The morning call., 1892-06-27
Ida Was RIGHT.

Everybody felt interested in the affair.
By Everybody" will be understood the
neiehbors within a square mile Of the old
homestead CT the Widow Downs. 1t was
located in the mountainous region Of West
eru Pennsylvania. where little thread-like
watercourses wind around the bases Of the
hills in the dry season, swelling in the
spring 10 roaring. boisterous torrents, which
often inundate the banks and sweep away
houses and barns
The affair" was Of the deepest concern
to Aida Downs, one of the brightest, hand
soonest and best Of Turkey Greek girls. 1t
was simply the matter Of her wedding.
Everybody knew her. From the time she
ran barefoUted with the children over the
hills aud waded the brooks, through her
girlhood. which was thoughtful and studi-
Gus beyond her years, to the day that she
kept school in tie dingy little house half
way up Bald Mountain, she was a general
fsyOrite. She was beautiful in mind and
person, winning in disposition, kind and
generous. At the outings, the apple
pariugs and the class-meetngs the rural
beauX contended for the honor Of seeing
her home"
In fact could such an expression be ap-
Piled to the Bald Mountain neighb0ThO0d It
might be said that Ida was the T &c. And
IL would seem to be IN accord with the facts
Of the situation. and the probabilities. that
she should marry the best, perhaps the
wealthiest, Of her housekeeping admirers.
But she did not. She married Curtis
Nash. young surveyor from Philadelphia q;
and the occurrences attending that event
furnish this sketch.
One year before the time which was after
ward fixed for the wedding the pleasant
faced and Weli-spOken youth had been sent
I'D into this Out-Of-thc-Way region, with a
ChaiubFaTeT and stakebeaTeT. 10 make a
difficult survey OF large tract Of wild land,
comprising thousands Of acres Of mountain
and vale, that had been for many years 10
litigation. He and his assistants were 10
tramp over one hundred Of square miles !;
there were no inns IN the vicinity, and they
must be boarded and lodged where.
Was il chance or some klndlier fate that
directed them TO the Widow Downs At
any rate for SIX months Curtis y ash and his
assistants remained there Many long even
iDgs Of this time they passed in the old
house, and the result seemed Inevitable
When he babe farewell to the family it was
with the understanding that he was 10
return on the Sd Of April following to marry
Aida.
II was midsummer when they parted.
Tie whole episode seemed so beWideTng
TO the girl, so like dream, that size babe
him farewell with serious msgivings.
81 can hardly believe it all, Curtis" she
said. 4" 1t doesn't seem real. VIII you
really" and she smiled faintly-''cOme
back next yeRr?"
He held both her hands and looked stead
lastly into her face. Truth and honesty
shone from his brown eyes and cOmf0TIed
her soul exceedingly.
'My darling" he SAID. do you think any
power On earth would keep NE away?"
Il am only a plain country girl" she
faltered. land you are well born and &C
eompished. 1t would not be strange if you
were to forget me-"
That l can never do; you are the one
woman In the world for me. and on the
third Of April. God willing. you shall be-
come my wife. Where is the nearest
minister"
Ten miles from here. Curtis. beyond
Turkey Creek"
i shall bring him with me when l come.
Tell your mother to have her wedding party
ready, if she chooses to have one, at noon
on the day appointed There will be no
failure on my part If l live l Will be
here"
So he left her, happy. yet hardly daring
to believe in her happiness.
A month after her lovers departure a let
ter came 10 Aida from farrell Philadelphia
Its contents it is not necessary to diyulge,
10 her they were entirely satisfactory.
Then there was painful hiatus. Long
months passed when no tidings came from
the absent lover. Aida bore the trial
brsvely and hopefully, all the gossip Of the
nelgbb0rhO0d on the subject being detailed
to her daily in the meanwhile
In some way or other the intelligence had
worked It's way up 10 Bald Mountain settle
ment that Nash's parents were among the
weaiteiest and most arist0cTatc people Of
Philadelphia, and had sterniy vetoed their
sons matrimonial alliance Some said they
had fff f1frv,
expedition to the Northwest border that be
might be cured Of his passion for Ida and
the majority Of the neighbOrs were Of the
opinion that Curtis Nash would be seen in
that region 10 more.
Nav, ye won't never see him ag'in,
Lidy," said Aunt Judith, In the Intervals of
her pine WhlHS. He's one O. them good
f0r-nOthin' cityfed skeesicks-no more
feein' than a stone. | tell We, lass, ye'd
better b'lieved ME! Didn't l ketch I'm
a-weaTin' a paper collar and shirt but
toned up the back? ] tell ye. l looked over
the washin' while he was here, an know.
Talk about sich a Teller a-keepin' his word 70
a woman! Pah! it amt in 'emI''
One evening, while sympathy for Aida
ran highest, two Of her former admirers
called at the Downs house. Their story
was brief, but their conversation as they
walked hOmeward up the mountain road il
worth recording.
Eli" said QUE "the gaPs crazy"
Nav, she amt, nuther, Jonas" replied
the other She jest b'lieVes in that Phila-
delphy feler, an she wont be satisfied thai
he's a scamp"
wall; everybody else b'lieves it."
KANT say do; least not vet"
"Oh, ye don't, hey2 Wall, | thought
was dead gone. You've got it worse'n me
Git mittened yerself. an then stick up fol
the Teller what run ye outI Hell he! hep
" Look a-here, JONAS" returned Eli. with
some ssperlty; ''the gals nothn' to us
BOW; but don't like to hev the thing made