The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-04

/ him. l wouldn't hurt Ben Button y
single thou hit or word, mach less take
his Efo,' replied Zip, with aa earnest
ness unusual with hun.
4 was only joking, ZIP. But you
seem to BE- aw,uIy il earnest and sol
emn this evening. What is ai.ing you,
any wayT
''Nothing much, only I have made up
my mind to 60 away" answered zin
looking aside.
"Go away2"
'Tes, Melinda"
"Where are you goingl"
"Anywherc. 1t makes 10 difference,
so get away"
''And amt you coming backT
"Somo day, maybe, if ever I get to
be of any account to myself or anybody
clsc.'
"Ycu are Of some account now, Zip
and you had better stay right where
you are"
NO; I've made up my mind to 90,
AMI I an sure it Is the b-st thing that
could happen for US all around, so III
stick to it, - said Zip, resolutoIy.
Melinda was looking out Of tho win
dow, When she saw man coming up
the lane toward the house, and recog-
| nized IN the conner Ben Button, a shad-
ow Of annoyance fitted over her face.
Zip had been watching Melinda; and
when he saw the slight frown on her
face, he too, glanced cut, and seeing
who was coming he rose to his feet,
ready to depart, saying: "IH call in
again before leave and tell you all
good by. Good evening"
Melinda glanced reproachfulIy after
the retroating Zip. There was sus-
picion of tears in her eyes, and little
culver around her mouth, as she muir
INJURED to herself: Foolish ZIP! He is
going away because he thinks 1 am 60
ing to marry that hateful Ben Button,
and is jealous. But I can't make him
see, and won't ask him to stay. Pn
die first. There"
The truth was that a serious thought
had at last come to Zip. He was in
love, and he knew it. He had looked
at himself as in lookinc-glass, and
found out his own worthlessness. More
than that, he had d termined to so
away. change his habits of shiftless-
ness, and become a useful man and
! citiz 4. He would not ask Melinda
| for her love until he had made him
self worthy of it. II, however, in
| the meantime somo other man-Ben
Button porhaps-stopped in ahead Of
him, why, he would still be the gamer
| by an ambition for higher things
which, in an indirect way, would be
a gift from Melinda
That evening, Ben Button asked
Melinda to become his wife; but she
was in 40 mood to answer him, then,
| for Zip's foolish d determin alton to go
away troubled her in no small degree.
She knew, too, that her mother fa-
vored Ben above any one else, and
that she would be grioved if Ben re-
ceived curt refusal, so she told him
she would have al answer ready for
! him when he should call again, and
Ben was happy.
Days passed away. They were days
of hope to Ben, days of doubt and ir-
resol ution to Melinda, and busy days for
hand and thought with Zip.
The decisive evening came at last,
and Ben was on hand with his usual
clockwork regularity to receive what he
fully expected to be favorable answer
to his suit
It had been rainy day, but the sun
had broken through the clouds in the
evening, and was setting bright and
clear, casting its last rays upon Mrs.
Spratt, Melinda and Ben Button, as
they sat on the west gallery of the
house.
81 declare, Melinda" said Mrs. Spratt
suddenly, 'if them welldisgers haven't
gone off and forgot to shut the gap in
the fence around the we'll"
And there is Blossies calf in the
yard now and going straight for the
well. Tu 90 and shut up the gap,
mother; you sit STILL said Melinda, as
Mrs. Spratt was about to rise.
Melinda ran toward the well, heading
the calf off at the same time She was
about to close the gap in the fence
when her eyes fell upon the wide open
ing in the ground. She hesitatcd mo-
meat, then entered the gap, and ap-
preached the we'll cautiously. On the
brink, she poered over and looked into
the depth below. She was about to
withdraw again; but the ground und.1
her feet gave way, and with loud
scream she was hurled to the bottom OF
the we'll.
Mrs. Spratt and Ben saw what hap
pened, for their eyes had fondly follow
ed Melinda in her every movement, and
they now rushed to the scene of the
catastrophe.
Stepping carefully upon some planks
that were lying across the opening Of