The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-04-05

mon was taking the other glrI wasn't
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 Harmon foolin' with Vir-
| ginia Wake at the noOnin's.
''There was splendid sleighing that
season; 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 to time, till
twas finally set for one Thursday
night.
at was the night of the regular
/ weekly prayer-meeting and, after the
time of the ride was all settled, Har-
mon, who was the only professor in the
party, tried little to have it changed.
But Virginia Wake declared, with .
wicked shake of those jingliug curls.
that she could say her prayers just as
well in sleigh as she could cooped
up in that stupid barn of q meeting
| house.
Everybody thought afterward she
| fixed the ride for that night to show
Mercy Avery the power she had over
Harmon Page.
"Well. the party started from Amity-
vile long about o'clock. They were
all in big twO-horse load, except Vir-
ginia and Harmon.
"She had arranged for them to 90
ahead i'll his cutter alone, and I'll ad-
NIT they were splendid looking
couple-he, with his fine eyes and
| teeth, and she, in rich crimson hood
that set off her dark beauty to per
fection.
"Our route-for | was one of the
party-lay straight up the hill toward
Deacon Avery's. just as we turned in
to it, who should we meet but the Dea-
con and Mercy.
"They were late for the meeting was
always appointed for early candle
lighting; but Mercy had probably
waited awhile for Harmon. who. for
r year back, had taken her to Thurs
day meetin' as regular as the day came
round.
''She sat up, straight and queenly,
beside her father as they passed. and
seemed not to hear the malicious sally
Virginia called out to her.
I'VE, in the back team, were near
enough to catch the scornful glance
she threw from those deep eyes, grey
as steel that night.
''As for Harmon, he turned white to
the lips, and for a mile hardly
answered the banter that Virginia
kept up. After that he seemed to grow
perfectly reckless, laughed and joked
louder than any of the rest, and was
SO careless that he drove on a stone
wall; and we following, were all up
af in ho,
work to get tied up so as To make our
way home toward morning more dead
than alive.
1T was sorry day for Harmon
Page. He was waited upon by
church committee, headed by Deacon
Avery, who denounced his whole con-
duct toward Mercy as uuchristian
and highly inconsistent in church
member.
He didn't have much to say for
himself. and they churched him on the
spot. He was pretty down in the
mouth, but kept up some hope, till he
saw Mercy Avery.
He had refused to see Virginia
Wake, and that night he went up the
familiar hill to Deacon Ayery's stone
house.
Mercy herself came to the door,
calm and self-possessed as if nothing
had happened, and showed him into the
sitting-room. There was a steady
light in her grey eyes. though, that
made Harmon tremble, and without
beating about the bush bit, he came
right to the point, and asked that all
might be forgiven and forgotten, and
they become as good friends as be-
fore. He worked himself into a
passion, cried, and took on like child,
they said.
'.But law, it didn't move her an
atom. She had the genuine old Avery
grit, if she was mild-mannered, and
she told him that, as long as the church
had put him out, she, of course,
couldn't in conscience take him back.
He pleaded and entreated till 10
o'clock at night, late hour in them
days, but it did not make a mite of
difference. She wouldn't overlook
what the church had considered a
breach of faith. He went out
crushed man, and from that time his
spirit seemed to leave him utterly"
land what about Virinia WakeP" 1
interrupted, unconsciously cutting my
finger in my eager interest.
"Oh, after the girl had done all the
mischief possible, public opinion
toward her changed main quick,
and she left town in few days, and
was never heard from in these parts
again"
"And Harmon Page; what became
of him?"
"He never got over the shock. He
al
finally had to be taken to the Retreat.
He grew worse, and the sight of Il
handsome woman with red cheeks and
black curls would always throw him
into his most violent tantrums. he
died in the asylum at last"
'Now, | think that was real mean"
said /, wrathfully winding cotton
around my bleeding thumb. "lf
Mercy Avery hadn't turned him of,
his life might not have ended SO sadly.
think she ought to have taken him
back"
'.Ah. hap said Grandpa West, quiz.
zically; "do you mean that?'
Certainly" said |, with dignity,
''why shouldn't II"
"Oh. nothing" he replied, 'only if
she had. Harmon Page would have
been your grandfather instead of me. y
my grandfather-why then, said |
in some confusion, MERCY Avery
must be"
"Mercy West, your grandmother" 3"
said grandpa, chuckling me under my
chin. Confess now that 'alls well
that ends WE'LL"
Il suppose so, said !, reluctantly.
-NeU England Magazine.