The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-04-05
GRANDPA VESTS STORY.

Tilted Fanny Howe" said Grandpa
West, one rainy morning, as he. stood
shaking off the drops from his great
coat on our Kitchen stove.
Yes" replied /, as l filled a pan
with apples and prepared to cut them.
land more shame to him, too. Brought
her clear up to an engagement, and
then left town with anOt .cr girl, and
without one word to Fan"
.'Shamew repeated good Grandpa
West, with an indignant Hash from
eyes blue and clear as at p. ''Its
disgrace to any Christian church
to let one of its members go on so.
Time was when he wouldn't have gone
scot-free as he has now"
But what could have been done?"
inquired.
"Done? He'd have had the full
broadside of church discipline on his
shoulders fifty years ago, He ought
to be dealt with as Harmon Page was"
concluded grandpa; meditatively.
'How was that?" inquired /, inter-
ested at once.
II wonder if you never heard the
story!" said he, with curious glance
understood better afterward. 'sSee
here; it's rainy day, and mother
won't be expecting me home. Hand
over knife, and I'll help you with
your apples and tell that yarn at the
same time.
Well pleased with the plan, l took
another pan, and our fingers flew as
grandpa went on with the true and
authentic history of Harmon Page.
"You sec, " he began, all this hap
pened fifty years ago, and Amityville
wasn't then the slow-going, dull little
place it is now. 1t was comparatively
new, and was as lively and ,enterpris-
lug as the new places of the West are
today. There were good many old
aristocratic families, though, and | tell
We they held their heads high. The
very meetin'-house slips had to bo
gauged according to the rank of the
buyer, and tell you old Deacon Avery
would never have got the scowl out of
his forehead if Squire Page had hap
pencd to had seat in front of his.
''Deacon Avery had a daughter--a
quiet, gentle girl, with a slight, grace
ful figure and a face-well, you don't
see such faces nowadays, a clear, fine
complexion, with a delicate pink
trembling up into her lips. when she
was spoken to. Her eyes were great
limpid wells, changing with every
thought, and her hair was soft, chest
nut brown, waving about her face in
its own wayward style.
''She was a lovely girl, became
professor young, and was always to be
seen in the end of the deacon's pew
every Sunday, rain or shine. She'd
never had much company, for there
was kind of dignitied reserve about
her that kept the fellows at distance.
But when she was. long bout Is or 20,
Harmon Page began to go with her.
''He was a handsome. high-spirited
chap. lively and full of talk, and as
different from Mercy Avery as two
persons could be. But they loved each
other there's no doubt about that.
Many's the time I've seen her grand
eyes sparkle and pretty cheeks flush at
Harmon's witty speeches, till she was
really brilliant. And be, with all his
proud spirit, always grew strangely
gentle with Mercy.
$50, in spite of the rivalry that had
always existed between the two fam
lilies, no one would have disturbed the
two. had it not been for Virginia Wake.
She was a cousin of Colonel FOrd's
first wife, and came there Visitin' from
the South.
Virginia was called handsome
girl, with her brunette face, flashing
black eyes, and heavy black curls she
was never tired of jingling around her
neck. She had good deal, too, of
what you call style and Amityville
folks who didn't know as much of the
y,T q, In ntxy
were completely fascinated with her
taking ways. The young fellows in
particular lowered around her like
moths around candle.
.All except Harmon Page. He had
engaged himself to Mercy, and at first
gave the newcomer the go-by. The
Pages and Fords had family feud of
d good many years standing, which
kept them apart for one thing, and
Virginia had plenty of company be-
sides Harmon.
But suppose HarmOn's indiffer-
ence piqued the girl, and she snubbed
the other boys and eXerted all her
charms on Harmon.
"She came in the Fall, and along
about Christmas time, the neighbOrs
began to notice that Virginia was
mighty thick at the Pages.
! 'The two houses were pretty near
together, and she used to run over 10
mother Pages on some excuse or other
twenty times day. Perhaps 'twa'nt
strange that Harmon began to be
fiattered by it. He had as good turn
out as any chap in the place, and he
got in the habit of taking Virginia
! considerable.
"You see POSITIONS everything in
more cases than Que. and Virginia was
right there handy; while Mercy lived
at the top OF one of our 9ld-fasnioned ,d
road leading to it.
.sWhether she knew how much Har.