fellow is counting
Jennie, sure enough!" thought the
old gentleman, as he discreetly pass
ed into the sitting room. "Well,
he's as likely to make her a good
husband as any one. If she likes
him, I sban't object"
And he fell into a fit of musing
over the memory of the gentle wife
who had been lying under the fiow-
ers since Jennie's birth.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Jennie
was tripping about, engaged in some
household work, and Harry was
watching her with love-lit eyes, and
could not make up his mind TO tell
her he loved her.
The Rev. Mr.. Walker, of the or
thodox church, in Bolton, had pre-
pared a discourse for his sinful
congregation upon the subject of
endless punishment. The parable
of the rich man and Lazarus was
his basis, and he hurled the anathe-
mas of wrath at the black sheep of
the flock as though he were an aveng-
ing angel, and many members of his
congregation felt guilty terrors.
Little Tim Bates shivered in his
shoes, and thought of the pie he had
taken the night before, and then
told his mother a lie, and debated
whether he should confess, or run
the risk of the punishment fulmin-
ated by the parson. But he did not
settle the matter that lime, for the
minister was suddenly brought to
full stop in the midst of his dis
course, and the congregation was
electrified by a tremendous crash
and report in their very midst, as if
the very heavens and earth had
come together.
Farmer Evans arose to his feet
simultaneously with his daughter
and the rest of the congregation,
and poor little Tim was not sure
for the moment that his future had
not already begun. The cause of
the noise was found to be an explo-
sion in the stove, through the infer
nal agency known as gunpowder.
How it came there was a mystery
to all except Farmer Evans. Harry
Bailey, who made the fires and
found the wood for a stated sum,
came forward and explained, with a
white face, that the thing was un-
known to him.
The farmer walked home think
ing, bad, bad! I'm very sorry that
he's of that sort; L never suspected
him, of all others; and Jennie likes
him."
The farmers first impulse was to |
nip in the bud the acquaintance be-
tween Jennie and young Bailey;
but his natural kindly feeling ulti-
mately prevailed over his anger, and |
on his next meeting with the delin-
quent he abruptly addressed him:
"You are courting my daughter ?"
Harry Bailey admitted the fact
bashfully.
"And you make the fires for the |
Orthodox church ?" continued the
old man.
Harry assented.
"And you furnish the wood?r
"Ies, said the young man, grow
ing red and white by turns.
"Perhaps you would like to have
the mysterious explosion in church
last Sunday explained? knew nv
wood-pile was going somewhere,
and put small charge of powder in
the sticks. l need not say that |
was surprised to find you were the
thief, and you dared to come court
ing my daughter!"
Harry quailed before the stern.
clear glance of the old man.
81 know I'm too mean to live.
much less to love her," he broke
out, Il don't expect you to overlook
it IL had a hard year on the
farm you know what losses 7 mot
i meant to pay it back again, but [
don't expect you to believe me. One
thing l beg-don't tell her anything
about it; | couldn't bear to have her
think so badly of me-"
The old man regarded the asham-
ed, repentant face with pity.
"Look here, Harry" he said: "In
forgive you, and will not mention
it TO a soul if you'll look me in the