The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-07-24

viii walk, for John Ia going to Mapieton
with the team, and so he won't be home
until late. ] will meet you here In the
orchard that evening. You will come,
won't your"
To this Arrangement Tom was about to
acquiesce, when he seemed to be struck by
sudden thought.
"I believe can't come that night, Mag.
gie," he said; "l've got business TO attend
20 then, but-thunder! there's your father
and John now" as a tenn was seen ap-
pronching the bouse. "But say, Mnggic,"
he went ON quickly, ms tho girl was hurry
Ing away, "if your father will take back
all he has said about me, and give his con-
sent, you'll not hesitate any longer, but be
my wife, won't your"
And nfter giving hurried nssent-for
the old man had nearly reached the place
--the girl hastens up through the orchard
and to the house, which she reached just
as her father was removing his coat and
hat In tho kitchen.
Tom White and Maggie Lawrence had
been schoolnates whom children, and from
the time when he had carried her lunch
basket for her OH their way to school, and
had taken her part in all her childish
troubles, their affection for each other had
been mutual. The Major and Toms father
had been bitter enemies in years gone by
had both been suitors for the hand of the
girl whom White had eventually won for
his wife, and for this the Major had never
forgiven him. But the senior White had
and so the Major did not see fit to trouble
himself about the affairs of his late enemy,
and was not aware of the growing in
timacy between the boy and Maggie as
they grew older.
But the. young, peoples love, like the
spring chicken, grew stronger as it grew
olderp and one day the Major awoke to n
realizing sense of the state of affairs, and
determined to put stop to all such non.
sense at once. Providence, however, saved
him the trouble. just at this time Toms
mother had died, and Tom had gone to
definite boundaries, but is known us "Out
West" After his departure the Major
breathed easier; for though Tom
was , of course. ,a,ss.rs innocent SO far
were concerned, yet the Major, such was
of one Of the "blasted Whites a-hangin'
round arter darter of his'n." as he rather
elegantly expressed 1t. Now, in all prob
ability, the danger of that was passed.
But the Major, for ohce, reckoned without
his host. Tom, whom fortune had favored
to small extent, had returned TO Oakland
year before my story opens. had pur-
| chased the "Jones place." and was al
ready erecting house upon it, in defiancs
of the phantom peddler, and astonished the
Major one morning by requesting the hand
of his daughter in marriage. Some hard
language had been made use of by the en- :
ragged Major during the interview, and
Toms language, am sorry to say, was
rather more forcible than polite.
| CHAPTER II.
| The following Saturday afternoon John
Lawrence took his fathers horse and
buggy and drove away down the road in
the direction of Mapleton, where, If rumor
| -, L., at,
lady to whom John was paying his at.
tentions.
After an early supper the Major started
for the Corners on foot. Arrived there
and his business attended to, it was darl,
when he dropped into Johnson's tavern
''just to hear the news" before starting
on his homeward journey. There was
quite q number of the loafers of the Cor
ners assembled in the bar-room, most OF
them old acquaintances OF the Majors
and more than once the old man accepted
the invitation to "iest step up. Major, an
inferred that the Major was an habitual
drunkard, for he was nothing of the kind
but In those days before prohibitory laws
had been established, to indulge in an oc.
casional glass of liquor was not considered
the disgrace that it is at the present day
However, the numerous "tastes" which
MAJOR had indulged in, were not altogeth.
er without their effect, and 1t Is safe to say
he was what might be termed Slightly
elevated"
~ heered that somebody see the ghost
Of the Rocks t'other day." remarked
johnson, as he filed the glasses from Q
long-necked bottle.
"Ya-as," assented Old Tubbs, who KEEP,
the grocery store at the Corners; "Bil
Sykes, b'lieve, wasn't it! They say the
Bill see hit as he wuz goin' by the Rocks,
and nt thet b h;i, hit jest stood an Topped hits
"Heh all blamed nonsense" calculated
the Major, with a snort of derision, as hi
set down his empty glass. "Bill Sykel
never seed ghos' no moren' did. See
an owl, like enough, or somethin' of thai
kind; but you can't tell no more by wha
in three counties. As fur chooses any
way, there isn't no sech thing. 'Taint ac.
cordin' to nature. All sheer humbug!"
After which burst of eloquence the Ma.
jor buttoned up his coat and set out FOL
home. As he left the inn, Tom White, who
unobserved by the old man had been sit.
ting in the corner, with his hat drawn
down over his face, left the room also with
a small bundle under his arm, brushed
hurriedly past the Major, and disap'
peared. The night was one of those clear
summer nights, without moon, but just
light enough to enable one to see objects
at considerable distance, and yet not
light enough to see them very distinctly
Although the Major, as has been inti-
mated, was feeling somewhat exhilarated
he was not at all unsteady in his gait al
yet, and WAS stepping along at a pretty
good pace, which soon put good part ol
the distance to be traversed behind him
He passed Tom Whites place, where the
new house stood out white and spectral IL
the faint light. With a gesture of DISCUS
he hurried on.
"Blasted sheep p-stealin' sneak !" he NUT
tered, angrily. "The idee OF the likes o.
him a-comin' round my place. AM wher
/ 'cused him of takin' my sheep, he tried
to shift Off on Bill Sykes! Said as how
he'd lost some of his'n, an n'somebody mus
a. taken them, too! Like enough he 60
hungry, and had ter hev somethin' ter eat
an couldn't git nothin' else jest then, an
he'd ter kill some of his own."
During this soliloquy the Major had no
slackened his pace, but had hurried on q
conclusion, reached the "ROcks." In spite
of all his brave talk back at the inn, he in
voluntarily stopped now, and ran his eye
over the rocky waste, as il half expecting
to see some terrible sight. AS he gazed ht
beheld tall, STOPPING figure, with bur
den on its shoulders, coming directly
toward the road. 1t needed not second
glance to take in the whole situation.
"Jerusalem!" gasped the old man
his hair actually standing on end in hi
terror. "It's the peddler, am he's arte
meW
And he took to his heels and went dowl
the road at speed that was truly appall
ing, considering the unevenness of the way
and the size of his enormous cowhid
boots. On ahead the road took u suddel
turn, swept around huge ledge, and raj
In nearly straight line down th
hill. The Major turned this corner an,
started on the downward slope, when sud