Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-11-19
THE OLD SLEIGH.

Coming"
"There, mother old Spreckle has returned |
thanks at last" holding upa plump white |
egg that would do credit to the queen ui any |
poultry yard.
'Well, alters said that hen Was thankful |
for past merriss, though your father would |
laugh every time | said 81 lAddy Stephens |
has est been here she wanted to see YOU, |
but you was gone So long that thought |
you you must be down to Mis- PenuelI :"
"Nes, | met her As she rauo inroupb tbs
yard"
She didn't tell YOU the news did She "'
She told me VIII Marstun had returned
from California"
at does beat all bout that bny-seems lest
ike the piece n poetry YOU read sometimes
about the Teller that went OIL and STAYED ~
many years and then come bsck aud took / Q
mothef out O. the pOurhouse-OnlY It's tl u
isthet this ilme ''Ihe very worst ui the
deacon's siN,' 1t called him. and that's los,
what VIII was then. never believed he had
anything To do with that scrape down to the
village Liddy says he's terribly rich aud is
going To take care Ot his father the deacon
must he glad. for | guess he's STAYED with
Ssleb most AS long rs he can comfortably.
Ihey say he's going to marry sam Miller's
dsrter Ruth. \ on see, when Bob Miller went
out there Tor his health VIII found him out
snu done little kindness tor him, and when
he WAS too sick to write home VIII wrote Tor
him. Part ~ the time SAM WAS sick hisselL
so kuth answered the letters and he tell In
love With her in that way. There didn't
anybody but the deacon and the Miuers know
ne was coming. sam drove down tn the
depot aud carried him up to Caleb's Guess
they were surprised to see him"
There was no knowing how long Mrs. Al
len would have gone on, her tongue heepiug
time to the busy click .ClaCk of her need les
had not Mr.. Aliens step sounded on the
walk.
'Ltzabeth never talked much, sni the
mother did not mind her silence Tonight \
slight Quiver about tho sensitive mouth
alone told how keenly the words we're felt,
aud the sigh OF relief which escaped At the
welcome sound OF her fathers voice wSS lost
In the noise made Is he entered, stamping
the snow from his boots
why, father, does 1t snow" | ten ~
busy talking, hadn't thought TO look out OF
the " indoS Tor sOme time
les, It's begun to come down right
smart; shouldn't wonder II 1t was good
slelghiug by tomorrow"
You don't think its going To Ne a long
storm 20
Mrs Aliens face had all anxious expires.
sion as she asked the question, tor a long
storm meant days OF exile icr her.
No, sh'u bs surprised il Il don't ClelT
up by tomorrow noon, 50 'Lizsbeth and
can take ride to the village thatll be a
treat won't it. darter o. And the smile
that lighted up his daughters face pleased
him better than any answer could have
done.
""u uess Ill get the old sleigh out Ben
Smsfts been down To the city and he says
he saw lots jest like it. It's fve years since
! sent Jim TO the village for the new one and
It's never been out since. I'ln glad its
come into fashion again, for never eDiOyed
myself complete in the new One-alWays
felt little above my station" And Farmer
Aliens laugh rang through the old sitting.
room at the fitness of his remark.
"Well, 'Lzibeth, you get tho supper un
the table, and III tell father the news while
he WARNS his feet He's been down 10 the
wood lot all the afternoon, and hsiu't heart
hothlns ol the strange things that has been
happening up here"
Having arranged things to her satisfaction
the stockings Mrs. Allen had dropped ON the
entrance of her husband continued 10 grow
unuer her deit hngers, while the news lost
| none OF Its interest with repetition.
| Ihat night, after 'L'zlbeth had taken her
candle and said good night Mr.. Allen sat tor
some ume looking at the tire then suddenly
broke out:
"Mother, don't you think 'Lz4beth look.
kind o. peaked lately? Then, she lon t seem
to eat as much as usual"
"Ihere, father, you're always frettirg bout
that girl i don't know what you'd done il
you'd had six, like your brother Jonathan
"l didn't know but the news about Will
might affect her some. You know they used
to think SO much OF each other"
Massey, father that was years and years
ago when they were children, 'Lizabeth's too
" -
her. When he stopped writing to her she
gave MIN up. She's worked hard to-day, and
agood nights rest will bring her round"
lhere seemed nothing more 10 be said, so
ne TOOK light ana proceeded to make every
thlng safe for the night but long after his
good wife was asleep he lay awake thinking
OF the pale face his daughter had lifted fgT
the good night kiss.
'Llaoeth was not likely to get the strength
her mother thought from a nights rest L Hti
| the hrst rays of morning lighted up the East
sue lay thinking of the old days ana living
them over again. She could not remember
the time when she and VIII had not seemed
10 belong TO each other.
When they were children he had drawn
her 70 and from school on his sled, saved her
the largest half OF his apple or orange and
iOugnt all her battles with a vigOr worthy of
an Olden knight. When the wears in their
hight made them no longer children il wa.
always Will who, at the close OF the meeting
or singing school, drew her arm through his
win an air OF proprietorship and started for
the Allen farm. After his mothers death he
had not chosen his associates wisely but in
spite OF scorn and opposition, without dis.
oDedlence, she had chung 10 him and trusted.
linen came the affair at the village. one
DARK night party OF roughs had broken
INTO squire Peasley's barn, tied together the
legs oil all his hens, nailed up WhiteiOot's
stail, ana then climbing up the roof ut the ell
had placed board soaked in salt and water
over the chimney. The old gentleman, who
perry ground TO the nearest neighbor tor hel o.
Inc villagers were Justly ind iZuant and for
punishing the miscreants, but no clue 10
them could be found
Will was away from home that night and
suspicion rested on him as one OF the party,
until he could bear it no longer and he do.
cded TO go away.
1t seemed but yesterday-thcir r.rt,rp- IN
the old trysting- place.
WIN had slipped the tiny gold band he
wore upon her iinger-it seeIned hut a Rad
OF gold nOw-asking her to wear 1t until
he came back.
"For," he said, "Ill never come back til
1 can ofer you name and a home. Some
no" the devlI has lad possession of me lately
pnl pad as am | would scoTn to do what
they accuse me of-torture feeble old man.
Mhlle you believe aud trust me, there are
plenty who do not" And with a Last food
pye, my Beth he was gone.
When the first letter came addressed IN
hlss beth Allen, in WINS round, boyish
hanu, Mr.. Allen frOwned and his vile
soolueu, Dut when she was for stopping the
correspondence at once he said A.:
mere there, mother let the girl write
70 MN II she wants to she won't DO him auv
marin, ana can trust her tor u true Allen
not To go far out OF the way"
80 tne matter had dropped, and for five
years 'Llzabeth's letters were received with. |
out comment; then they ceased suddenly
and Unexpectedly. For months Il Ifz.betI
watcheu me malls with an anxious face,
Mrs. Allen shook her head with an - told
you ne uldht amount to anything" when.
eNoi thefe was DO one but her husband IN |
". llH f,,.