The times., 1890-01-03

WtEVU tnat than fM,r youth "pUp pre-,
ceded him few days before. 1t is true that
Phil was bemoaning what he believed to be
tho loss of a sweetheart, but the old mans
thoughts were equally full of the possible
gain of daughter-an earthly possession he
had longed for through many years, but been
denied. He had also large and promising
land speculation to engage his thoughts-a
speculation which, apparently, would bring
the family more gain in a year than three
generations of Hayns had accumulated in
century He was planning more enjoyments
for his gray haired, somewhat wrinlSled old
wife, should the Improvement company's
plans succeed, than any happy youth ever
devised for his bride, and he knew exactly
how they would affect the good woman-a
privilege which is frequently denied the new
ly made husband.
And yet his mind and countenance were as
serene and undisturbed as if he were merely
looking forward to the peaceable humdrum
of farmers winter. The appearance of
fields and forests past which the train hur-
ried him did not depress him as they did his
son; a shabby farm house merely made him
thank heaven that his own was moro slightly
and comfortable; a bit Of pine barren or
scrub oak reminded him, to his great salts
faction, that his own woodland could be trust
ed to pay some profit, to say nothing OF taxes
and interest Even swampy lowlands caused
his heart to warm with pride that his strong
arm and stronger will had transformed SINH
lar bogs into ground more fertile than some
to which nature had been kinder.
Nor did he lose his serenity when the ma
tives came down on him like a famished
horde of locusts and demanded news Of what
was going on in the city. He cheerfully told
them nearly everything he know and parried
undesirable questions without losing his tenn
per. He pointed with pride to his subsoil
plow and his wife's new bread pan, and told
how the lenses in his new spectacles had been
made to equalize the strength OF his eyes, in
stead of being both alike, as in the glasses of
the village stores He had heard all the great
preachers, had q good square talk with the
commission merchant to whom most Hayn-
ton farm products went, seen everything
that the newspapers advertised as wonder
fully cheap, bought some seed oats larger
than any ever seen in Haynton, got Sun.
day hat which was neither too large nor too
small, too young nor too old, and added to
the family collection of pictures a photo
graph of the Washington monument and an
engraving of the Death Of President Car
field"
Haynton and its environs simply quivered
with excitement over all the news and per-
sonal property which the farmer brought
back; but 1t experienced deeper thrills when
the old man told his neighbors that he knew
Of plan by which they might get rid Of
their ridge land for an amount Of money the
mere interest of which would bring them
more profit than the crops coaxed from that
thin soil. The plan would benefit them still
more should the buyers project succeed, for
| a lot of cottagers would make brisk cash
market for the vegetables which Haynton
ground produced so easily, and which Hayn-
ton farmers moaned over because they could
not at present sell the surplus at any price,
much less at the figures which their agricul-
tural newspapers told them were to be OBJ.
tanned in large cities
Would they take ten dollars per acre for
| their ridge land, the money to be forfeited
unless the remainder OF two hundred per
acre were paid within yeari Would they
Well, they consented with such alacrity that
the farmer soon had to write to New York
for more currency. Before Thanksgiving
day the Haynton Bay Improvement com
pany controlled full mile of shore front,
| and there was more money in circulation in
by the Oldest inhabitant, who was reminded
Of the good old times when in 1918 pri-
vateer, built and manned in Haynton's little
bay, had carried rich prize into New York
and come home to spend the proceeds
Small mortgages were paid off, dingy
houses appeared in new suits of paint, several
mothers in lsrasl bought new Sunday dresses,
two OF three farmers gave their old horses
and some money for better ones, the aisle of
| one church was carpeted and another church
| obtained the bell that for years had beer
longed for, veteran pastor had fifty dollar.
added to his salary of four hundred year, anC
got the money, too; several families began K
buy parlor organs on the installment plan ION,
farmer indulged in the previously unheard o
extravaganza of taking his family, consisting
of his wife and himself, to New York to spent
the winter, and another dedicated his newly
found money and his winter enforced Leisure
to the reprehensible work of drinking himsel
to death.
"An' it's all on account Of a gal" Farmel
Hayn would remark to his wife whenever b,
heard of any new movements that could b.
traced to the ease Of the locdl money market
"If our Phil hadn't got that Tramlay gal OF
the brain last summer, no wouldn't have gon
to New York to visit; then wouldn't hav
gone to look for him, and the improvement
company wouldn't have been got up, an
Phil wouldn't have hatched the brilliant ide
Of buyin'-what did he call 'eml-oh, yes, op
tions-buyin' options on the rest of the ridge
an there would have been no refreshir
shower Of greenbacks fallin' like the raj
from heaven on the just an unjust alike. !
reminds me of the muss that folks got int
in the old country over that woman Helen
whose last name i never could find. out Yo
remember it-'twas in the book that youn
minister we had on trial an didn't exactl
like left at our house. It's just another sue
case, only good deal more proper, this nc
bein' heather land. All on account of
galr
"If It Is" Mrs Hayn replied on one occa
sion, as she took her hands from the doug
she was kneading, "an' it certainl y looks q
II 1t was, don't you think it might be onl
fair to allude to her more respectfully don
like TO hear young woman that our Phil
likely to marry spoke Of as just that Tram
lay gal"
"S'pose. then, l mention her as your daugt
ter-in-lawi But amt IL odd that all th
changes that's come to pass In the last mont
or two wouldn't have happened at all IL