Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-12
GRANDPA'S STORY.

YES" replied L, as filed a pan with ap-
piles and prepared to cut them, land more
shame to him, too. Brought her clear up TO
an engagement, and then left town with
another girl, and without one word TO Fan. ~
''Shamem repeated good Grandpa West,
with an indignant flash from eyes blue and
clear as at 81; otis disgrace TO any Chris
tian church to let one of its members 20 on
so. Time was when he wouldn't have gone
scott free as he has now"
''But what could have been doneg' IN
quired.
''Done? He'd have had the full broadside
Of church discipline on his shoulders fifty
years ago He ought 10 be dealt with as
Harmon Page was" concluded grandpa,
meditatively
''How was that" inquired /, interested at
once
az wonder if you never heard that storyr'
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 knife, and I'll help you with
your apples and tell that yarn at the same
time"
Well pleased with the plan, took another
pan, and our fingers few as grandpa went on
with the true and authentic history Of Har-
mon Page.
'You see," he began, 'a1l this happened
fifty years ago, and Amityville wasn't then
the slow going. dull little place it is now. It
was comparatively new, and was as lively
and enterprising as the new places Of the
west are to-day There were good many
Did aristocratic families, though, and l tell
ye they held their heads high The very
meetin' house slips had 10 be gagged accord
In TO the rank OF the buyer and tel you old
Deacon Avery would never have got tho
scowl out Of his fOrrard if Squire Page had
happened to had q seat in front Of his.
Deacon Avery had q daughter-a quiet,
gentle girl, with s slight, graceful figure and
= face-wen, you don't see such faces now
days; q clear, fine complexion, with a deli
eate pink trembling up into her lips, when
she was spoken TO. Her eyes were great Inn
pid wells, changing with every thought, and
her hair was a soft chestnut brown, waving
about her face in its own Maynard style.
''She was lovely girl, became professor
Foung, and was always TO be seen in the end
Of the deacon's pew every Sunday, rain or
Ihine. She'd never had much company, for
there was kind Of digniiied reserve about
her that kept the fellows AZ a distance. But
when she was long bout 1S 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 well 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, TIL she was really
brilliant. And ne, with ell his proud spirit,
always grew strangely gentle with Mercy.
$50, 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 a cousin
of Col 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 she was never tired of
iiugling around her neck. She had a good
deal, too, of what you call style and Amity-
vile 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 en-
gagged himself TO Mercy, and ct first gave the
new conner to go-by. The Pages and Fords
had a family feud of good many years
standing, which kept them apart for one
thing, aud Virginia had plenty Of company
besides Harmon.
But l suppose Harmon's indifference
piqued the girl, and she SnUbbed the other
boys and exsrted all her charms on Harmon.
''She came an the fall, and along about
Christmas time, the neighbors began to
notice that Virginia was mighty thick az the
Pages.
1.-The two houses were pretty near To-
gether, and she used 70 run over to Mother
Pages on some excuse or other twenty times
, day Perhaps 'twa'nt strange that Ha~-
mon began 70 be ftat;ered by II. lie had as
good turn out IS any chaplin the place, and
he got in the habit OF taking Virginia con
siderable.
''You see POSITIONS everything in moro
cases than one and Virginia was right there
handy, while Mercy LIVED at the top OF one
of our OLD fashioned Connecticur hills, with
q dreadful hard road lear3ins to il.
whether she knew how much Harmon
was taking the other girl wasn't known;
some thought not she didn't get out much,
except 70 meetin' that winter. ard she had
enough of her fathers SKUNK aoout he- not 10
let on that she saw Harmon foo,in' with Vi--
ginia Wake at the noonil'&
There was splendid sleigtiIg that season
the kind we don't have these ,fsys-and
some OF the young folks wanted 70 have a
general sleigh ride. l. was put o. from tirr,e
TO time, TIL 'swas 2naily SEA Tor one Thurs
day night.
1T was the night of tbs regular weekly
prayer meeting and after the tune Of the
ride was all settled Harmon, who was TIE
only professor IL lhe par,y, 1ried 4 hs5ie To
have it changed. Bua Virginia Wake d.
clareG. with wicked shake of those jiag ing
ourls, that she could say her prayers Just as
well in sleigh as she could cooped up in that
stupid barn OF meeting house.
''Everyb0 thOugk9 eTJeIward she fixed
the rids Tor chat night % Snow Mercy very
the power sue had over harmon Page.
.'VTell. the parry stirred frora Alnisvville
long about O'clock They were AZ IL { big
two horse LOAF, eXeeps Virginia and Harmon.
''She mad arranged Tor tleTn % go ahead
in his cutter aioas. and I'll 0d-aiI they
were a splendid locking coaple-he, Nyise t.
tine eyes aad teega. AID size, il 3 -iea o1ll1R
son hood that set Of her dark beauty 70 per-
lection.
.'Our ro;,te-fo- was one Ok tire party
Law straight 40 tie hill toward Deacon
Averv's. Just Is VIC sgg2ed into l. Wit
should we r.1oet bts tire Geacea ana Mere.
''Thev were late. for the i.ssetsRg. yEes aims
appoira4i for early csut;ic hgAsisis; bUb
Mercy had probably waited awhile Tor Aa--
mon. who. for = year back. had taken her 70