The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-04-06

; should be no longer neglected. We
! lived upon that promise for six
months. Then my father, grown
| irrate, threatenedto sue. The board,
becoming defiant, Just wished he
J would sue; they should like to see
him sue AT this retort my fathers
!, feelings rose to the summit of moral
indignation he wouldn't sue, he
scorned to lower himself to a quar-
rel with such men; but he would
pay no more taxes in that town !;
and energetic preparations for our
removal were begun.
i Hannah and | were sitting upon
the edge of Mr.. Farleys coal bin
when | communicated to her my
fathers decision. As soon as she
saw that | was in earnest she drop
lped over on the anthracite, and gave
vent to a flow Of tears. She declar-
ed that she couldn't and wouldn't
have me 60. She would die with
loneliness, and she wished she was
dead A few tears of mine drizzled
over into the bin and mingled with
Hannah's. Afterward she appear
ed feconciled, and manifested intense
interest in our preparations, obtrud-
ing her services at her house until
my mother delared she should never
be ready to 90 if that Farley girl
couldn't be kept at home.
The morning of our departure
dawned at last. My father and
mother went to the depot, leaving
me to follow, as had come, on the
last load of goods.
1t was an April morning, sue
ceeding heavy rain storm, and the
waves of my fathers mud-puddle
was running high. Hannah sat
upon the old petuna mound by the
gate, sobbing. L raised her droop-
ing form to bid her farewell, push
ed the hair from her face and gave |
her my last kiss. She clutched |
irantically at my jacket, but, real
izing that DELAYS are dangerous, /
sprang upon dry goods box in the
wagon. The horses, most severely |
afflicted with spring-halt, started off
at fearful gallop, and we disappear
ed around the corner forever.
As soon as circumstances would |
permit | addressed a letter to Han
nah, and soon received reply; of
which the following is verbatim
copy:
u1 Dear George
now sit down to let you know
how | am. have had sore. throat
ever since you left. Somebody has
shot our cat. School commences
next week. / dred it. A new fam
lily has moved into your house, there
is two boys, Eddy and willy. If we
never see each other again on urth /
hope we may meat in heave
Yours Truly,
II. A. FARLEY.
The letter also contained two
hlots and a grease spot and was di-
rected by Hannahs mother, wrong
side up with care. l wrote her
once more, but received no answer
failure which / attributed to her
aversion to all literary labor rather
than TO any diminution in the ar
dor of her affections.
| attended school for the next |
three or four years, and then enter
cd the mercantile business in the .
service of an uncle. | became a ris-
ing young man. Some of the time |
| rose rapidly, as GASEOUS matter
and young men between the ages ,
of sixteen and twenty-five are in the
habit of doing. Our family also I
prospered. From three ply in our
parlor we passed by easy stages s
through body Brussels to English I
Wilton, and we numbered the sue ,
cessors OF Mary Sullivan by twos
and threes. /,
Presently / arrived at that age
whereat extremely witty people
begin pointing at a young man pc
culiarly sharp and original jests con- I
cerning the subject of matrimony.
At first the implication therein con-
veyed that | had only to choose was
gratifying TO my vanity; but by the
time | began to direct any serious s
thoughts that way myself, so much /:
solid wit had become an insuffera-
bic bore. There were girls in large :
quantities and excellent quantities |
all around me, but the thought of ,
advancing to anything serious with
any one of them always suggested
Hannah. j
NV reminicences of Hannah were ,
such that / could create an ideal
feminine character of her; but when !
a fellow has sat in coal bin with :
girl and taken alternate sucks on
as many Jackson-balls as | had
with Hannah, no subsequent expe- /
rienee can ever entirely etiace the 1
impression. / had curiosity to Z
know what Hannah had become.
The surest way to satisfy this curl
osity seemed to be to 60 and see her.
/ accordingly went. Il
The girl was pretty. She had |
,,olor and frankness She had grace 5
nd repose of manner. Her finger 9
nails were scrupulously kept, root |
and crown, and her hair was glossy, t
as well as fashionably dressed. q
The year we left town Hannah's
mother died and after the pillows .
of affliction had surged over his
soul for about six months, Mr.. Far ,
ley again beheld the sun and took i
a new wife. The new wife had tax
en- infinite pains with her step a
daughter. The step-daughter's
present appearance, as compared i
with her former condition, bore
favorable testimony for the lady's {
system, Hannah said that when we {
were children ! had seemed like a
brother to her, and ! at once plac-
ed myself upon a fraternal standing.
| interrogated her in regard to the
occupants of my old home, and she '
finally confded to me that she was |
to the younger Wetherhee,
the willy" Of her letter 5
| afterward saw him, and could I,
not but inwardly applaud the dis
that }aJ her ever, in ,