Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-12-10
DELPHINE'S DEVICE.

"Delphiny, your contrary mindedness ez
wearin me inter my grave, but if yer
don't want to try on yer weddin dress, you
KIN wear 1t a-tttin you good or bad fur all
me" said Mrs. Long, or the "Widder
Sam, as she was called by the neighbors,
regarding her pretty daughter ruefully
over her silver trimmed spectacles. 'Inever
see girl make sech finder about gittin
married, n there hain't a likelier nor a
genteeler man in the hull keounty then
the elder" she continued excitedly.
That's So" said Mrs Sampson, the
uressmaker, breaking her thread with the
force of her conviction; "he hain't one o.
them shif'less kind that breaches fur pork
n taller candles ont er folkses sullars N
stores, but jest sets up fur his pay in money
like anybody else, n he gifts it, tew," the
dressmaker went on. Mis- Isril Baker
don't git no chance to change the Rospil
fur tub o soft soap when he's consumed,
tell you. He's got ez good farm as
there is in the state, n frame house ez
snug n neat ez yeou please. He's a-goin
TO put up front yard fence, tew. come
spring. He told me so the other day."
But | detest the man, mother" said
the slender, dark eyed girl, whose brow
wore anxious lines, but whose clear
brave eyes shone with determined light
which BODIED i'll for the success of her
mothers plans. Il have told you over and
over again that would never marry him.
Still, II it will be any satisfaction to YOU.
will try on the dress"
You're talkin nonsense, Delphiny. You
know ez well ez dew tibet the weddin day
ez fixed fur day after tewmorrer, N tew-
hp oil -, 4
friend, Elder Knight. Miss Sampson
brought me word, by way of Seth Per
kins. ! can't say I'm sorry It's so soon,
huther fur you hain't bin consolin
darter tew me no way. The 'cademy edi-
cation AT gin you hez only set yeou up
p Tore yeour folks. n when | lay my
self eout for your own good, N will tibet
yeou shell marry genteel n intew the Cos
pill, yeou go'n get your mind sot ON a young
Teller tibet hain't got nothin but store
clothes n a sarcy n glib tongue TO reck-
ermend him. kind o. furriner, tew, livin
away of up in Canada, with the Lord ouiy
knows what kin FUR a bringin up The
elder said | did wrong when / harbored
SIGH a character under my roof, fur idleness
IS the mother ev vice, n he spent two hull
months a-doin nothiB but huntin and ishin,
with a plenty Of sly courtin thrown in
when my back was turned. 'spose prober
able"
1T wouldn't make any difference If had
never seen Tom, mother; nothing would
induce me to marry Elder Taylor il there
wasn't another man in the world" And
Delphine hastily removed the stone colored
silk gown which had been chosen by the
united heads Of her mother and three aunts
as suitable for a preachers bride, and
left the room.
The wide kitchen door was open, over
looking sunny fields and the blue gloom of
far stretching pine woods. She stood there
a few moments with her hands clinched
tightly together, and with almost despair
ing eyes, which were fixed on the road
which wound beyond the fields like
brown thread into the billy distance.
"Oh, why doesn't Tom conner" she said
half aloud He must have got my letter
in time, or can it be that he wasn't at
home when the letter reached Stanford?
will not believe that he is the faithless de-
ceiving william which mother and the rest
Of the family declare him TO be- Oh MOI
Something must have gone wrong or he
would certainly have been here by this
time to save me from this dreadful
marriage. What shall doS"
Delpbine stared about her in despair, and
suddenly her eyes were fixed on a huge
brass kettle that was suspended from the
rafters overhead. What a grand hiding
place that would bel Rather cramped, but
che was a tiny person. and it would hold
her, she was sure. Tom would get her let-
ter, and must come in twenty four hours.
She could see from her lofty perch the first
moment the stage came in sight. She
blessed her grandmother for having left
this precious gift, only used once a year for
making apple butter
She climbed up on great wooden bench,
and from thence to the kettle to try it.
Delphine was a squirrel for climbing. 1t
held her She could stay there and be on
the spot when Tom came.
She rose softly at O'Clock the next
morning and put on her wedding gown
bonnet and also that her mother might
think she had gone on a journey She
struggled some provisions and hid them in
the caves near by
Through the chinks in the upholstered
wall she could see the sun rise. Then she
heard her mothers high pitched voice,
and BarbaFy came just under where the
kettle hung to peel her potatoes. |
"Wot's up this morDing" asked Seth,
stopping near her.
why, don't you know tewmorrer's Del
phiny's wedding day. We're a-goin to
bake the cake" said Barbary.
Il did think tibet Delphiny wouldn't |
give in to her ma, 'baout margin the
elder Did you know how awful sot she
was agip ity Pears tew me the gal acts !
kind er queer, naow; tew resignedlike all
of sudden. | shouldn't wonder eff some
thin was a-goin to happen tibet ha'n't |
looked fur" biting a red apple with sig. |
nificant tightness.
"Shop exclaimed Seth, dropping his ca
pacious pan and opening his pale blue |
eyes to their widest extent. II want TO |
knaowp
"Barbary, wish you'd run mp stairs N |
call Delphiny; she'd orter know enough 70 |