Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-03-26
DEACON BLIFFEN'S SUIT.


chickens as they darted about greedily
clucking over the rain of crumbs that fell
FROM the snowy linen cloud. The lady
was rather thin and her hair showed a
silver thread here and there in its brown,
straight bands, but If Deacon Blltfen s
eyes she Was very comedy still, In her neat
dark dress, plain collar and white apron,
which had rather COquettish looking
bow of ribbon at the waste-tand, and her
eyes were bright and smiling in spite of
the forty years of life's storm and gloom
they had looked out on The deacon paus-
ed as he was riding by and called good
morning.
La. Deacon Bitten, is that you?" said
Miss Caledonia In reply, giving the table
cloth final shake before folding it up.
"Yesm m; is Obadiah at home? II
would"
mo. he's just gone. They're patch
ing up the fence over in the meadow, and
he's there But get down deacon and I'll
blow the horn for him.
The deacon aigbted and secured his
gray mare, but he caught Miss Caledonia s
hand as she put the horn to her lips.
Never mind about calling him, ma am;
most likely he's busy, but if you'll let me
Iii just take a seat here in your kitchen,
and may be he'll come back to the house
-for-fC something he's forgotten.
LAP" said his hostess, cycling him in
wonder Then as thought struck her,
her pale face flushed up like girls and
| she said no more, but busted herself about
her morning work, chatting as she went
to the deacon about widow Green's sick
COW, the Sunday school work and the
Dorcas society. She made no sign but
her glance fell time and again anxiously at
the cloudy sky showing in gray patches
through tie windows, and her thoughts
were busy depicting Obadiah's disgust
and wrath if it began to rain and he re-
turned to the house to find Deacon Bliffen
In her kitchen at O'Clock In the morn
ing.
That circumstance could, of course,
bear but one meaning, and Obadiah hated
corrtship and lovers. Obadiah would call
her an old goose. She knew he would, and
Mss Caledonia shivered to remember, how
he had laughed five years before, when
Lemuel Crane had come to call on Sun
day evening, laughed till poor Lemuel had
crept away never to come back. 1t had
always been thus, even when she was
gil
In the meantime Obadiah worked away
at the meadow fence til drop like big
tear splashed on his hand. He wiped it
off. but twenty. thirty, fifty came peltlng
after it. So he sent his men away, and
stood undecided for a moment. He want
ed 10 sec Deacon Bliffen about the mort
gage Harker wanted on his mill, and his
advice as TO the value of the mill. The
rain was likely to drive the deacon home,
too, so he could not do better than to step
TO h
own-and talk the matter over with him.
HI, had to run for it, for the rain was fall
ing heavily, so he tore up the deacon S
Steps and raped at the door with quite a
glow IN his face and at his heart at his
bnyish run.
is your pa at home?' he said, smiling
with bis usual pleasantness at pretty Kitty
| Bitten us she opened the door. Strange
| he had never noticed before how very
! pretty the girl was. Why her hair was
like spun gold and her eyes as blue as
those flowers Caledonia was always tend
ing What were they? Oh, yes, forget
me nots. No, the deacon was not at
home, but Mr.. Crump must walk in, for
it was raining so hard he would get wet
through This with many Pushes and a
| dimple playing in and out of her round
cheek. What did it remind him
of?
Mr.. Crump sat and pondered this for
quite minute as he drew off his dripping
coat and put on the dry one of her father S
Kitty brought him. Then he remember
| ed with pang such as his heart scarcely
understood. Oh. yes, he remembered it
well! She had blue eyes, like those Kitty
Bliffeu lifted up to his face, and In her
rosy cheek dimple, too, played hide and
seek.
Poor girl! Her grave had known the
SHOWS of thirty winters, for she had slip
ped away from life while still child, but
her memory had awakened in the boyisf
heart of her lover, whose only romance il
had been and softened him most wonder
fully toward Kitty Biiffen, who lowered
about him with most hattering solicitude
as he sat and dried his feet at the CHEEKY
blaze she had kindled on the hearth of the
best parlor. All her life she had admired
her fathers friend, for it was that he hat
ed woman and she adored people out o.
the ordinary.
Thus, while, the deacon sat and helped
Miss Caledonia string pepper with then
chairs close together, Obadiah listened tt
Kitty Bliffen's fresh young voice singing
"Beulah Land to the mnsic of the ole
pinet that haG been her grandmother
and the falling rain beat a soft accompant
ment to both pictures.
After that first morning it seemed t.
poor conscience stricken Miss CaledonIs
Obadiah was very often from home, anc
never once did the deacon in his many
Twists never run across him.
Poor unsuspecting fellow" thought biz
sister. II can hardly face him when he
does come IL, and it really seems as if he
was kinder than he used to be. H
bought me that pink muslin | said wa.
pretty, as if had any idea of coming GU
at my age in thing like that. James
dear me; Deacon Bliffen, mean. says IN
only in the prime of life She sighed
and smiled and sighed again. Il can
tell Obadiah, | just can't! He'd laugh a