Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-14
ADVERTISING RATES.
For the REooBD-UNIoN.l
LIKIM BARNUM'S REVENGE.

Towards the end of the old colonial days
in the Empire State, the little hamlet of
Berne, upon the Rensselaer, manor, expert
enced a sensation.
Its struggling village street had a center
Of interest as potent on week days as the
Westinghouse on Sundays. This center
was the village store" There molasses
and Goldfish, rum, cheese and sugar, and
other heavy groceries, were weighed out
by an elderly gentleman, Mr.. Weston by
name. He had stood daily behind his
counter Sundays excepted) more years
than any of the children who looked in at
the door, as they passed on their way to
to log school-house, could remember. In
deed, the Oldest inhabitant saw little
change in him, only his waistcoat was
trife wider and his head little more
bald, as the years went by.
Business throve with Mr. Weston. More
shelf-room was required in the store" and
this was laden with articles of use or
luxury unknown before TO the unsophisti-
Gated Bernese.
But the sensation was on the return of his
only son from Albany, whittier his careful
parent had sent him to learn " cipherin'
and figgerin'' He took his place beside
his father as partner in the store" The
head of the firm had recently added to the
stock case of ten-year-old bonnets, picked
up at auction in the city, and another of
ribbons of startling brilliancy. These
ha ~ lo1, - cboI,
piled with calicoes gay in color and gor-
geous in design, and in the midst of this
magni6cence like rose in flower pot,
was stationed the junior partner. From
this vantage ground he dispensed the
fneries and small requirements of femi-
zine wardrobcs to the bright-eyed maidens
of Berne and their comfortable-looking
mothers.
While these last drove solid trade in
butter and eggs with the elder Weston, the
daughters Inspected the wonders of the
millinery department, bought Eins and
tape and coquetted mildly with his son and
heir. Sim was not a beauty. He had an
ungainly figure, a purplish skin and a
flabby under lip. Yet, as he was the only
son of the richest man in the settlement,
he was admired and courted by the village
bellies to the disgust of the farmer boys,
who hated him cordially, which he re-
turned with interest in his cold and sullen
way.
For year Sim had sold Calico and ex-
ercised his powers of fascination upon the
female Bernese, when it began to be sur
missed and then asserted in youthful circles
that Sim Weston was to marry one of the
prettiest and most popular girls in the
whole settlement About this time a
brace Of stout young fellows, all "nelghbor
boys" were having" in the Whitney
meadows. They were sitting under 4 tree,
cooling their heated foreheads for few
minutes and disposing of a lunch brought
from the house by two white-headed and
bare-legged urchins. He can't marry EN-
all, said Jim Whitney, "and when Sim
throws his handkerchief reckon us fellers
will have some chance, anyhow"
It's too bad for Cindy Allen, though
broke in younger brother of jim; shes
good and pretty both, too good for ="
Never mind" said dark-skinned
saturnine man, they're all alike; money
takes EN-"
" guess not quite all, said jim Whit
ney, some happy thought shining suddenly
out of his clear eyes and making his
bronzed face radiant
"Pshaw," said the dark man, "your
father is worth as much as old Weston
and the girls know it."
"Wonder what Likim thinks. He never
will say anything" said another, CHANGING
towards tall youth, who was Just then
out of hearing, having gone over to the
water cask. 1t must hurt him consider
able, but nobody will ever know it."
The conversation was dropped at the APP.
proach of Likim with gourd full of water
The gist of the matter had been spoken in
those few careless, disjoipted sentences Of
the hay-makers.
Lucinda Allen, the best and prettiest oil
the village girls, dazzled by promises of flu
ture splendor, was TO marry Sim Weston
Like Meg O. the Mill, she had "left the
guide fellow and ta'en the churl" Ella
kim Barnum's tall form, pleasant face and
heart of gold had been found wanting il
the balance with Weston's money. 1t wa;
asserted in her defense that Cindy's mother
masterful woman, had first made hel
daughter accept Tins attentions, and by
skillful management widened the breach
between Cindy and Likim.
Soon after the conversation iii the hay
field trio of carpenters from Albany ap
peared and began building Sims house. i
was fine affair for those times; situated +,
little apart from the village, with becom
ing aristocratic exclusiveness.
Getting cage for the bird, said ;
young man.
" If was Likim, I'd burn it," said the
dark-faced man who had spoken in the
hav field.
mo-" said his companion, with a spic,
of contempt in his tone; " if you ira
Likim you would be a man, and bear it a.
he does"
1t was late in the autumn, and some
snow had fallen, before the new house wa.
ready for its mistress. There was grand
wedding feast at the house of the elder
Weston early in the afternoon, for the day.
were short and some of the guests had fal
TO go. There was a large attendance o.
old and young. Squire Weston cared toe
much for popular favor to slight any one
Among these Likim Barnum was conspic
uously absent. His mother said that he
had been sent for by 4 sick friend at Rens
elaerville, and had not returned. If thi.
was not accepted as the true version of hi:
absence, no remarks were made.
BY the time it was all over, and the las
good wishes and good-bys said, it wa.
growing dusk, when the bride and bride
groom arrived at their own home. 1t wa
well furnished with all housekeeping con
venienees and many Injuries. The girl,
eyes wandered over the handsome furnish
ings and pretty ornaments without tn,
sense of pride and pleasure that she haC
supposed they would bring to her. Sh,
was weary and her heart strangely heavy
Leaving Sim busy with the unpacking of +:
box of china, his mothers gift, she slipped
away into the neat kitchen and looked
out of It's window towards the town wher,
she had that day left her girlish life be
hind her forever The light of the un
clouded full moon falling upon the new
snow illamined every object with the dis