Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-04-07

"Shall drive thee home, Hachel?"
he asked.
"Thank thee, no, Absalo.n. l came
in the carry.all with unrle and aunt,
and they'll stop for me at the corner"
Absalom walked alongside, however,
leading his horse and talking to Rachel,
and John fell behind. When they came
to the corner, Mahlon and his wife were
already there, and Absalom renewed his
request. Rachel made no dcmur, for
Naomi said it would relieve their horse
with one less in. John smiled to HIM
self. The aunt favored the courting.
The summer months came and went
Absalom Browning came and went once
a week, and sometimes twice, and John
Paul remained on the farm. He grew
to be favoritc, and his activity and
! physical strength, with his great good
nature, made him popular with the
young men around. Absalom did not
like him, however. With Rachel he got
along famously. She had been his
friend from the first, never forgetting
his opportune championship. Then he
read so beautifully, and was full of tales
of adventure, for, according to his own
account, ne had Travelled greal deal.
In his wanderings ne had picked up
deal of knowledge too, as leaked out bit
by bit. and he bade fair to make a good
farmer, SO the farmer liked him too.
But Mahlon, whose spirits had been get
ting lower and lower, at length grew
quite gloomy, and his gloom was shared
by his wife, and even infected Rachel.
Tho oauco Of th;, trovklo I,hp D,,,l
learned one day from the talkative clerk
at the store where the Stacys dealt, and
with it he got some of the family histo-
ry. 1t appeared that Rachel Taylor, the
younger sister of Mahlon's wife, had
eloped and married with Gordon For
syth, a gay and wealthy young gentle
man from New York, who had acci-
dentally met and fallen in love with her.
Rachel had been "disOwned" for marry
ing 'out of meeting," but worse follow
ed. Forsyth, who was on the down.
ward course, soon got tired of his pretty
wife, resumed his dissipation, and was
drowned whilos drunk two years after
ward, leaving his widow with one
yoar-Old child. Rachel Forsyth did not
long survive her husband, who proved
to have been at his death bankrupt He
had managed to get Mahlon Stacy, who
q case involving, it afterward turned out,
questionable transaction. Mahlon
paid the judgment, but was obliged to
mortgage the farm, which had been in
the Stacy family four generations. He
adopted little Rachel, sent her to the
West Town school to be educated, and
bit by bit accumulated money sufficient
to discharge. The bank in which he
kept his savings broke, and he not only
lost his store, but was unable to meet
the interest for year. The mortgage
was in other hands-a rich New Yorker
held it-and proceedings to foreclose
had been begun. If Rachel married
Absalom Browning, who was himself
rich mans son, there would be no diff
Guilty. "They say that Rachel hangs
back" concluded the clerk. 81 ray
ther guess she'll give in at last. That's
the way Mahlon'll pull through, in my
Judgment"
John came home after hearing all
this, and found Absalom BrowniAg
there. The young Quaker was got up
quite smartly-in plain clothes, to be
sure, but his shad-b -bellied coat was of
the finest olive-colored broadcloth, and
his troad-brimmed hat of the very best
beaver. He remained to supper, and
was treAted with marked consideration
by the farmer and his wife. Rachel
seemed to be little embarrassed. John
glanced at her little curiously, but she
avoided his eye.
The next morning John went out ear
| ly to see to the horses and cattle. When
! he returned to breakfast he observed
that Mahlon was curt and monosyllabic
of speech, Naomi gloomy, and Rachel
distressed. John ate his meal silently,
and then went to the field with Mahlon.
But he soon made an excuse to return
to the house. Rachel was alone there,
seated with her face in her hands, and
so intent on her thoughts that she did
not hear him come in.
"What is the trouble, Rachcl?" he
asked.
The girl started up, and the blood
rushed to her face, but sac made no re-
ply.
"Is it to be a wedding?" he contin-
ued.
".John Paul, thee's-thee's-"
"Or did you send Absalom b. about
his business last nightp"
"What is that to thee, Johnp Uncle
is displeased with me, Aunt is sorry,
and now thee must What is it to
thee whether l have or not?"
"Rachel," said he, taking her trem-
bling hand, and retaining it in spite of
her effort to withdraw it, sit is every
thing to me, for love you dearly"
The eyes of the girl filled with sud
den light. "Thee! thee love-mer'
John read the answer to his question
before he put it. and drew the sobbing
Rachel to his breast.
How long they stood there neither
could tell, but at the sound of MahlOn
Stacy's heavy step on the veranta, Ra-
chel made her escape.
"What keeps thee in the house,
John?" inquired the farmer, entering
the room. ave have work to get
through with"
"Let that pass for a moment, Mr.
Stacy. have something to say. Who
holds now the mortgage on the farmP"
"Why does thee ask"
"From no idle curiosity What is his
name, and where does he live?"
s" His name is FrobiSher, and he lives
in New York. 1t his lawyer, Woodford,
who has the business in hand"
Woodford! Not Charles Wood
ford? So! In that case make yourself
perfectly easy. l can arrange all that
for you"
"Is thee Serious, John Paul? Does
thee think Frobisher would do it for
thce?"
"Why notP He never refused me
anything wanted yet, from the time
we went to the same school,"
"Thee must be out of thy mind,
John. This Frobisher, they say, is
worth million of dollars. Does thee
expect to influence him? If l didn't
know thy habits should say thee'd been
drinking"
"The man you speak of is worth
more than you say, in estate, but he'll
give you all the time you need: Let me
see. This is nearly eight. The mail
| closea at ten. 7 have time to write n