The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-01-18
THE FARMERS STRATEGY.
4 story of Love and: Gunpoyvder.

| IL
A Story of Love aDdss GunpONVder.
Farmer Evans walked round his wood
pile and surveyed its diminished proper
tions with considerable lowering of his
shaggy eyebrows Somebody's helping
| themselves" he thoughts 81 must sat my
wits TO work to discover the offender" He
sat down on log, rested his elbows on his
knees, and after scratching his head a while.
by way of Frightening his ideas, ho settled
his temples in the palms of his hands and
meditated. His cogtations 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, "I'll do it, thatll let the cat out
Of the bag"
He found Harry Bailey, young, lively
looking farmer, in the kitchen with his
daughter.
"That young fellow is courting Jennie,
sure enoughl" thought the old gentleman,
as he disoreetly passed into the sitting-room.
"Well, he is as likely to make her a good
husband as any one. If she likes him,
shant object"
And he fell into fit of musing over the
memory of the gentle wife who had been
sleeping beneath the flowers since Jennics
birth.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Jennie was
tripping about, engaged in some household
work, and Harry was watching her with
love-lit eyee, and could not make up his
mind to tell her he loved her.
~ u - n
The Rev. Mr.. Walker, of the Orthordox
Church in Bolton, had prepared discourse
for his sinful congregation, on the subject of
endless punishment. The parable of the
rich man and Lazarus was his basis, and
he hurled the anathemas of wrath at the
black sheep of his flock as though he were
an avengng 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 lie, and
debated whether he should confess, or run
the risk of the punishment Illuminated by
the parson. But he did not settle the
matter that time; the minister was suddenly
brought to a full stop in the midst of his
discourse, and the congregation was electri-
fled by tremendous crash and report in
their midst, as if heaven and earth had
come together.
Farmer Evans rose to his feet simultane-
ously with his frightened daughter and the
rest of the congregation, and poor little Tim
was not sure for the moment that his future
had not begun. The cause of the noise was
found to be an explosion in the stove,
through the Internal agency! of gunpowdcr.
How it came there was mystery to all eX-
cept Farmer Evans. Harry Bailey who
made the fires and found the wood for
stated sum, came forward with a white face
and explained that the thing was unknown
to him. The farmer walked home thinking,
"Bad, bad I'm very sorry he's that sort
| never suspected him Of all others and
Jennie likes him"
The farmers first impulse was to nip in
the bud the acquaintance between Jennie
and young Bailey but his natural kindly
feeling ultimately 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 BASH
fully.
"And you make the fires for the Orthodox
church," continued the old man.
Harry asscnted.
"And you furnished the wood?"
EYES," said the young man, growing red
and white by turns,
"Perhsps you would now like to have the
mysterious explosion in the church last
Sunday explained? knew my wood-pile
was going somewhere, and put a small
charge of powder in one of the sticks.
need not say that was surprised to find you
were the thief. ana you dared to come court
ing my daughter!"
Harry quailed before the stern, clear
glance Of the old man.
~ know Pm too mean TO live, much less
to love her." he broke OUT II don't expect
you to overlook it. IL had a hard year
on the FARM you know what losses I met.
l 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 | could
MT bear to have her think so badly of me-"
The old man regarded the ashamed re-
pentant face with pity.
"Look here, Harry" he said, "Ill forgive
you, and will not mention it to a soul, if
you'll look me in the face and promise sol
emnly to be strictly honest from this hence
forth"
Bailey caught his hand gratefully, and he
felt his reward begin as he saw the shadow
of a new hope dawningon the troubled face.
" l solemnly promise" he said, "never again
to touch penny's worth that is not lawfully
my own"
"At the end of the year you can have
Jennie you want her, and Wen unite the
farms"
With an overfowing heart Harry stam-
mered his thanks, and the farmer never re-
gretted that he had given him a chance to
redeem his selfrespect,- Chicago Lodger.
"
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