The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-19
AN OLD TINE GIRL.

80 1t seems FRED Hayes has nnally
iilted Fanny Howe. said Grandpa West,
one rainy morning as he stood shaking of
the drops from his great coat on our
kitchen stove.
Yes. replied |. as | filled pan with
apples and prepared TO cut them. and
more shame TO him. too Brought her
clear 10 an engagement. and then left
town with another girl and without one
word TO Fan.
'Shamel" repeated good Grandpa West,
with ali indignant fash from eyes blue
and clear as at 81, lit S a disgrace TO any
Christian church TO let one of lis members
go oh so Time was when he wouldnt
have gone scot free. as he has now
But what could have been doney' in.
quired.
Done? He'd have had tho full broad
side of church discipline on his shoulders
fifty years ago lie ought to b. dealt
with as Harmon Page was. concluded
grandpa, meditativcly
How was that inquired !. interested
at once.
II wonder If you've never heard that
storyp' said he. with curious glance |
understood better aiterward See here.
1t rainy day. ard mother won't he OK
pecting me home Hand ovcra knife and
Ill help you with yGur apples and tell
that yarn at the same time
Well pleased with the plan. took an
other pan, and our fingers flew as grandpa
went on with the true and authentic his
tory of Harmon Page
You see. he began. All this hap
pened fifty years ago. and Amityvillo
wasn't then tho slow going duh little
place it is now. 1t was comparatively
new. and was as lively and onterprising as
the new places of the west are today.
There were good many old aristocratic
families. though, and tell you they held
their heads high The very meetin house
slips had to be gagged accordin' to the
rank of the buyer. and tell you old Dea
con Avery would never have got the scowl
out of his forIard if Squire Page had hap
pene1 TO have a seat in front of his
Deacon Avery had a daughter, aquet,
gentle girl. with IA slight, graceful figure,
and face-well, you don't see such faces
now days-a clear. fine complexion, with
a delicate pink trembling up to her lips
when she was spoken TO. Her eyes were
great limpid wells. changing with every
thought, and Ter hair was Il soft chestnut
brown. waving about her face in its own
hayward style.
''She was lovely girl became a pro
fessor young, and was always TO be seen
in the end of che deacon's pew every Sun.
day. rain or shine She never had much
company, for there was kind of dgnifeG
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 handsome, high spirited
chap, lively and full of talk, and as diff
ferent from Mercy Avery as two persons
well 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 chqeks flush at liarmon's witty
speeches tfil she was really brilliant And
he. with his proud spirit. always grew
strangely gentle with Mercy.
80. in spite of the rivalry that had al
ways existed between the two families no
one would have disturbed the two had it
not been for Virginia Wake She was q
cousin of Col Fords 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 jingling around her neck She
had good deal too of what you call
style, and Amityville folks who didn't
know rs much Of the ways of the world
as they do now were completely fasci-
mated 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 at first gave
the newcomer the go by. The Pages and
Fords had family feud of good many
years standing, which kept them apart
for one thing. and Virginia had plenty Of
company besides Harmon
But suppose Harmons indifference
piGJed the girl and she snubbed the other
boys and exerted all her charms on Har
mon
She came in the fall, and along about
Christmas time tho neighbors began to
notice that Virginia was mighty thick at
the Pages
THE two houses were pretty near to
gether. and she used to run over to
Mother Pages on some excuse or other
twenty times day Perhaps t want
strange that Harmon began to be tattered
by 1t. He had as good a turnout as any
chap In tho place and he got In the habit
Of taking Virginia considerable
lyon 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 Connecticut
hills, with dreadful hard road leading
to 1t.
whether she knew how much Harmon
was taking the other girl was not known;
some thought not. She didn't get out
much. except to meetin'. that winter, and
she had enough Of her fathers spunk
about her not to let on that she saw Har
mon foolin' with Virginia Wake at the
noonin's
There was splendid sleighing that sea
son-the kind we don't have these days
and some of the young folks wanted to
have general sleigh ride Ii was put of
from time to time, till twas finally set for
one Thursday night.
1T was the night Of the regular weekly
prayer meeting, and after the time of the
Hide was all settled Harmon. who was the
only professor In the party tried little
70 have 1t changed. But Virginia Wake