The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1891-12-12
GRANDPA'S STORY.

eyes" replied /, as l filed pan with APP
piles and prepared to cut them, land more
shame to him, too. Brought her clear up to
an engagement, and then left town with
another girl, and without one word to FAM
'Shameln repeated good Grandpa West,
with an indignant fash from eyes blue and
clear as at 81; sits a disgrace to any Chris
tian church to let one of its members go on
so. Time was when he wouldn't have gone
scott free as he has now"
But what could have been doneF' in
quired
"Doneg He'd have had the full broadside
Of church discipline on his shoulders fifty
years ago. He ought to be dealt with as
Harmon Page was,n concluded grandpa,
meditatively
"How was thatY inquired /, interested at
once
II wonder if you never heard that storyr'
said he, with a curious glance understood
better afterward "See here; it's a rainy
day, and mother won't be expecting me home.
Hand over knife, and I'll help you with
your apples and tell that yarn at the same
time"
Well pleased with the plan, took another
pan, and our fingers flew as grandpa went on
with the true and authentic history Of Har-
mon Page.
'You see," he began, "all this happened
fifty years ago, and Amityville wasn't then
the slow going, dull little place it is now. 1t
was comparatively new, and was as lively
and enterprising as the new places of the
west are to-day. There were a good many
old aristocrntic families, though, and | tell
we they held their heads high. The very
meetin house slips had to be gagged accord
in to the rank of the buyer, and tell You old
Deacon Avery would never have got the
scowl out of hi~ forrard il Squire Page had
happened to had seat in front of his.
Deacon Avery had daughter-a quiet,
gentle girl, with a slight graceful figure and
a face-well, you don't see such faces now
days; a clear, fine complexion, with deli
cate pink trembling up into her lips, when
she was spoken to. Her eyes were great linn
pid wells, changing with every thought and
her hair was soft chestnut brown, waving
about her face in its own hayward style.
''She was lovely girl, became professor
young, and was always to be seen in the end
of the deacons pew every Sunday, rain or
shine. She'd never had much company, for
there was kind of dignitied reserve about
her that kept the fellows at a distance. But
when she was long bout IS or 20 Harmon
Page began to so with her.
''He was handsome, high spirited chap,
lively and full of talk, aud as different from
Mercy Avery as two persons could well be-
i But they loved each other; there's no doubt
about that Many's the time I've seen her
grand eyes sparkle and pretty cheeks flush
at Harmons witty speeches. till she was really
brilliant. And he with all his proud spirit,
alway grew strangely gentle with Mercy.
$50, in spite OF the rivalry that had always
existed betwee;t the two families, no one
would have disturbed the two had it not
been for Virginia Wake. She was cousin
of Col. Ford's first wife, and came there
visitin' from the south.
/ Virginia was called Il handsome Girl. with
her brunette face, flashing black eyes, and
heavy black curls she was never tired Of
jingling around heiGneck. She had a good
deal, too of what YOU call Style and Amity-
/ vile folks WHIT didn't know as much of the
ways of the world as they do now We're COM
pletely fascinated with her taking ways.
The young fellows in particular lowered
around her like moths around a candle.
"All except Harmon Page He had en-
gagged himself TO Mercy, aud at first gave the
new conner to go-hy. The Pages and Fords
had family feud of good many years
standing, which kept them apart for one
besides Harmon
"But | suppose Harmon's Indifference
piqued the girl, and she snubbed the other
boys and exerted all her charms on Harmon.
"She came in the fall, and along about
Christmas time, the neighbors began to
notice that Virginia was mighty thick at the
Pages
''The two houses were pretty near to
gether, and she used to run over to Mother
Pages on some excuse or other twenty times
a day. Perhaps 'twa'nt strange that Har.
mon began to be hattered by it, He had as
good a turn out AZ any chap in the place, and
he got in the habit of taking Virginia con
siderable.
''You see Positions everything in more
cases than one, and Virginia was right there
handy, while Mercy lived at the top of on,
of our old fashioned Connecticut hills. witt
a dreadful hard road leading to it,
"Whether she knew how much Harmon
was taking the other girl wasn't known
some thought not. Sne didn't get out much
except to meetin' that winter, and she haC
enough of her fatheSs spunk about her not {,
let on that she saw Harmon fooliD' with Vir
ginia Wake at the noOnin's
"There was splendid sleghing that season
the kind we don't have these days-anC
some of the young folks wanted to have ,
general sleigh ride. 1t was put Off from tim,
to time, till twas finally set for one Thurs
day night
90. ~'zs Tie aight of the regular weekly