The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-06-07
GRANnPA WESI,S STORY.

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so it seems Fred Hayes has finally
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 l, as filled a pan with
apples and prepared to cut them, and
more shame to him, too. Brought her
clear up to an engagement, and then left
town with another girl, and without one
word to Fam
'Shamev repeated good Grandpa West
with an indignant flash from eyes clear
as at twenty one. Its a disgrace to
any Christian church to let one of its
members go on 80. 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 broad
side of church discipline on his shoul-
ders fifty years ago. He ought to be
dealt with as Harmon Page was,' con
cluded grandpa, mcditauvely.
How was that ? inquired l, interested
at once,
Il wonder if you never heard that
story ? said he, with a curious glance
understood better afterward. See here;
it's a rainy day, and mother won't be
expecting me home. Hand over a knife
and I'll help you with your apples and
tell that yarn at the same time.
Well pleased with the plan, took an
other pan, and our fingers flew as grand
pa went on with the true and authentic
history of Harmon Page.
You see,' he began, all this happened
6fty years ago, and Amityville WASH 7
then the slow going, duh little place il
is now. 1t was comparatively new, and
was as lively and enterprising as the
new places of the West are to-day
There were good many old aristocratic
families, though, and tell ye they held
their heads high. The very meetin'-
house slips had to be gauged accOrdin'
to the rank of the buyer, and tell you
old Deacon Avery would never have got
the scowl out of his forward if Squire
Page had happened to have seat in
front of his.
Deacon Avery had a daughter-a
quiet, gentle girl, with slight, graceful
| figure, and face-well, you don't see
such faces now days; a clear. fine com
pexion, with a delicate pink trembling
up into her cheeks when she was spoken
to. Her eyes were great limpid wells,
changing with every thought, and her
hair was a soft chestnut brown, waving
about her face in its own wayward
style.
She was a lovely girl, became a pro-
fessnr 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
dignified reserve about her that kept the
fellows at a distance, But when she
was long bout eighteen or twenty, Har =,
mon Page began to go with her.
He was a handsome. high.spirIted
chap, lively and full of talk, and as diff
ferent 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 her pretty cheeks flush, at Harmons
witty speeches, till she was really bril-.
liant. And he, with all his proud spirit,
always grew strangely gentle with
Mercy,
so, in spite of the rivalry that had
always existed between the two families,
no one would have disturbed the two
had it not been for Virginia Wake. She
was cousin of Colonel Ford's first wife,
and came there visitin' from the South.
Virginia was called a handsome girl,
with her brunette face, flashing black
eyes, and heavy black curls which she
was never tired of jingling about her
neck. She had good deal, too, of what
you call style, and Amityville folks,
who didn't know as much Of the ways
OF the world as they do now, were com
pletely 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 new. conner the g0-by. The
Pages and Fords had family feud Of a
good many years standing, which kept
them apart for one thing, and Virginia
had plenty of good company besides
Harmon.
But suppose Harmon's indifference
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
with the Pages.
The two houses were pretty near to-
gether, and she used to run over to Mrs.
Pages on some excuse or other twenty
times day. Perhaps 'twa'nt strange
that Harmon began to be hattered by
it. He had as good turnout as any
chap in the place. and he got in the
habit of taking Virginia out driving con-
siderable,
You see positions everything IN more
cases than one, and Virginia was right
there handy; while Mercy lived at the
top of one OF our old fashioned Connec-
ticut hills, with a dreadful hard road
leading to 1t.
Whether she knew how much Har-
mon was taking the other girl wasn't
known; some thought not. She didn't
get out except to meetin' that winter;
and she had enough Of her fathers
spunk about her not to let ON that she
saw Harmon foolin' with Virginia Wake
at the noonins.
There was splendid sleighing that sea.
son, the kind we don't have these days,
and some of the young folks wanted TO
have a general sleigh-ride. 1t was put
off from time 10 time till twas finally
set for one Thursday night. r.I- Q
1T was the night OF the regular weekly
! nraNar meptinU and after the time OF