The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-05-27

notched and carved with initials, were
full; for every body had heard that Biar
Gillett and the girl at Baldwin's were
going to be married at the close of the
service. Lyman Baker and Louise Pin
ney sat together on a front bench. The
young man wa flushed and fidgety; the
girl sat motionless. She kept her hands
clasped together under the red and black
shawl, and she looked shrinkingly to-
wards the door; Biar Gillett and Mandy
Sawyer had not yet arrived. The table
on the small platform at the end of the
room held a lamp, and there was a
candle on the shelf, which contained the
WATERFALL with its long tin dipper. A
map of the United States hung on n
of the dingy walls, which was scrawled
over with chalk and lead pencil, and
stuck here and there was a paper wad.
The blackboard above the platform con-
tanned a humorous sketch, whose figures
had graduated circles for heads and
bodies, and straight lines for legs.
The minister, a mild old man with
dim eyes and a feeble voice, held the
lamp over his Bible while he read his
text. He had preached for half a cen-
fury, buffeted about from post to post
and taking his buffetings meekly. Now
he had found a comparative calm in
the little, sparsely attended, morgan
lied church; he had settled into a pleas
ant peacefulness, and fallen back into
the vernacular of his youth.
'.For he clave to the Lord hain't
no idea," he said, setting down his
lamp and taking off his spectaeles
slowly, 'that Hezekiah- got none O.
them teachings from his father; it amt
likely that Ahaz done nothing towards
leading him into the way O. the Lord.
Ahaz had been n o. the worst O. the
kings o. Judah. He'd ben idolertrous;
he'd broke up the Temple and set up
affairs in every corner of the land and
worshipped idols. There amt no sort
O probability that Hezekiah got nome O.
them teachings from him."
f. The door had opened and Biar Gillett
had walked in, alone. His face took or
a darker tinge as he met the eyes OF
the congregation upon him in a frank
stare. He sat down in the nearest seat.
lingering the rim of his hat. Louise
Pinney gave a gasp. Her face grew
white and she pressed her hands tightly
together under her shawl to stop her
trembling. He alone; she was not with
him; she had not come. That
was all she was conscious of.
She sat staring across at him;
she saw nothing else and the words
of the preacher were a vague murmur
in her ears. The discourse wandered
on to its end. The last hymn was
given out and sung through. Lyman
Baker prevented the benediction by
striding up the room, mounting the
platform and slapping a folded paper
down on the table. He was red and ex-
cited and he was keeping an eye on
lilly Dillingham;.
'f you'll jest do me the favor to ex-
anime that paper" he said, with an off
hand air, which he had acquired at the
shoe store. Its a license" he added,
in explanation to the gaping assembly,
ttand the name of the LADY,
But Louis had stood up, clinging trem-
blingly to a desk.
the blood rushing back to her white
face, and she sank down weakly on her
seat.
There was an excited hum, and then
the formality of the meeting melted
away. 1t became a social gathering
sympathetic, inquiring and Judicial. A
knot of women promptly surrounded
Louise. They had Immediately compre.
hended the entire case and they were
ready to discuss and advise. Lyman
Baker stood open-mouthed.
Il wouldn't urge her, Lyman" said
one of the women, putting into words
the popular conclusion. 81 guess Louise
hadn't really made up her mind.
wouldn't do any thing more about il
Just now"
Somebody brought the tin dipper with
some water to Louise, but she did not
bake it. She got up and went to the
door, and Biar Gillett, after a moment
Of hesitation, followed her out. The
meeting dispersed by lingering degrees,
Lyman Baker with the rest. He was
looked upon, strangely enough, as
something of a lion, and he was com.
posedly aware of it. He went home
with lilly Dillingham's elder sister, as
a first step in a gradual and dignified
return to lilly Dillingham; herself.
Louise Pinney looked up into Riar'
face as they walked along
"Ain't you going to marry hert'' she
sai6.
"Wal, no." Biar responded; 81 wa.
calculating to. Is'pose you heard we
was going to be married tonight"
Eyes, said the girl.
oval, we was calculating to be. Blu
her folks come home, and come over tt
Miss Baldwin's after her. and they
didn't favor it; they thought she wa
purity middling young. They took hel
home with 'em. l amt expecting t.
see her again." he added, with som
faint conception of the tumult in tn,
girls heart.
.'Oh, Biarr" she said, as she wipet
the happy tears off her freckled face
N. Y. World.