The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-15

1t was known to Indian Spring, the
next day, amid great excitement that Il
serious fraCus had been prevented on
the Inflated boundary by the dramatic
appearance OF Uncle Ben Dabney, not
only MS n peaCemaker, hut us Mr.. Daub.
iGny the bou2 tide purchaser and owner
ofthc land. 1t was known and accepted
with great hilarity that 'Old marin Nc.
kinstry" had defended the barn alone
and unaided, with-as variously stated
pitchiork, an old stable broom and n
pail oldirty water, against Harrison, his
party, and the entire able posse OF the
Sheriff OF Tuolumne county, with no
further damage than scalp wound
which the head OF Seth Davis received
while falling from the loft OF the barn
IRON which he had been dislodged by
Mrs. McKinstry and the broom aforesaid,
1t was known with unanimous apprOba-
ton that the acquisition of the land title
by hitherto humble citizen OF Indian
Spring was n triumph OF the settlement
over foreign interference. Bat it was
not known that the schoolmaster was n
participant in the fight, or even present
on the spot. At Mrs. McKinstry's sug-
gestion he Ind remained concealed in
the loft until after the withdrawal OF
both parties and the still Unconscious
Seth. When Ford had demonstrated,
with the remark that Seth would be
sure to declare the truth when lie
recovered his senses, Mrs. Mckinstry
smiled grimly: II reckon when he
comes TO know / was with We all the
time, he'd rather hev it allowed that |
licked him than you. ! don't say he'll
let it pass eZ far ca you're concerned
or won't try 10 get even with ye, but
he won't go round tellin' Uhy. How
ever" she added still more grimiy, "if
you think you're ckul to tellin' the hull
story-how KEN We TO be yer and that
Seth wasn't lynn arter all when he
blurted II out afoFe 'ein-why sha'n't
binder ye." The master said no more.
And indeed for day or two nothing
transpired to show that Seth was not
equally reticent.
Nevertheless Mr.. Ford was far from be.
ing satisfied with the issue OF his adyeR-
ture. His relations with Cressy were
known to the mother, aud although she
had not again alluded to them, she would
probably inform her husband, Yet he
could not help noticing with n miEgling
OF unreasoning distrust that she exhibit
ed sCorniul unConcern in the matter,
apart from the singular use to which she
had put il. lie could hardly count upon
with his heavy blind devo-
ton TO Cressy, being as indifferent. On
the contrary, he had acquired the i'm
preston, without caring to examine it
closely, that her father would not be dis |
pleased ut his marrying Greasy, for it
would really amount to that. But here |
again he was forced TO contemplate what
he had always avoided, the possible
and result OF their intimacy. In
the reckless, thoughtless, eXtravagant-
vet thus far Observation-Disclosures Of
their mutual passion, he had never
spoken OF marriage, nor-and it struck |
him now with the same inCongTuOns
OF relief and uneasineSS-had |
shel Perhaps this might have arisen
from some superstitious or sensitive
recollection OH her part OF her previous
engagement to Seth, but he remembered
now that they had not even exchanged
The usual vows Of eternal constancy. 1t
may seem strange that in the half dozen
stolen and TaptGroas interviews which
had taken place between these young
ogeFs there had been no suggestion OF
he future, nor any OF those glowing
projects for o united destiny peculiar TO
their years and experience. They had
lived entirely in a 6lisSful present, with
no plans beyond their next rendezvous.
In that mysterious aud sudden absorp-
lion Of each other, not only the past,
but the future seemed to have been for
gotten.
These thoughts were passing through
TContp,,sd on TB;r,I po1, I