Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-11-25
THE OLD CAPE.
Must YOU really 90, Walter ="

MUST you really go, waiter:
81 really must, Kitty. Didn't your
father tell me only yesterday that he
would never give you to me until l am
worth $780,
But to go to the city-so far away r.
81 shall be better there than here. /
will write to you constantly, and"
kitty interrupted a Sharp voice
from the house-"Kitty, haven't you fin
ished that milking yet?"
Il must co." said the young man, hast
lily; "but have great deal to say to
you, and must see you again before |
leave in the merning. Can't you come
down to the maple-tree stile about dusk
| Then we shall have time to talk over
our arrangements
Kitty hastily promised, and stood for
moment tearfully watching her lover
as he crossed the field toward the school
house, where for three years he had
been teaching for mere pittance,
scarcely sufficient to support himself in
even that inexpensive neighborhood.
Kitty, taking up her milk-pail, went
slowly toward the house. AS the girl
entered the house, after depositing her
pail in the dairy, she saw why her meth
cI udu CdlltO HcI 81 SHdI ply.
Seated on the settee of the large, neat
"living room" was travelling peddler
busily engaged in unstrapping his pack,
and meanwhile talking yOlubly in a
shrewd but waggish way, which appear
ed nightly to amuse the listeners.
As he unbuckled the last strap he dis
played to the admiring gaze of Mrs.
Lane and daughter quantity of bright
colored ribbons, lawns and other similar
commodities.
"The very thing for you, miss" he said,
holding out at arms length bright, sky
blue lawn. The very latest fashionable
shade-a favorite with the Empress Eu-
genie, because becoming to her style
blonde, like yours"
So he ran on, until by dint Of eloquence,
argument and coming down" in the
price, he had induced Mrs. Lane to in
vest some dollars in articles useful and
ornamental for herself and kitty, and
her husband to lay in store of patent
rat exterminators, matches and backing,
also warranted"
Then, while Mrs. Lane and Kitty laid
the supper table with extra dainties, in
hospitable consideration of the guest,t
farmer and peddler settled the account,
the former displaying big roll of bills
Then, the bill settled, the farmer re-
placed the tin box, locked the door and
put the key in an old-fashiOned mahog-
any dressing-case, which appeared to
have its permanent place on the top of
the high secretary, and the family sat
down to supper.
OF cOurse,the guest must "stay over
night" and equally, of course, they would
not hear of his offer to pay for his &C
commodations. So, after supper and
prayersethe peddler was shown to the
guest chamber over the "best room" or
parlor; and by the time that the old
clock in the hall struck the house was
wrapped in profound stiffness.
Now it so happened that-owing to
various circumstances, one of which
was the time consumed in bargaining
with and subsequently entertaining the
peddler-Kitty had been constantly en-
pioyed and unable to keep her promise
of meeting Walter at the stile.
He would not come to the house, for
her father had spoken some hasty words
which had offended the sensitive pride
of the young man; and now, as the girl,
unable to sleep. sat at her own window,
she reflected uneasily upon what Walter
would think of her breaking her prom
Use to grant him that last parting inter-
view.
Suddenly she started. Some one had
called her name in so low voice that
had it not been so familiar to her she