, 1889-05-02
MYRTLE'S SUITOR.

Susan dropped her handkerchief into
her lap quickly, giving her husband an
indignant look. She was a woman oi
some 80 years, tall and large framed
with fresh, healthy complexion She
had high cheek bones. her eyes were
black and her hair, though threaded
with gray, retained its dark hue. Sh.
sat by the west window of the large wing
room which served for the dining and
lising room of a farm house. She had
been looking into the orchard, where the
sun, as it sank in a bank of red clouds
FURNISHED the gnarled trunks and
crooked limbs of the old apple trees
which cast long slanting shadows to
wards the house. Her husband who wa:
also tall, was of slighter build than she
pale and older looking. He had beer
bustling in and out of the room, and hac
jSst thrown an armful of wood into the
wood box behind the stove. That arm
full filled the box full, and he was reach
ing for his pipe on the mantelpiece wher
he glanced at his wife and saw her fur
lively wiping her eyes.
"How you do talk, Cyril. I aim
thought O. sech thing as cryin'. 1 jes
set here lookin' at them apple trees, al
bare as they be, an wonderin' who'd bt
lookin' out O. this winder next year
when they blowed agin. That set me
thinkin' o tho day you an me first come
home afte. we'd been to the parsons
We come through the orchard, an the
| trees was all full o white blows, some OF
EN- fallin' on the ground, and you said
ctr NJ l, fr1l r,
oar weddin'. Your ma set in this ere
winder, an when she see us comm she
got up and opened the door, and when
VIC come up on the stoop we could see
the table all sot for US and the room fixed
up fur company. l amt forgot n word
she said. She put her arms round my
neck an kissed me, and says she, wei.
| com home, Susan. You've got q good
husband, an you've como to good home.
| can't wish you no bettern thet you'll
DO as prosperous as I've been here,
an when you're ready to die. as be
| now, thct you can look back on as happy
life in the old home as do. Oh, Cyril,
do hope dead folks can't see back here.
II your poor ma was to see us turned
out o here, all the singin' an playin' on
harps, an all the gold mansions in
heaven, even If she owned one all to her
self, wouldn't comfort her."
The old man had filled his pipe while
his wife was talking, and now sat in an
arm chair in front of tho stove. He
made no reply.
You'll think I'm fool, / know" she
went on, ''but L keep on lookin' fur that
air paper. Somehow l can't givo up t
was sech born iddit as to burn 1t up
with mess O. rags" .........
''It's burnt up fast enough, faint no
usO O. hopin' you'll find it." was tho dis
cOuraging reply; what gifts mo Is, how
that old skiniiint heard on t. You don't
think Myrtle d think she could hey' i'm,
do ye? Thet's what he wanta Hos got
big farm an good house. He nin't
moron fifty year old, reckon"
LAND sakes alivci Cyril Pettigrew,
what be you talkin' about? He's
older'n be, an I'm hard onto sixty. ]
guess you've forgot what you've allus
said about i'm, an thet want no morc'n
other folks says. Even s'pose he want
the hardest hearted, grindin'est old coot
for miles round, should you want our
Myrtle to marry him as could lie an
cheat about this ere money as he's doin'!
You know you paid I'M, don't you, an
you don't s'pose he's forgot it!"
90 course l know l paid it; he amt
forgot it, neither. He want pleased
when told i'm what I'd cum fur-guess
he hoped couldn't git it, an then he'd
mebbe git Myrtle. When como away,
says he, 'Sfr. Pettigrew, I s'pose Myrtle
expects to be to home next Sunday
evenin'. Mebbe I'll be round, an can
bring the satisfaction piece to the mort.
gage the same time. Then no give me
the receipt. an brought it home"
''Yis, you did; twas here fast enough.
| remember seein' you lay 1t down on
the ptand. l must burnt It up, but
deary me, can't contrive how. I was
drctful busy thet day, finishin' up things
for Joels box. wanted to git it to i'm
in timo for his birthday, longs he
thought he couldn't spare time to come
home. Miss Martin was hero n helpin'
on me. l tried to make her sense what
t was wod lost, but she 'peared to be
dcafer'n ever. l hoilered it to her rs
loud as could, but she acted Jest rs
though | was tcllin' on her somethin'
cunnin' tho way she nodded an looked
tickled. / hev' suspicioaed mebbe she
knew what twas We was huntin' fur, an
let on to Reed we'd lost tho receipt. She
knew ho wanted Myrtle. She said, lots
o times, as how she thought t'would be
a good match fur her, but I says to my
self, You old sarpint! that's cause you
want Sam Hosmcr fur your squint eyed
niece, Malvina Brooks She's been set.
tin her cap fur Sam n,ore'n year."
Mr. Pettigrew was 4 farmer in COM
Portable circumstances. Although he
had but little ready money at his dis
posal, from the proceeds of his farm no
supported his family well and gave to
each of his two children good cduca-
ton. Myrtle, the daughter. now taught
tho village school. Joel wished to be-
come q merchant, rather than to remain
on the farm, and though this was q great
disappointment to his parents, they made
every effort to crafty him. Two years
before our story opens Mr.. Pettigrew
mortSdSed his farm to Jabez Reed, a
neighbor living at distance from them
OF some three miles, and on the farther
side of the village where were situated
the nearest postoffice and railway sta.
ton, as well as the school where Myrtle
taught. The mortgage was for So 900,
and with the sum thus obtained he
bought partnership for Joel in a west
erB town. Before the mortgage fell due
Mr. Pettigrew and his son together had
saved enough money to pay it, and Mr..
PettiGrcw himself made the payment
to Mr.. Reed. who gave him a receipt
for the amount. After he reached home
the receipt was in some unaccountable
way lost, and Jabez Reed heard of its
loss. as they learned through letter
from him In that letter he urged tho
immediate payment of the $1,000 due
him on the mortgage which Cyril Pet
tiSrcw had promised to pay when he had
called on the writer, on the 18th of No
vemhcr. tthe date OH which Cyril had
T1ade the Eayment}. In postscript Mr..
ii"''i said that were he TO become more