San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-21
AN OLD TIME GIRL.

$50 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 |. as filled a pan with
apples and prepared to cut them, land
more shame to him. too. Brought her
clear TO an engagement. and then left
town with another girl. and without one
word to Fan"
Shame" repeated good Grandpa West.
with all indignant flash from eyes blue
and clear as at 81 lit disgrace to any
Christian church to let one of it's mem bers
go on so Time was when he wouldn't
have gone scot free, as he has now"
But what could have been done?" in.
quired
"Donef He'd have had the full broad
side OF church discipline on his shoulders
fifty years ago He ought to be dealt
with as Harmon Page was." concluded
grandpa, medit atively
How was THAR" inquired l, interested
at once
Il wonder II you've never heard that
story sand he, with a curious glance
understood better afterward See here,
II 5 rainy day and mother won't be ex
pectlng me home Hand over knife, and
II. 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 few as grand pa
went ON with the true and authentic his
tory Of Harmon Page
'fou see- he began, AL this hap.
pened fifty years ago, and Amityville
wash then the slow going dull little
pace It Is now II was comparatively
new and was as lively and enterprising as
The new places of the west are TO-DAY
There were a good many old aristocratic
families though and tell you they held
thelr 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 forrard if Squire Page had hap
pened to have seat III front of his
beacon Avery had daughter, aquiet,
gentle girl with slight. graceful figure,
and face-wsll. you don't see such faces
uow days-a clear. fine complexion. with
delicate pink trembling up to her lips
when she was spoken to Her eyes were
great limpId wells changing with every
thought and her hair was q soft chestnut
brown waving about her face in it's own
hayward style
She was a lovely girl. became a pro-
lessor young and was always to be seen
in the end of the deacon's pew every Sun.
day rain or shine She 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
1870 ~ Harmon Page began to go with
her
He was handsome. high spirited
chap lively and full of talk. and as diff
tereut from Mercy Avery as two persons
vel. could be But they loved each other.
there no dnubt about that. Many's the
time We seen her grand eyes sparkle and
pretty ch-eks flush at Harmon witty
speeches iii she was rally brilliant And
lie with his proud spirit. always grew
strangely gentle with Mercy
SO IN spite OF the rivalry that had al
ways existed between the two families, no
one wouIu nave disturbed the two had it
not been tor Virginia Wake She was
cousin 81 Co. Ford first wife, and came
there r,sItln from the south
Virginia was called handsome girl
with her brunette face. flashing black
eyes and heavy black curls she was never
tired OF juggling around her neck She
had a good deal. too. Of what you call
style. and Amityville folks who didn't
know as much Of the ways Of the world
a. they do now were completely fasci-
mated with her taking ways The young
fellows in particular lowered around her
like moths around a 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 bad family teud of good many
years standing which kept them apart
TOR one thing and Virginia had plenty of
company besides Harmon
But suppose Harmon's indifference
piqued the girl and she snubbed the OF her
boys and e2sted all her charms on Har
mon
''Sbe came la the fall. and along about
Christmas time the neighbors began to
notice that Virginia was mighty thick at
the Pages
The Two houses were pretty near to
getber and she used 70 run over TO
Mother Pages on some excuse or other
twenty times a day Perhaps I want
strange that Harmon began to be hattered
by It he had an good turnout az any
chap in the place, and he got in the habit
OF taking Virginia considerable
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 Connecticut
hills. with q dreadful hard road leading
TO 1t.
''Nyhether sha knau how -s.'.-L H. -