Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-05-14
THE DEACON wOUIDA.wOOING GO.

lHE sun nau disappeared Dehlnu the
hills of New Bethany, and the lingering
light on the mountain tops was chang
ing from rose to purple, when Deacon
Pinch stopped his melancholy old mare
in front of the village post-office. 1t
was Saturday night, the only time when
New Bethany reused itself from its leth-
argy and showed any signs of life and
energy. The rest of the week it drowsed
and languished after the fashion of small
country towns remote from railways and
manufacturing centers.
"Whoa, Mary janet" said the Dea-
con with unnecessary emphasis, throw
ing the reins on the mares broad back
and springing to the ground.
But the despondent Mary Jane had
already ceased her shambling gait from
sheer force of habit. A ten years SER
vice with the Deacon had made her per.
fectly familiar with his accustomed
round of stopping-places. Wednesday
night it was the prayer meeting; Sun
day, the church-service; and Saturday
night, invariably the post-office, and, as
a late variation, an after-pause at the
house of Mrs. Betsy Hill, the town
milliner, who for a quarter of a century
had supplied the women of New Beth.
any with headgear fearfully and won
derfully made.
The moment the Deacon stepped in
side the Office he knew, from the unusual
buzz of conversation, that something
extraordinary had happened.
=" Heard the news-eh, DeaconP'
asked one of the village loungers.
The Deacon looked up inquiringly.
"Miss Kezia's had an amazin' streak
of luck"
"It's been nothin' but an amazin'
streak of luck ever since she was born, =
returned the Deacon. elf ownin' the
best farm in town and hevin' money al
interest isn't luck, I'd like to know what
is"
eyes, but this is something out Of
common. You used to know hel
brother, who died years ago and lef
his only child for Miss Kezia
to bring upP Wa'al, wher
old man Mead died Miss Kezia took the
farm as her share of the property, and
her brother, bein' of a rovin' turn OF
mind, took the few thousands of per.
sonal property as his'n and invested
'em in Western lands, which turned out
wuthless, and he lost every cent he put
in. Folks always blamed him for bein'
SO foolish and hasty, and they say griei
and modification like hastened his
death. Wa'al, it turns out now they
hev put railroad square through the
lands, and it's sent real estate way up,
nobody knows where. Miss Kezia's bin
offered nigh onto eight thousand dollars
for the lands, and they say she'll GET
ever so much more if she only holds
out"
"You don't mean itP'
dew; it's as true as Scripter."
''She'n hold out, never fear," said
the Deacon; "and hold it to be our
bounden duty as neighbors to advise her
to that end.'
Instead of lingering as usual for the
village gossip-for the New Bethany
Post-office on Saturday night answered
the purpose of a weekly paper-the
Deacon seemed in great hurry to gel
home.
1t was the night of the choir re,
hearsal, and in driving by the church he
saw Mary Mead, Miss Kezia's niece
going up the steps. He suddenly
whipped up his sleepy old mare and
drove home at a breakneck rate Of
speed.
"Now's yer time, Solomon Pinch, y
he muttered to himself; "it mebbe 8
long while afore yen hev sich good
chance agin. She'll be sure to be alone
for couple o. hours or so. Hi, old
lady! no stoppin' here tonight" he
added, giving the lines a sudden twist
as Mary Jane showed an inclination 10
stop before Mrs. Betsy Hills house
:" we've other fish to fry now, old girl. ;
When he reached home he drove the
mare under the horse-shed and
tied her there, instead of unhar.
Messing her as usual. Then he
entered the house, and, hastily
swallowing the scanty supper which
the hired woman placed before him,
donned his best clothes and drove of
again at a rapid pace.
al Law sakes alive!" exclaimed the
woman, amazed. "The Deacon's got
suthin' on his mind, surei It's the first
time l ever knew him to disremelnper to
ask blessn'."
Ever since the death of his wife Dea.
con Pinch had looked on Miss Kezia as
her probable successor. For years he
had gazed with covetous eyes on the
fine Mead farm with its substantial
buildings, but he never could screw his
courage up to the point of facing the
swapping black eyes of its owner. Oh
late he had been seen several times
knocking at the door OF Mrs. Betsy
Hills little brown house, and the worthy
milliner was overjoyed at the opening
of this brilliant prospect before her
But the news of the sudden rise in
Western lands caused Mrs. Hill, with
her small possessions, to sink into in,
significance by the side of this rich
woman with her well-tilled acres, her
Overaowing barns and her prospective
thousands of dollars.
The idea of failure in his matrimonial
venture never for an instant entered the
Deacon's head. "The way afore We is
as plain and straight as pipe-stem,
Solomon Pinch" he murmured, rubbing
the palms of his hands together as he
walked toward Miss Kezia's side-door
"Women is mostly alike-eager an
willin' to embrace matrimonial oppor-
tunities. They'll snap at an offer like a
hungry trout at a worm. She has got
the money, and hev' got the promin.
ence and the influences that's a pint
not to be overlooked; and deac0Rs isn't