Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-12-11
Mother and Daughter.

"Is Mrs. Ellon Smith at homeg'
Mrs. Ellon Smith had been en-
gagged frying dnnghnnts in The
back kitchen. The low ceiled
rooms were full Of the greasy, vel
appetizing odor; the rag carpetwas
faded and otaltogether clean. and
a matronly cat, with her brood Of
little ones, had curled themselves
on the heartl-rng.
TO use Mrs. Eldon Smiths own
tlusterel words, ''she hadn't hao
time to clean up yet that mornln'.'
And the scarlet color rose to heT
cheek as she replied, not without
reluctance:
"Wcll, / guess likely she is. I'm
the widow Smith"
Mir. Harland, standing there, tall
distinguished looking, elegantly
dressed. stepped back a pace ~
two. This the widow Smitl-this
fat, vulgar, round slouldered little
woman in srectacles, and double
chin, the dimpled, rose checked
Lucy of his youthful dreamss
The doughnuts were burning; he
could smell the scorching fat, and
blue, oleaginous haze filled the
room.
The widow looked uneasily over
her shoulder.
Jest wait till set the pot o.
lard off the fire." said she, hurried;
~, "and then p'r'aps you'll let me
know what Your business Is, sir"
Evidently Mrs. Smith enter'
famed no recollection of her old
lover, and Manfred IIarland lack
ed the moral courage to disclose
himself to her.
So while she hustled back. to the
kitchen with heavy footsteps that
shook the floor, he beat rapid
and skillful retreat, and got into
the road
,Whemshe came back, breathing
short in a series Of puffs with the
haste She had made, he was gone.
Pm glad ont" said Mrs. Smith
II was most sure he was a book
agent or a lightning rod Teller or
some " them nnisances. lie was a
deal too genteel looking to be artef
any good! / knowed that the min
ute set eyes ON limp
And as she went hack, with a
sigh, to her spoiled dong,nuts, af-
ter having first stopped to count
the spoons, which had hotyet beel
removed from the untidy breakfast
table, and to make sure that there
remained The requisite humber Of
dimes aud half dimes i'll the til
cracker box on the shelf.
There's no teIlin' nowadays
who's thief aud who isn't" said
she, uneaSily.
While MI. Harland, striding be-
tween the February SHOW dritt'
that were piled on either side o
the road, scarcely knew whether l'
was glad or grieved at this dissoln
ton 0l'hiS dreams.
In every life there is a romance
but it is TO few that a second chap
ter of youth and love is granted
| Manfred Harland had know
this perfectly well. He was a sount
logician, and man of average com
mon sense. But it is strange hov
apt We are to rank ourselves in thu
list of exceptions to everything!
lie had run away from home il
his twentieth year. Old Uncle 81
Harland was IA stern guardian ant
a tiinty hearted task master, ant
Manfred, being lad OF spirit
found himself unable to endure tn,
perpetual restraint of his uncle
rules and precepts.
Pretty Lucy Fetherstone, viii
tears in her blue eyes, had at
tempted to dissuade him from tn
mcditated fight. Her father dwell
on the next farm, and she had beer
the only comfort the young fellow
had had.
"Dor't go, Manfred" she hat
pleaded. "Your uncle Eli is yer.
old-he may die"
"lt's i'll waiting for dead men,
Shoes" quoted Harland. II dom
wi.h the old man any harm; it's on
~ lie and / can't dwell under TIN
same roof any longer"
"But y,u haven't any money
Manfred"
"I've got pair of strong arms
Lucy, and g will like iron. Dou'
fret Tor me, dear. You can't set
New Hampshire man down i'll an,
corner of the globe where he cam
ind some way Of supporting him
sell. | shall do well enough, neve
iear.o
SO the lovers parted, with silve
sixpense broken between them il
the WAY Of plighiing their troth
aud for three and twenty years The.
had not met until to day.
Harland had found fortune max
ing not the easiest thing i'll tY
world.
a New Hampshire man is Ger
tainly inll of ideas and devices bu
not even q New Hampshire MAJ
can COLI guld out of dross and col
blestone.
And sharply wounded and hur
Though he wa>, when liz SAW, i'll IL
IOld NtrLll Conway paper, the maj