The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-01-31

gagement yet. On Thanksgivin' evenin'
I'm to call for Anna with the Sleigh
want you to come along too, Eben Wen
go straight down to Battle Hill, to Parson
Lathams, an have the knot tied Then
We'll come back an let it out to the wild
ow an Jenny an Ruth. After that the
hull crowd of us will pile down here, an
have the pleasure of seen' father an
mother an every body here open their
eyes. That's Anua's idea As | said, |
don't specially admire it, but, still, | give
in to it,
"Thinks me, Master Frank, there's
some game here that clever girls I'D to !
Mebbe-an not But told Juniper I'd
go with him on Thanksgivn' night you
two can sit in the back seat and III
drive said. June laughed. See here,
June says a moment later Just as we
went up the stairs, Il hope that vou'l
never let Anna know how it was that YOU
picked her out from her sisters
'June blushed an stammered some
thing like 'Cert'inly not--it would have
come out this way in any case an went
into his room. HIM thought, I'm not
so sure of that. J must give YOU a good
| talk Tomorrow
''When tried to talk, however, June
wouldn't hear to me. He knew what he
was doing'-so he persisted. Anna was
the girl who would make him Just the
wife he wanted an the Stone farm was
all ready for 'em to move in right away.'
He had rather taken fancy, he rember-
| ed, to Ruth at one time, but that hadn't
amounted to anything said no more,
| but kept up quite a-thinkin.'
"Ihe night before Thanksgvin of that
| year was as clear as a bell. There was
three feet O snow all over the country.
At O'Clock June an drove to the Gay
lerS door Almost before Id got the
horses still, figure all tightly wrapped
up slipped out the gate. Poor Anna.
She seemed terrible nervous as June
helped her into the seat by him.
oh, June heard her say. Il almost
wish Id never thought o this silly plan
June did almost all the talkin' while
| we spun down the street and out on the
Battle Hill turnpike. Anna sat with his
arm halt round her. and seemin for the
first Time to realize that she was takin'
an important step in life.
II hardly looked at EN- after Anna
was in her seat by June The horses
was in complete gale. had to give
them my hull attention. 1t required
whip an reins an everything else to
make 'em behave. The parsonage at
Battle Hill is only two miles an d half
! from our village We fairly flew over
the road. Then Just before we passed
the big gates that led to Squire Loftus's
place, Dollar gave a lunge. That set
Prince a-goin'. Before | could help it,
they wheeled sharp, oyerset the Sleigh
an ran themselves up to their shoulders
III a snoW-bank. There they stood. We
meanwhile, We're pickin' ourselves I'd as
! best we could.
"ln the name of goodness - heard
Jumper shout in a voice that frightened
me hall to death. | scrambled up and
looked at the other two. 1t was bright
moonlight. There stood Brother Juni-
per. In front Of us was the person
who'd come with us ID the seigh-Ruth
| Gayler.
"Betore either OF US could say word
she burst right out cryin'. Then follow
ed the queerest, the most mixed-up and
| gineraly surprisin' explanation OF what
had took place an how it had come
about, that ever expect to hear in all
,J
| per Just stood there, pale and bewlder-
ed. put the best part of the bad
questions there was to ask, holding the
horses heads 1t must have looked a
| curious picture.
"Our hired help and Lucretia Tabb,
who'd been dreSsmakin' at the Gaylers'
| tor couple o weeks, off an on, was
| great friends. That night when Brother
June had drawn that lot-we'd ought
| both to have been ashamed of ourselves
for such toolishness-our Almira'd over
heard the hull affair. She told Lucretia
| Iabb. And what does Lucretia do but
tell Anna an Anna told her sisters.
'At first, Anna was pretty we'll put out
| at Brother June. Then when She an
Jenny an Ruth talked it over, they
couldn't but laugh an call it all a real
joke on June. Then they put their heads
together directly, TO find ont a way to
| punish June for coming to one Of them
with an offer under such circumstances.
That was why Anna'd contrved the
stolen wedding.
"When they first planned it out, Ruth
| (Who had plenty Of mischief in her) was
perfectly willin' to undertake the part
arranged for her-she to meet Brother
June, instead of Anna, in the dark.
That'd be easy the girls had all much
OF Il height, tigger and voice. When
we'd reached Parson Lathams steps. she
was to pull off her wells and make low
bow to poor June an say, MIR. Juniper
hlttely, I've brought my sisters compli-
ments an she hopes that the next time
you ask a gr to marry You, you'll know
whether you love her or whether any Of
her sisters mighInt do Just us we'll
especially, she hopes that you won't toss
| up for her. Then she Was to hold out the
identical piece of paper with Anna
written on it, (Amira pounced on it,
While she was sweeping the day after
twas Written.) An last of all Ruth cal
cuated to say, Come, June, Jokes Il
| joke, We don't bear do malice. not even
sister Anna. You mustn't. Just drive
me back home
"But, you see, Master Frank, Ruth
had liked Brother June more than she
thought, an all that week the idea OF
actin such part even to oblge Anna
and have some sport, CALLED her the
worst. She couldn't bear to think of it.
She begged Anna and Jenny to let her
| w '''i Niii. ~ pay tuC pdlI vi Auld,
herself. But, no; they insisted on her
keepin' to her promise. So, between her
benz so mortified and so afraid o hurtin'
brothers teelin's too keenly, she was
pretty we'll onnerved when Anna and
Jenny pushed her ont of the door to run
to the sleigh. Then, too, there was me.
June hadn't happened to say word
about calculatin' on my goin' to Parson
Latham's with 'em. Ruth felt worse
than ever.
"IOh, june she said, with her golden
hair all fallin' down on ner shoulders an
her voice choked with cryin', will you,
will you forgive me Please do, dear
June, Pm so ashamed Of myself What
ever shall do. to show you how sorry
am 7!
"June didn't answer for minute.
His eyes were ilashn' an his teeth set.
| could see that Anna Gayler was out of
his books forever But what | couldn't
see was goin' on, jest in that identical
space O time. Brother June was findin
out his own heart at last. He looked at
Ruth an remembered what good true
friends him an herd been during all
their pranks and capers. He was dis
covern' what a beautiful face she had !;