Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-09-21
GRANDPA'S STORY.

bllAND n y DlOh l.
$50 il seems Fred Hayes has finally jiltet
Fanny Howe,n said Grandpa West, on,
rainy morning, as he stood shaking or th,
drops from his great coat on our kitchen
stove.
Yes, replied /, as / filled pan with ap
/ pies and prepared to cut them, "and more
Z shame 70 him, too. Brought her clear up Il
an engagement, and then left town with
another girl, and without one word to Fan y
'Shamem repeated good Grandpa West,
with an indignant fash from eyes blue and
cle0r as at 81 tits a disgrace to any Chris
tan church to let one Of It's members 70 on
50. Time was when he wouldn't have gone
scott free as he has now
But what could have been doner' in
quire,
"Donel He'd have had the fun broadside
OF church discipline ON his shoulders fifty
years ago. He ought TO be dealt with as
Harmon Page was,n concluded grandpa,
medtatively.
"How was thatp inquired /, interested at
once
Il wonder il yon never heard that storyIn
said he, with q curious glance understood
better afterward. "See here; it's a rainy
day, and mother won't be expecting me home.
Hand over a knife, and IN help You with
your apples and tell that yarn at the same
timen
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 aristocratic families, though, and | tell
ye they held their heads high. The very
meetn' 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 his forrard If Squire Page had
happened 70 had seat in front Of his.
Deacon Avery had a daughter quiet,
gentle girl, with a slight graceful figure and
q face-well, you don't see such faces now'-
days; clear, fine complexion, with a deli
cate pink trembling up into her lips, when
she WINS spoken TO. Her eyes were great linn
pid wells, changing with every thought, and
her hair was a soft chestnut brown. waving
about her face in its own Maynard 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 ed never had much company, for
there WIS a kind Of dgnifed reserve about
her that kept the fellows at a distance. But
when she was long bout Is or 20 Harmon
Page began 70 so with her.
He was handsome, high spirited chan.
liVrlU and full az fallf Il
Mercy Avery as two persons could well be.
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 Harmon's witty speeches, till she was really
brilliant And he, with oil his proud spirit.
always grew strangely gentle with Mercy.
$50, in spite Of the rivalry that had always
existed between the two families, no one
would have disturbed the two, had it not
been for Virginia Wake She was a cousin
Of Col Ford's first wife, and came there
visitin' from the south.
Virginia was called handsome girl. with
her brunette face, flashing black ewes. and
heavy black curls she was never tired OF
juggling around her neck. She had good
deal, too, Of what you call style, and AInity-
vile folks who didn't know as much Of tho
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
IAN except Harmon Page He had en-
gagged himself 70 Mercy, aud at first gave the
new conner TO go-by. The Pages and Fords
had family feud Of a good many years
standing, which kept them apart for one
thing, and Virginia had plenty Of company
besides Harmon.
But ! suppose Harmons indifference
piqued the girl, and she snubbed the other
boys and exerted all her charms on Harmon.
"She came ia 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 70 run over 70 Mother
Pages on some excuse or other twenty times
day. Perhaps twa'nt strange that Har-
mon began 70 be fattered by il He had az
good turn out as 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 one
Of our old fashioned Connecticut hills, with
q dreadful hard road leading to il
Whether she knew how much Harmon
was taking the other girl wasn't known:
some thought not. Sne didn't get out much.
except 10 meetin that wiHter, and she had
enough Of Der fathers spunk about her not TO
let on that she saw Harmon foolin' with Viz
ginia Wake at the noonin's
There was splendid sleighing that season
the kind we don't have these days--and
some OF the young folks wanted 10 have a
general sleigh ride. Il was put OF from time
to time, till twas finally set for one Thurs
day night
1T was the night Of the regular weekly
prayer meeting, and after the time Of the
ride was all settled Harmon, who was the
only professor in the party, tried a little to
have it changed But Virginia Wake de-
elared, with wicked shake Of those iinpliug
curls, that she could say her prayers lust "a
well in a sleigh as she could eooped up in that
stupid harm OF a meeting house.
Everybody thought afterw0rd she fixed
the ride for that night to show Mercy Avery
the power she had over Harmon Page.
Well. the party started from Amityville
long about O'clock They were all in a bic
two horse load, except Virginia and Harmon.
'She had arranged for them TO 20 ahead
in his cutter alone, and III admit they
were a splendid looking couple-he, with his
zine eyes and teeth, and she, in a rich GRIM
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