Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-11-25
READ 1T FOR ME, CHERRY"

when we had seated ourselves on con-
venient log.
San offer of marriageV' repeated in
surprise, remembering her warm, low
ing salute and affectionate embraces of
a few minutes previous.
Eyes, from your college friend, Willie
Steele"
And did you say 'yes%"
"No, l didn't, you goosey; you know
I'll never, never, never say yes to any
man until you ask me, and there's no
need of your saying any thing. Now,
think I'm an immodest country hoyden
if you like. But read this for the
present. found it on the floor this
morning outside the door of your
sneaky friends room. When you have
read it you won't have to ask if re-
fused to marry him."
took the envelope and glanced at
the superscription.
why, this is addressed to Steele,
Cherry!"
"Never mind if it is; just you read
it. 1 wouldn't have looked at it only
for the clause in it about you. The
letter was out of the envelope and
l saw your name when was putting it
back to slip under his door"
"Please read it for me, Cherry; I'm
dizzy and all of a SILVER"
| kept my teeth from chattering and
listened to her reading until sentence
warmed me beyond reach of the most
frigid chills.
| WELD HALL, HARVARD, Nov e.
| WILLIE STEALE. Esq. APPLEvILLE VT.
My ders sur: You forgot ter pay me fer gittin
| them paperZ outer ther profs room tibet you
| put inter true Blues desk. Eff I'd know'd you
Il
| chumm, never'd a done it fer you. I've bin
deescharg'd from my job and want the $50 you
promised fer helpin' you. wuz raised in ap
plevtlle and know every foot Of squire pepper
/ grass land and Thursday mornin' at nine
O'Clock I'll be waitin' at the bend wher tho
| sQuir's drivin-way tarns tow'rd the roadc. eff
| you don't hand over Their money I'll squcal and
tell the squire and yore folk all knows.
JED MIcKLIN.''
80! Cherry!' ] calculated, 'you are
my guardian angel. And to think that
lay all last night by the roadside
praying might die"
"Well, never mind about dying now,
you silly boy.
''Do you imagine I've been foolish
enough to keep this letter from pa until
I could see you? How could l know
would ever see you again? You left as
cool as cucumber, just as though your
|
interest in your return. It would have
to pa; but did and if we look over the
bend as we go home you may see some
thing that will surprise YOU"
Cherry's prophecy was true one for
as we, hand in hand, peered through the
barberry bushes to the bend in the road
below, the village constable stepped
from convenient hiding-place and
placed his hand on Jed Micklin's should
er.
"Glad tew see ye back, Jed; I've been
er wantin' Nv yeou," he said.
Steele started to escape up the path
way leading to the house, and ran
straight into my Uncle Diah's arms.
"Diah," dryly remarked Aunt Roxy,
"them bonds ez yeou wuz or figgettin'
erbout is in one O. yeour boot-legs, jist
where Fyeou put 'em yourself when
yeou started fer Their village an
didn't gao cuz ct wuz rainin'
an yeou wuz skeert ov ther
rumatiz. Yeon axed me ter grease EN-,
ther butes, mean, an faound Their pa
pers inside on 'em."
AS I'VE sat down together on that
eventful Thanksgiving day, drank in
every word of the prayer offered by my
uncle, and l felt in my heart I had
much more than the dinner to be thank
full for.
returned to college and graduated
the nextyear, and the following Thanks
giving, when we gathered around the
sacrificial turkey, Uncle Diah and Aunt
Roxy were the guests of Cherry, who
presided over the repast as the newly
made wife Of True Blue.
BURT ARNOLD