Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-07-24
MARRIED AT A GALLOP.

mAItllIIII al n OAlIIIOl
"Well?" in decidedly testy tone, was
the greeting old Joel @Gringer gave the tall
young schoolmaster who stood fumbling
the latch of the front gate, and clearing his
throat more for the sake of attracting at
tention than to remove any obstruction
from his windpipe "Well?"
But it wasn't well. That wasn't the
right way to encourage the young man,
and shrewd old Joel Gringer knew it. He
wanted to make him go through the tor
ture of telling him plainly that he had
come to see his daughter, so that he could
put an end to the thing then and there.
'Well?"
"H'ml I-I-just wanted to know if
Miss-h'm, Inns at home,' and the
young fellow relieved his nervousness by
digging up the gravel walk with his left
toe at Il rate that threatened to damage it
worse than ten years regular wear and
tear.
81 thought your business was to teach
the children to speak the English Ian
guage, and here you can't do anything but
hum and hawk. Pm at home and SO is
Grower there. anything else?" and the
steely eyes looked through the young man
Like a ferret's.
"No, sir,' with a loud ahem; ct was just
going up the road to Mr.. Mason's, and
wanted to know f. the family were all
well-that's all. !" And the bashfuI young
fellow seemed to have found his wits some
where, for he turned coolly away, raising
his cane as he did 50. and striking the ma
pie foliage over his head three sharp clips
that made the leaves crack like pistol.
And the old farmers eyes were not SO
sharp as he prided himself they were, or
he might have seen the futter of some
thing white, three distinct times, from the
narrowest opening in the blinds above,
and have guessed why the young man was
so easily satisfied.
Maybe love is blind to it's own objects;
but for dullness of vision give me, all the
tine, the eyes that are ever so sharp after
bargain, but have not the quickening of
the divine passion TO make them vigilant
guards against the dangers that threaten
to thwart loves plans. That's long way
of spelling Joel Gringer, but true one
He watched the straight, 1.-THE young
form until it seemed only shadow
against Neighbor Mason's barn, and then
began banging TO the shutters with We
hemence that said to all, "Joel Gringer
can take care of his own every time
leave him alone for that"
"Gone on to Mason's," was his gruff
answer to his wife's questioning look.
"OnIy wanted to inquire after the health
of the family. S'pose he thinks the dees-
trick is assessed TO pay him for goin' round
an doin, that-ha, hal What would the
funerals of two-thirds of this family count
with him? Good at fractions, they say.
Well see how his fractions work in this
house. Much good it will do him to talk
it over with John Mason, the old'-
"Sh--!' Kissed cautiously into his ear,
and warning finger told him to leave I'M
complimentary references to the neighbor
with whom he had been embroiled in
bitter lawsuit, and between whose farms
"deviPs lane" prevented any joining of
line fences unsaid. "There's Mason's
hired man again"
'Well?" About 20 per cent more pep
perry than moment ago.
''The old man sent me over to say them
there hogs o. yonrn's been into the back
cornfield agin, an he won't turn 'em out
till doomsday, nor let me. They're there
Wit, an maxim the interest on five thou
sand dollars fly like sixty-that's what the
old man lows the field'll fetch him. Bet
ter not take that there pup along, had ye?
Hi! Wait till / can get outi'
The last exclamation was caused by prep
arations for unchaining the huge bulldog
Growler, and Ben Stone made one leap
over the fence and was out Of hearing be-
fore Joel Gringer could finish something
about ''going for witnesses"
"Said my say out. Hen the dogs wit
nesses enough, reckon, to the scrimmage
there'u be. Pm engaged in another case.
Hogs amt to my ikin', Joel Gringer,
though do know how to drive 'en purity
slick. Wouldn't a-taken that dog if
hadn't called it q pu p an recommended not.
Laws! but thereli be smash to pay for to-
night, sure's my names Ben Stone"
Mrs. Gringep set her candle in the back
kitchen window and her supper in the
oven, and watched and waited for Joel's
lantern to CLEAN down the lane leading to
the back cornfield.
But it WAS cleaning in more fantastic
forms farther away. 1t was playing hide
and seek up and down dusty rows of corn,
lust in the milk and toothsome to the I'M
ruly swine. He and Grower were defend
ing the rear, with Mrs. Gringer doing SEN
tinel duty for taem-but what of the
front.
In little hollow IN the road, not twenty
rods from Joel Gringer's house, the thick
green turf by the wayside served as a
cushion for the feet of two FESTIVE steeds
that would stamp at the troublesome flies,
Every nail was 1ast in their shoes, and
every strap buckled tight, while the neryy
felloWs---tWo of the most tireless travel
ers John Masou's stable could boast
champed their Its restlessly and tossed
their heads, throwing now and then fake
of foam that flashed with silyery bright
ness in the chance rays of moonlight,
and But what is that9
Adown the green, thorny breastwork
that defended Joel Gringer's possessions
from the wayside grazers fitted slight
figure, crouching and hating, and then
darting swiftly forward toward the little
dell which seemed to be the rendezvous
sought.
SIS that you. Nannie?" hoarse, excited
whisper met her a few rods distant from
the horses.
Ssh Yes; never saw q man who
could help spoil ing things by blunders,
There, don't take it to heart, Richard; |
won't scold you again after all this until
we aren--
Married"
eYes; butdo net let us hurry! I'm afraid
every minute that those hogs haven't done
justice to the opstlnacy OF their nature,
and father"----
"Well, give me your foot and off we 60,
Well show joe Gringer whether I am
competent to teach addition to girl.''
"And are You sure the preacher under
stands?"
's:5ure. darling; he's to be at sBrother
Stillwell's tonight, on his way to the Kill
deer appointment. Now, old fellows, do
your best. Mr.. Mason told me not tospare
horsefiesh."
AS the clatter Of the hoofs rang down the
road past John Mason's two unusual night
incidents might have been witnessed-the
CLEAN of light across the fields, swaying
ind Pickering as though carried by an ex-
cited, unsteady hand, and a man leaning
against the door Of John Mason's stables,
whiting a stick and musing over some
thing which evidently pleased him much.
He, hel | never helped take them out of
here. Can't pro 3 it by me who's takin'
to stealin'; hain't l been behind the hay
stack tryin' to hammer the bung in that
barrel? An it wouldn't STAY. but it made