Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-01-28
NOT GROOMSMAN.

"What time is it, Madeline 2" asked
Gaffer Hitchcock, carefully folding the
the evening paper, and placing it on
the table.
The person addressed-a tall, slender
woman about thirty -fve-looked up
from her knitting, and answered, with
a pleasant smile.
"About half-past eight, believe, "
and, rising, began to put away her work.
alters question had been for the
last six years the signal for retiring TO
rest, and, although it vas full an hour
and half before the usual hour,
Madeline never thought for moment
of hesitating to obey
Something has occurred" she
thought, "and he will teil me before
long," for Gaffer had looked at his watch
at eight, and few minutes after, and at
quarter past had changed his chair, and
conghed nneasiiy, aud now he asked:
"What time is it p
Madeline was the orphan daug hter
of an old schoolmate; CATER had taken
her home with him when she was only
ten years old, and his sister had cared
for her with motherly solicitude. until
she was wooed and won by Frank
Reynolds and went to distant city to
live. CATER had made q terrible tot do
about her marrying, called her an un-
grateful good-for- nothing, and declared
it was proper punishment for taking her
in the beginning; but, nevertheless,
spared no expense on the wedding
trousseau. And when, about nine years
after, she came back to her old home,
widowed and childless, she was tenderly
welcomed by the lonely man, for the
grass waved over the grave of the good,
true-hearted sister.
For six years she had kept house for
him, cared for him, humored him, and
made everything bend to his comfort,
as few daughters ever do. Lovers she
had in plenty; those who would at any
moment have laid heart, fortune and
hand at her feet ard when CATER heard
that Madeline had refused them, he
, chuckled at their discontinue and
smoothed her soft brown hair, telling
her she was a good girl, every way
worthy Of their love, only he knew that
she never would leave him.
He had grown so accustomed to see
ing her happy, contented face by the
opposite side OF the fire, with some kind
of work in her hands, that occupied
neither brain nor attention, but left her
always free to listen to him when he
spoke, or play chess when the whlm
seized him, that he felt no fear at the
attentions she received. He seldom
spent an evening from home unless
/ Madeline was with him; and he had
never left his native city since she came
/ home. He was thinking of all this to-
night, as he watched her folding her
work so carefully.
"What are you going to do, Made
line 2" he asked at last.
"Going TO put away my work" she
answered, simply.
"What are you putting il away for p
'You ask me the time, and that is
equivalent to saying, 4 am tired of you,
Madeline go to bed"
"No, it amt" said Gaffer, gruf1ly
"corre back here, I want to talk with
you-there, let that knitting. work alone.
What is it, that you are in such hurry
to finish if p
stockings" answered Madeline, sen
tentiously; stockings for Madeline
Reynolds"
"Raven't you any more that you make
such fuss about this pair p
eyes, have pair on, believe, and
in case OF an emergency l could borrow
of you."
CATER sat for few moments in per
feet silence at last, with violent efforI
and with very much the air of maI
who has just made mp his mind to have
a tooth pulled, said:
"Maaiy. I am going away"
Going away 2" she repeated 'tWhert
to, pray ?"
The tore Of surprise In which the
question was asked fully satisfied Gaffel
of the importance of the revelation.
Eyes 1 am going to New York Boz
nehue is going to be married on New
Years day, and wants me to be grooms
man. Who would have thought ole
Bonnehue would have got married a
last why, he's at least ten years oldel
than !, and | am most fifty. You see
Maddy, child, your old bachelor friend
is not too old to get married yet. Dread
fnl pity leap year IS most over; here
am, hale, hearty man, in the prime O
life, with plenty OF money to support {
wife, and no wife forthcoming. Blu
what makes you so quiet t--don't yot
want me to go?'
mo-" said Madeline, gravely, 81
would rather you would not go / haC
made different calculations for New
Years; in fact, rather think of getting
married myself.
/" Madeline, are you crazy?" ant
Gsffer fairly bounded in his chair will
astonishment. "Wby, what will be
come of the house? what will becom
of me? Iii starve, / know shall p
"You might live with me-" re
marked Maddy, II the same grave, husi
| nese.like fo,ne