The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-11-02

| oOOOJ AASSluo W do IuSG IioiuS UNIV
eighteen, and was as pretty girl as
ever graced Postum ridge society, and
for that matter she would have been nc
mean ornament in more aristocratiC
circles.
For years she had constituted Jerry
Higgins family, and he being a man
well-to-do financially, and justly proud
of his daughter, had devoted consider
able means to giving her an education
and had even gone so far-against the
protest of his neighbors, of course-a:
TO send her away to attend school in tho
city.
Old Sam was rude, gruff fellow, who
had seen the suns of fifty summers, but
who was perfectly preserved physically
and in good trim for taking sixth
wife at any time.
The work at the mill had run behind
a little during lilly Beckett's short ill.
ness, and for two or three days after the
funeral old Sam was kept quite busy
grinding the accumulated "grists."
In the meantime Nose Hackett, the
"pr lcher feller," haG spent good
deal of his spare time in the neighbor,
hood of Beckett's mill. In fact, he and
Betty spent a great many hours in
quiet ST. oils along the shady lanes oil
'Possum ridge, or in peaceful rambles
along the banks of the beautiful Coos
Run river.
In one of these long walks they hap.
pened to pass by the mill. Beckett
was at the time leaning through the
little window looking listlessly down
the road that ran off through the woods
and all at once his gaze fell upon the
advancing couple.
In Il moment a dark frown came
over his face, and his brows contracted
with vexation. He watched until they
had passed on and out of sight, and
then with q dissatisfied shrug of his
broad shoulders, he turned away NUT
tering:
"'Twon It do-'twon't nigh do. That
thar feller's gittin' too numerous in
these parts, AN the first thing know
that gal will be fer marryin' him. ]
promised old Jerry I'd keer fer 'er, an
I'll do it. 'Tain't fer her good to marry
seech upstairs as him, an she sha' Mt
do it."
Since the death of Beckett's wife
Betty had gone to live at Dan Bunker's,
and accordingly, as soon as the grists
had all been ground out, Beckett
closed the old mill. and, dressing him
self in his best suit, walked over to
Bunker's house.
Pretty soon after his arrival Dan and
his wife managed to retire, leaving
Beckett and Betty alone together in the
best room.
"Ruth,' Dan said, when they were
outside, Eyer know what Beckett's
come fer?"
No, don't" Ruth replied.
oval, l do"
Then, what is it ?'
"Why, he's come a-sparking Nv Bet. "
'"The land sake, Dan! do you reckon
SOP
"Iknow it. Amt he got on billed
shirt an his go-to-meetin' blue-jeans
coat? An what else would he have
them on for if he wasn't figuring on
akin Bet to have him?"
Dan Bunker, do you know what l
think of old Beckett?"
mo, l don't Ruth; but, for that mat
ter; low it's not so much what you
think of him as what Bet thinks of him
that s of interest to old Beckett.
"Well, think he's an old varmint;
and for that matter, | low that Bet
won't think much different when she
finds out his business. The idea of the
old thing marryin' pretty young gal
like her-an' that, too, when his other
wife amt been dead weekr'
AS soon as Dan and Mrs. Bunker
were well ont of the room, old Sam
turned to Beth and remarked:
II see you a-walking about a good
bit of late with that preacher Teller, an
l don't approve of it. Hope you don't
mean nothin' business.
Il don't know that understand your
meaning, Mr.. Beckett" the girl re-
piled. "but must say that ! am at a
loss to know what objection you can
have to Mr.. Hackett."
"Wall. I've got this much of objec-
ton to him or to any body else; l don't
want you to marry any body but me.
I'm your garden, an l know who'll
make you good husband, an l amt
willin' to trust you with them thar
young upstairs. I've made up my mind
to marry you, Bet. Idone that the day
Tillie was buried. an now I've come to
AK you to jine me"
Marry you!" the girl exclaimed, in
amazed wonder, "Why, Inever thought
of such thing!'
Don't need to be thought of. All
you want to do is to say the word, an
I'll git Dan to go over an fetch Squire
Beeson, an we'll have it over in less n
hour. Don't need no thinkin', Bet.
You know me an know you, an you
know how much money an land I've
got, an you know what sort of home /
kin offer you. Amt that enough?"
mo, it's not enough. You are fool
if you think could be induced to mar
nv an old man like YOU, simply because