Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-11-05

luucl Chu, as sue WINS Sdlltu Dy the
neighbors, regarding her pretty daughter
ruefully over her silver trimmed spectacles.
81 never see girl make sech finder
about gettin' married, an there hain't
a likelier nor a genteeler man in the
hull keountry then the elder" she con-
tined excitedly.
"That's SO, said Mrs. Sampson, the
dressmaker, breaking her thread with
the force of her conviction; ''he hain't
one O. them shif'less kind that breaches
fur pork n tallar candles, out er folkses
sullars N the store, but jest sets up fur
his pay in money like anybody else, and
he gifts it, tew," the dressmaker went on.
''Mis' Isril Baker don't git no chance to
change the gospil fur a tub O. soft soap
when he's consarned, tell you. He's
got eS good farm as there is in the
State, n frame house ez snug n neat
ez yaou please. He's a-goiu' to put up
front yard fence, tew, come spring;
he cole me so the otter day."
''But detest the man, mother" said
the slender, dark-eyed girl, whose brow
wore anxious lines, but whose clear,
brave eyes shone with a determined
light which BODIED i'll for the success of
her mothers plans. 81 have told you
over and over again that l would never
marry him. Still, if it will be any sat
isfaction to you, will try on the dress "
"You're talkin' nonsense, Delphiny.
You know ez well ez l dew tibet the
weddin' day ez fixed fur day after tew-
morrer, m tew.morrer the elders
a.comin' up with his friend, Elder
Knight Miss Sampson brought me
word, by way of Seth Perkins. cant
say I'm sorry It is so soon, nuther, fur
you hain't bin consolin' darter few me,
no way. The cademy edication at l gin
you hez only set yeou fore yeour folks,
m when lay myself eout for your own
good, n will tibet yeou shell marry gen.
teel n intew the gospil, yeou go'n' get
your mind sot on a young Teller tibet
hain't got nothin' but store clothes n a
sarcy N a glib tongue to reckermend
him. A kind O. furriner, tew, livin'
away off up in Canada, with the Lord
only knows what kin 'ur bringiu' up.
The elder said | did wrong when l har-
bered SIGH a character under my roof,
tur idleness is the mother ev vice, n he
spent two hull months dom
nothin' but huntin' and fshin', with a
plenty of sly courtin' thrown in when
my back was turned, 'spose prober-
able"
at wouldn't make any difference if |
had never seen Tom, mother; nothing
would induce me to marry Elder Taylor
if 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 aud three aunts as suitable for a
preachers bride, and left the room.
The wide kitchen door was open, over.
looking sunny fields aud the blue gloom
of far-stretching pine woods. She stood
there a few moments with her hands
clenched tightly together, and with al
most despairing eyes which were fixed
on the road which wound beyond the
fields like a brown thread into the hilly
distance.
"Oh, why doesn't Tom come" 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
Stanfordl Twill not believe that be is
the faithless, deceiving villain which
mother and the rest of the family de
clare him to be. Oh, no something
must have gone wrong, or he would GER
tainly have been here 10y this time to
save me from this dreadful marriage.
What shall / doG'
Delphine stared about her in despair,
and suddenly her eyes we're fixed on a
huge brass kettle that was suspended
from the Tafters overhead. What a
grand hiding place that would bel
Rather cramped, but she was tiny per
son, and it would hold her, she was sure
Tom would get her letter, aud must
come in twenty -Four hours. She could
see from her lofty perch the frs mo-
ment the stage came in sight. She
blessed her grandmother for having left
this precious gift, only used once year
for making butter.
She climbed up on great wooden
bench, and from thence to the kettle to
try it. Delphine was squirrel for
climbing. 1t held her. She could stay
there and be on the spot when Tom
came.
She rose softly at 3 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 smuggled some provisions and hid
them in the caves near by.
Through the chinks in the unplas.
tered wall she could see the sun rise.
Then she heard her mothers high
pitched voice, and Barbary came just I'M
der where the keetle hung to peel her
potatoes.
"Wot's up this morniuga" asked
Seth, stopping near her.
"Why, don't you know tomorrow S
Delphiny's wedding day. We're a-goin'
to bake the cake" said Barbary.
Ala th;nly fbat naIDbiIr ,,-o,,lln,t