The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-13
By John HABBERTON

away from home DeIore, except when on jury
duty in the county town, In many years, yet
from the old ladys manner it seemed the let
ter must contain something unusual As he
reached the hill top his mother placed the
sheet in his hand, saying:
II thought mebbe you'd better see it at
once"
Phil took it and read aloud, as follows:
DEAR OLD GIRL-Your husband is about
as usual, though the well water in this town
amt fit for decent cattle to drink I've seen
some of the sights, and wished more than
once that had you along; if things turn out
as they look though, I'll bring you down in
style yet I've run against the folks that
looked at our south ridge with a view to
making a cottage village, and. as luck would
have it, they knew Mr.. Tramlay, who'srolled
up his sleeves and done his best to help clinch
things and make 4 good thing out of it for me.
Ineed Phil; Mr. Tramlay wants him too; and
l wish you'd tell him to pack his bag and get
back here as soon as he can. The boys can
take care of the animals and there's nothing
else on the farm but can wait till get back.
"The Lord be with you all, so no more at
present, from your loving husband,
REUBEN"
"P. S.-That gal amt no more engaged
than / am"
Phil took off his hat, rubbed his eyes, look
ed away in the direction of the ditch extern
sion, and made face at the faithful old
spade.
81 s'pose you'd better be thinkin' about get
tin Off at once" said his mother.
Fathers viii is law" said Phil, in the
callnest tone he could command. do you
think the boys and Carlo can help you take
care of the place for n few daysm
To be sure,n said his mother, "an' pow
erful sight o days besides, If it's goin' to save
your father from drudgin' away the rest of
his days An | amt above sayin' that I'd
stand good deal of loneliness if I thought
'twould end in my stoppin' trottin' around in
pint pot day in an day out. An you, u
said the old lady, looking at her son, ~ want
to see the time come when | can take them
old boots out to a brush heap an burn lem
out O. sight an knowledge. But what does
your father mean about that gal not bein
engaged! Is it that Tramlay gal!"
81 suppose So" said Phil, carelessly, though
his manner WIS the result of prodiSious eff
fort 'When be found me he asked me about
her, along with the other folks, and told
him, just as I'd heard, that she was engaged
to be married. Father must have been ask
ing some pointed questions about her. 1t
does beat everything the interest that old
men sometimes take in young women who
aren't kith nor kin to them, doesn't it?
guess it's about as well that Pm going back,
if only to keep the old gentleman's country
curiosity within proper bounds. Don't you
think so?'
"She amt engaged, said Mrs. Hayn, ig-
noring her sons explanation and his attempt
at joking. "She amt engaged" the old lady
repeated; so you"-
The sentence was not completed, but Pills
face flushed and he looked down at his muddy
boots. For the first time since his return he
had heard an allusion to Lucia that did not
make him uncomfortable.
Within two hours Haynton was shaken
from center-the railway station-to circum-
ference by the announcement that Phil
Hayn, in his store clothes, mad bought a
ticket for New York and was already well
on his journey Meanwhile, at Hayn Farm,
an old woman as deeply interested as any
one in the business AM other possibilities
that had been foreshadowed was doing all in
her power to further them; she was spending
the afternoon on her knees at her bedside.