Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-08-12
Misfellaneons. q
The Deaosn's Wooing g..
col osson B'.ae hs Z usssse~ssfuI Fortune
Dlunginx.

Whoa. MARY Jane ," said the deacon
rcins on the mares broad back and spring
ins ,o the ground.
Bu, the dc,pondeu; May Jane had al
rcedy ceased her shamhling gait from sheer
force Of habit. 4 ten wears service With
the deacon had made her perfectly familiar
with the accustomed round of stopping
places "Wednesday night j, Was the PRAYER
meeting SUNDAY. the church service and
Saturday night. invariably the posiofiice
and, a. a late variation. al after pause at the
house of Mr.. Betsy Hill. the town milliner
uho for quarter of a century had supplied
the women Of New Bethany with head gear
fearfulls and wonderfully made
The moment the deacon stepped inside
the office he knew, from the unusual burr
Of conversation. that something e1tEaorlin-
AIRY had happened.
Heard the news-eh. deacon ?" asked
one of the village loungeTs
The deacon looked up Inquiriugly.
Miss kexia's had an amazin streak OF
luck"
Its been noIhin' but an amazIn' streak
Of luck ever since she Was born" returned
the deacon. III owuin' the best farm in
town and heSin' money al interest isn't
luck. Id Ike to know what is
Yes. but tins Is something out Of COM
mon. You used to know her brother. Who
died wears ago and left his only child for
Miss kezia 10 bring up2 Wal when old
man Mead died Miss kezia took the farm a.
her share Of the property. and her brother,
being Of royin' turn Of mind, took the few
thousands Of personal property a. 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 hasiy. and they say
grief and modification like has,ened his
death. Wa'al. it turns GU, now they hey
pu, railroad square thru the lands, and it,
sent real estate way up. nobody knows
where. Miss kezia's bin offered nigh onto
eigh, thousand dollars for the lands, and
they say she'll get ever so much more If she
only holds out"
..You don't mean it -
Il dew ; its as true Scriptur."
Shell hold out, never fear, said the dea-
con; land hold il to be our bounden duty
as neighbors to advise her to that end
Instead Of lingering as usual for the vii
lage gossip-for the New Bethany postoffiee
on Saturday night answered the purpose of
a weekly paper-the deacon seemed in a
great hurry TO get home.
IL was the night of the choir rehearsal,
and in driving BY the church be saw Mary
Mead, Miss kezia's niece, going up the
steps. He suddenly whipped up his sleepy
old mare AID drove home at break neck
rate Of speed.
"Now's yer time, Solomon Pinch," he
muttered to himself; "it mebbe a long
while afore veil hev such a good chance
ag'in She'll be sure TO be alone for
couple o. hours or so-IIi. old lady. no
stoppin' here tonight" he added. giving the
lines a sudden twist as Mary Jane showed
an inclination TO stop before Mrs. Betsy
Hills house, .'we'ye other fish TO fry now,
old girl"
When be reached home he drove the mare
under the horse-shed and tied her there. in
stead Of Embarrassing her as usual. Then
he entered the house, and hastily swallow
ing the scanty supper which the hired wom-
an placed before him, donned his best
clothes and drove of again at a rapid pace.
Law sakes alive :" exclaimed the woman,
amazed, s'The deaeon's got suthin on his
mind, sure It's the first time ever knew
him to disremember to ask blessin'."
Ever since the death Of his wife Deacon
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. OF late he hal been seen sever
al times knocking at the door of Mrs. Hills
little brown house. and the worthy milliner
was overjoyed at the opening of this bril-
liant prospect before her. But the news Of
the sudden rise in Western lands caused
Mrs. Hill. with her small possessions to sink
into insigni6cance by the side of this rich
woman with her well-tilled acres, her over
flowing barns and her prospective thousands
Of dollars.