The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-08-11
Er tsS .i,tss1au R
JOINED IN DEATH
CHAPTER |
gl RuFrs R. WILSON

Brookhei differs little from a score of towns of the same size ,ha, can be tound Tn Central Pennsylvania. save tha; there IS stronger sprinkling of the Dutch ele- ment than will be found among its neigh bors. IL IS a manufacturing town. and in consequence larger part of its popala- tion Is rude, uncouth and coarse: indeed, all are so used to sensations and scandals that new one rarely creates more than ripple of excitement But the secre, marriage of Moliie Hobart to worthless Matt Harriatt, no, made known until they applied for lodgings together, was so de- eidedly surprising, so seemingly lncredi- ble that it threw the whole town into an uproar of excitement, and for days was the main and all absorbing topic The Brookheld Satellite, with the sp,ri, which usually anima,es the press in re- gard to the strange and untoward dolngs of private individuals. and which for the wan, of Il less pleasing bu, more truthful name IS called journalistic enterprise directed local reporter ,o carefully work up the details of the affair. The young man performed his task with the greatest zeal and care, and the next issue CT tae .Sattll!te dcyotei tso columns ;o ;he affair. prefacing the whole with an array of harng and original headlines. This famed public curiosity into white heat, People on their way 10 worship ot sun day halted in church vestibules to ascer- tain whether their neighbors had learned anything new in regard 10 the secre. marriage: the gossips ofthe town at their tel drinklngs pl: their heads together and vainly tried to solve the my s,ery idlers in shops and stores talked wisely and mysteriously about the interesting event. Some of the rasher ones attempted to question the minister who had per formed the marriage ceremony q young divine but recently settled in Brookheld Blu, this proved frui,less task. the rev erend gentleman showing grea, reserve and answering all as briedy as possible The most sa,ifactory source of news was the lady with whom the young couple had gone 10 lodge. She took grea; de- light impartins all she knew to whoever came 10 her; many of the ourren, re- ports were put afioat and strongly colored by her.
 Any one on meeting Mollie Hobar, would have noted her down as modest. shrinking little creature. totally depend- ent on others for the slightest things of life. There was none who would no, have been surprised 10 think tha. such one as she could throw town of two thousand inhabitants. noted for their phlegmatic temperaments. into an uproar of wonder. The fruitage tha, had sprung from union of nor,hman and sou,hron. she was not less than twenty years of age :: she might have been more. Her form was slight and willowy. and her features delicate, regular and in full keeping with the other parts ot her person. Her eyes. those rarely erring indices to human character, were soft and pleading. mar velously expressive and eloquent of the gentle spirit that dwelt within. Her every word, look and motion told the story of clinging and helpless nature Every one in Brook6eld called her Mollie. To the older ones she still seemed little more than child those of her own age could think ot her only as their playmate in the days agone: while the children, those intuitve discoverers of kindly nature. looked upon her as thoughtful elder sister to whom they could go with all their little disappoin,men,s and troubles and be sure of comfort and help. There were none but could record some kindness done them by Mollie Hobart many loved her; while all re- garded her kindly and would no, have wounded her by word or action. She had never known the infinite value of a mothers love, or the priceless worth of a mothers council; perhaps if she had, with her the course of life would have been far different. While child. and until she was fifteen, she had been under the charge of widowed lady, who had combined in her person the double offices of instructor to the daughter and house keeper for the father. At sixteen Mollie ? had taken charge of her fathers stately home, and there reigned queen with supreme power.
 The father. Oliver Hobart, was an American aristocrat but os the older and nobler type. He was proud of his blood and not without reason, for he could trace his ancestry back to a passenger in the Mayfower, and then to one of the