Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-07-06

me-"
"Well, come in, anyway" said the
| doctor.
"Where-where' the housekeeper?'
faltered Abby, dismayed. as she fount
herself alone with her suitor.
THAT reliable woman is visiting
her Cousins step-father's grandmother
in the next town" answered the doc
tor, grsvely; "and this is my dinner
pointing to the table-"cold pie
cold beans, cold ham, cold tea Oh,
Abby" (and catching both hands he
held them tight), "don't you think
need little wife to look after me?'
"Oh!" calculated Abby, "ain't you
awfGl?"
"Yes, awfully in love, my dear
he answered, audaciously.
The doctor was farmers son, and
a good natural understanding, with q
few years of the medical school, had
made him clever man in his calling
without much disturbing the standard
of taste that obtained upon the old
farm; so sweet country girl, without
the repose of the We're de Veres, was
his ideal of womanhood.
abby" he went on, "once for all
will you marry me!"
NO" answered Abby, struggling
to be firm; "for L can't be-oh, | cam
wicked"
"Wicked?" repeated Worth.
you've never been to church but
once since you came to Middleburg
and then you went to Dodd's and
he's-he's" her voice sunk to whis
per-"he's an Armenian"
Nonsense! he's Yankee" said
the doctor, looking puzzled. "Bu'
never mind. I'll sit under Holloway 's
to please you, Abby. What's the
difference?"
THAT worst of ALL" cried the poor
girl, in genuine distress. Aunt says
erybody must have convictions.
"Then Pm all right" answered
Worth, with the pertinecity of the
rural lover, "for l have the convict.
ion that love you At the word he
impul sively stepped toward her, and
she, with scared look, shrank away
from him.
Tie doctor then turned q little pale,
and said, coldly: ~ shall never trou.
BILE you again-never." And when
Abby hurriedly explained: II wanted
to ask if Mabel might come to our pic.
mic on the Fourth" he answered civ
lily Certainly; she's playing in the
wood she'd" and opening door, he
called: "Mabel!"
Eyes, father" answered O child's
voice, and the sweetest, ligttest,
brightest little maid of seven years
old came running in, and with cry
of joy sprang to Abby's arms
"Oh, Abby!" she said, "have you
come to live with US? Do come and
live with US. We could send away
the house keeper and have such fun.
/ love you so much. Abby, having
easily won the child over TO her plans,
timidly asked Worth, "You will come
to the picnic, too?" he refused.
mo; Pm not in the mood for such
things" and he turned away from her.
Before night Mason's store saw ell
aborately lettered in colored inks,
this notice:
The Birthday of our Great Nation.
THURSDAY, July 4TH.
GRAND PICNIC, AT CLAPP'S HILL,
BY Mr.. HoLLowAY's CONGREGATION.
Glees and Choruses; Root Beer in plenty
Strawberries, Cakes, aud Grafton, which,
though boasting only one r, will be excellent
Great Attraction.
Little Mabel Worth will recite "The Drum
mer Boy"
Object of picnic no secret-to raise funds to-
ward purchasing Church Organ.
Tickets, GO Cents. Children, quarter price.
Tully, the wheelwright, Applegate,
the carpenter, and a sulky young gi-
ant known as Dave Brown stood
reading the gorgeous placard in omi-
nous silence.
"Say, Rube," asked Tully, with an
expression of wounded confidence,
"ain't there but one r in oration?"
"Some puts two," answered Apple
gate automatically; "but that amt
the pint The pint is, are Dodd's
folks to put up with an insult from
Holloway's folks?"
NO" responded Rube. Nav
not much" growled Dave Brown.
And just then Godfrey's pallid, nerv-
Gus face appeared in the doorway,
fanked by the broad, freckled count
enances of "the Sparks fellars
"Hello!" shouted Brown. II see
sneak"
"Some young man must be looking
in the glass;" remarked Godfrey,
while his supporters raised guffaw.
SAY" demandeded Tully, striding
up to Godfrey, "did you write that
thing?" and he pointed to the offens-
i've paper.
II did; and l spelled it too"
"Can you spell that?" asked Dave
Brown, thrusting brawny fist right
under the schoolmaster's nose.
Eyes, r-o-w-G-y," answered God
frey; but, thanks to the tardiness of
Dawes mental processes, other villa
gers had interfered before the bitter
retort had been fairly felt. The Dodd
faction retired, but only to mediate
vengeance.
Middleburg on the Fourth of July
poured itself out in two streams, one
setting toward the store, the other
toward the school house.
The processions-well, they were
something to see as by different roads
they started for Clapp's Hill. The
Dodd party led by the great brass
band, i e, one French horn blowing
off Yankee Doodle" in style, while
the drum now and then struck in an
Obligato Behind the music rode
the orator of the day-Slo-
cum, the shoemaker, mounted on far
mer Days old white mare, which,
although patient creature at the
plow, was not friendly to drum; so
Slocum, being a careful man, kept one
hand twisted in her name. The ora
tor wore cooked hat, which was
viciously inclined to settle upon the
top of his nose; he wore also an Odd
Fellows scarf of gorgeous design, and
the oration-an enormnns rOlI-stuck