Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-05
A PIKETOWN ROMANCE.

Old Peter Cummins was "deown with
the rheumatic" Consequently he was
very peevish.
He badgered and bullied all who came
within hearing of his stentorian voice,
from his youngest daughter Martha to
his meek, pale faced old wife.
He found fault with his one hired man
to such an extent that the latter quit"
leaving the plow in the furrow in the
back lot, and went in search of place
where, as he expressed it. he could
"chaw his hash in peace, an not be
eussed at w'enever he went in ear shot
of the house.
The hired man had not been a rapid
worker, and as Peter had been ailing for
weeks his farm work was in very
backward and chaotic condition,
The blowing was no more than half
done, the potatoes were not planted, the
corn ground was not fitted" and it was
already the middle of May
The farm hands for miles around had
all secured situations, and had been at
work for weeks There was not one to
be had for love or money.
It looked as though Peter Cummins
would have to worry through the season
as best he could without a hired man.
Under the circumstances Peter did not
improve either in health or temper
"Drat the rheumatizP cried he. eff
could only git about I'd hitch up ole
Jerry an drive till / found hired man
an one good for suthin', too. But
here am tied down-bound an gagged
with this pesky rheumatic. Ow, wow
WOW! wot tinge thet air was
Although Peter was, in q certain
sense. bound to his chair, he was very
far from stating the truth when he said
he was gagged, as his wife, his daugh-
ters and every chance passerby could
have testified.
Although plowing and planting were
Mt standstill on the farm the dairy
work went on as brislzly as ever, with
Miss Susan Cummins as general man
ager and Miss Martha an able assistant
Theseventeen cows were MIXED bright
and early every morning: the milk was
'set' in large, shallow pans, and the
cream. at the proper time, was churned
salted and worked" into the sweetest of
golden butter.
This was not considered hard work by
the tall, broad shouldered, rosy checked,
blue eyed aaxen haired Susan, who at 10
years of age was as strong, healthy and
cheerful as girl well could be-
Martha. two years younger, although
equally as light hearted us her sister, was
different in many ways. She resembled
her mother, who. when a gal, as she
often told her daughters, was considered
a great beauty.
Martha had inherited her mothers coal
black hair and eyes creamy complexion
and slim, slender form She was very
pretty, and not a farmer boy for miles
around but loved the ground she walked
on-especially when she lightly tripped
over portion Of her fathers fertile soil,
The Cummins homestead would have
been fairly overrun with admirers of the
two girls dor there were many who
liked the robust Susan's style of beauty
but for one thing. They one and all had
a wholesome fear and dread Of Peters
rasping ear piercing foghorn voice He
also, when not down with rheumatic"
welded with much dexterity and ac-
curacy No 10 cowhide boot.
So, because Of the voice and the boot,
the girls. though greatly admired, had
no tsteady company"
The nearest approach to it was the
three calls Hiram Stubbs had made on
Susan.
On his first visit Hiram was very
anxious, apparently, to secure Peters
advice as to what he had better do with
his "nine acre lot--seed it down er plant
it ag'in."
Peter. being in a cheerful mood, for q
wonder, expatiated and dwelt on the de-
lightful subject at such great length,
and Hiram, to propitiate him, gave him
such marked and undivided attention,
that Susan remained unnoticed. save at
such rare intervals as Peter went 10 the
door to exnectorate. On these occa-
sions Hiram rolled prominent pewter
eye toward the damsel, and made hur-
ried and whispered observation on the
state of the weather or sohcitously in
quired rs TO her health.
The youths second visit, ostensibly for
the purpose Of procuring a recipe for a
SPAWN liniment. passed off in much the
same way.
When Hiram, in his store clothes, pre-
sented himself at the kitchen door of the
Cummins homestead for the third time
there was GOODNESS in the reception
rendered him by the old husbandman
that should have warned him Of break
ers ahead.
Peter. being tired and cross, retired
early. and the young man. not to lose
any precious time, al once commenced
edging his chair toward the blushing
and expectant damsel
He reached her side as soon as could
be expected under the circumstances,
and had Just succeeded IN partially sur
rounding her Uuxom form with an arm
By no means tso long when the two
were thrown apart as by an electric