Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-18
PETER GRANTS WOOING.
Peter, you must marry"


darning she did not want to give her son the ex-
act reason why marriage was expadient for him,
and it was easier to arrange her little preyarica-
ton when his honest, Straightforward eyes were
not nxed upon her own
s'welL- she said, covering he hesitation OF her
answer by the pretense OF finding the worsted
which she feigred 10 have mlslaid-''for several
reasons; nrst OF all. there's the farm"
S'Oh, the farms going on all right don't ex-
pect 70 make a fortune, but make living out
OF IT.
"a lvfng!y Ms. Grants tone expressed the
contempt she felt. "Your poor uncle wouldn't ha
bin content that nothing more than living should
be made out o. what he'd stinteG and starved 10
aAh poor old chapi- and Peter sighed 'If I'd
had voice IN IL he should never have done that
FOR me- tong and seraphg together w S,nr a M
have been alive now. dare say.
"Ah. well! what pleases Providence 10 40 don !
concern you nor me. We amt got the making nor
marring o. things; five had you'd ha Din the last
who'd ever ha' touched a farthlng o Uncle sam
bit OF property" Peter nodded assent rat her DIS
mally .Howeyer- continued Mrs. Grant briskly,
'.that amt here nor there; the farms yours, and
the laws given IL 70 you, and now your business Is
.AiI very easy TO talk of. mother, but how's It
70 be donef-
just so: they were coming to the point now,
and. In anticipation OF gaining IT, Mrs. Grants
needle went In and out swiftly; she did not miss
thread. though; she was woman OF nm purpose,
much need for me 20 tel you. No need 70 shake
your head: n you don't see IL, Others do; and its
high time there was proper missis here"
Peters sigh sounded 80 much like a groan that
Mr.. Grant felt irrftated by It.
.'oh. dear oh. DEAR she said. '.f you call the
dead back az ain shouldn't say no more about IL;
but with poor Mily In her grave for the last four
years why, Tor goodness gracious sake, shouidyo
Peter made no answer; what was the good OF
speaking when his mother could not understand.
a "a Qnn had
Inother-in-law. By his marriage Peter had not
only given dspleasure, but had forfeited all hope
of ever inherfting his uncle's property. the old
man declaring that he had clean struck him out OF
his Will for being fool enough TO take for wife a
sckly, doll faced thing, without single penny or
The strength 20 earn one.
BY virtue OF this will-vhch nervousness and
tndecision kept him, md always had kept him,
froIa ever making ncle Sam contrived 10 hold a
good many people in order. That half-dropped
hint that some day they'd md he had remembered
saem acted as w1naeriql open as; sess IS me 70
pectant generosity, and IL being about Christmas
Tune when he suddenly died, the seasonable pres
entA whichfame pouring in, furnished the baked
meats for his funeral feast
Peter Grant at dlstance-wcrkfng hard TO sup
port himself and his motherless boy-had not even
received an Invitation TO the funeral SO COM
pletely had his uncle ignored him that he had
gone clean out Of other peoples memories until no
VIII being found, no Will being heard OF, IL
gradually dawned on those present that Peter, the
dead mans only brothers only son, was the next
heir and rightrul owner OF the property.
Not very much as we might view it, but things
are measured by comparison, and TO those who are
labonng for others little bit OF land OF their own,
though numbering no more than two hundred
acres, seems 3 very enviabie possession
Pick holes as they might In Peters past dis
chosen q sailors life and knew very little about
farming-no one could say his head was turned by
unexpected good fortune. He took possession in
such humble way that he seemed TO be ap0lOgiZ-
ing 20 those around him, and II it had not been for
his boy he would have been disposed to sell the
openly declared they had better right to it than
he had
win an accurate knowledge OF her sons dspo-
sftion. Mrs Grant had made long journey TO see
him Installed In his new home. She prided her.
Ssf on never Sinking her duties and while depor-
liltle house. where she lived surrounded BY her
three well-to-do married daughters, she gave IL as
farm. until she saw him comfortably settled and
married.
Already her eye was nxed on the night wife for
him 10 have, and only waiting until the place was
u proper order. She had sent an Invitation TO a
certain second cousin, who, as good luck would
have II. was a buxom widow well disposed to take
another partner The widow had Q nice sum Of
money al ner own command, besides which she
was mistress OF a eomfortabls little roadside inn
Wished M It's stead she had a farm to look alter
THIS wish decided Mrs. Grant. Knowing that
an overture, and as Mrs Pollard lived but 20 miles
AWay, she sent message begging that Cousin Sc
neA as she called her, would come to winscott for
MA Pollard accepted the Invitation. and the
vzAt aid In The early summer had gone on IA
Peter. quite innocent of the motives which had
brought her there. welcomed her most cordially
aAe was brfght-eyed, good-looling woman, and
though close upon forty, bore her years 50 well
nat she looked younger than Peter, who was ten
years her Junior.
nsf with women, and Cousin Selma, a little
prompted 70 I by Mrs Grants well-dropped hints
and suggestions. began TO think seriously OF the
she went into the capabilities Of the land with
ousiness-hke precision, and finally decided that
With the help OF her money and supervision, IL
might be worked into a very prosperous concern.
There were drawbacks, one more especially
PEERS little son. Mrs Pollard did not care for,
had not been used TO, children, could not be
bothered with them. But, perhaps his grand
mother would take him: II not, she could md
provided for until he could earn his own living;
but considering what she remembered about tue
mother, no one would expect her to treat such a
Poor Peter." MS. Pollard did not disguise
from his mother that she saw many reasons for
Than a baby. II might be true he worked hard him
sell. but those about him were not worth quartz
the wages he gave them; and she enumerated The
rev laoorers who, hitherto ground down 10 the
last farthing BY his misery old uncle, Peter had
Kept on at Increased pay.
pastwork atogether with an idle good-for- nothing
grand daughtef, whose look abe, Selma. did not
she ventursd on saying a. much tc Peter, but he
DID not seem TO understand her, and only made
Their dlsmi1sal more certain by saying that Jenny
was good girl and was 80 fond OF his little Peter
and .s for the old man, though It was true he was
nearly Hsse WORK. Jenny did all she could 70 make
che dos. not iook 70 me sif he'd last long, Mrs.
Pollard said.
Pster answered: poor Jennyi what will become
q nen ] must " 70 md something for her 10
.oh, shst WIN Be very easy," and the self-elected
neann( about people wanting girls, and won't
Only that Mrs Grant kept assuring her that
beeee vas 90 very baShfUl VI proposing when he
tnsW there VI - money, Cousin Selma would have
BEN utse OIL disappointed that, without saying
aword = permitted her 10 go away.
she asksd him 70 come and see her and he said
whso would 10 come,
%, when the harvest was In Work for q time
would thsn b over, and he might indulge In a
Mn. Ptlard, BY the light Of inclination, saw a
meaning In this answer, and more graciousiy went
The corn. green then, had since grown golden.
messages had been sent by selma, and Mrs Grant
ssit toe prize was 70 be secured, there must be
she had CHOSEN this evening 10 open the oues-
uen. and her starting point as we have SEEN was:
Peter. you must marry
Aiter The aliusion 10 his dead wife, and the years
during mich ne had remained a widower a 81
lence ensued, employed by Mrs. Grant In deciding
touch her SON ~ ~
III rs olly on account OF the boy 70 give him
e~yan- '' ono
Peter looked up. The welfare OF the how WINS