The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-04-15
"Eipht mile as the crow flies.

pitch dark already Z" cried Marryatt,
Grossly.
There's Jenkins onc-hoss wagon"
mildly suggested the old.man. I'm
goin' to his place Directly arter box o
stove backing, a paound o taller dips
and quarter o n paound o green tea for
Isabella. can tell Jenkins to come
raound and cart We to the station, ef We
don't begrudge q crown"
by all means; and while you are
gone Isabella can give me some supper. ="
Marryatt sat down in the old, low
ceiled room, where the rag carpet seemed
neither brighter nor DINNER than it had
been 90 years ago, and warmed his
chilled feet before blaze OF swapping
logs; while old Isabella, who might
have appeared creditably at any tableau
rs the Witch of Endor. crept around an
iron pot which swung from a prodigious
crane and got supper after slow, clumsy
manner.
Pretty gay in town this winter?" said
the old woman, brandishing her spoon
over him as he ate rabbit stew
IL suppose So"
"l'm thinkin' O goin' there myself"
said she.
"To take a situation ?" asked the young
man, inwardly thinking that he could
not recommend her as cook.
BLESS your heart, mol" said Isabella.
II know n sea captain there as amt mar
ried; and they tell me the gals is all
pickin' and choosin' for themselves now
that leap year has come around. Any
how I'm tired o this place. and l don't
see why my chance amt as good Us any
body's."
Marryatt stared at her in mute amaze.
ment, as he secretly deplored the sad
case of the unsuspecting sea captain.
"P'raps you wouldn't mind keepin' an
eye on the fire, said the gentle Isabella,
"whie just go and see if Simon has
locked the hen house-hes so forgetful. 1"
And she lobbled away.
At the same time there came q loud
knocking at the outer door, and a stout
country girl, with cheeks Of that peculiar
red which shines as il it had been
vanished, very black eyes and coarse
hair, walked in, we'll wrapped up in red
and black plaid shawl, and felt hat
which looked like a damaged helmet.
1--WE come for Mr. Marryatt, said she,
without any ceremony of introduction.
Instinctively our hero backed up
against the wall.
what" cried he.
you're Mr.. Marryott, ain't you ?" said
she.
"1hat's my name" retreating still far
ther behind the stiff wooden-back
chair, where Uncle Orisen used to sit and
smoke his pipe.
We'll, I'm come for you. You amt
deaf, be you? Im-come-for-you!"
"Yes; but L"
"There amt no time to lose," bawled
this daughter Of solitudes. seizing him
by the arm. "This here's your baggage?"
grasping the valse in the other hand.
This was leap yea- with vengeance,
thought our hero.
With one desperate struggle lie freed
himself from her grasp.
II won't go! he said. "Nothing can
compel me to 60 against my will.
"You won't?" said the red-cheeked
damsel.
NO, won't" replied John Marryatt
"Then you will miss the train, said the
red checked damsel. "And it won't be
no fault of mine. Fatl or has had the
rheumatics, and promised him would
come for you"
"Oh. the train-I see, cried Mr.. Marry
att. II didn't quite comprehend your
meaning at first. Yes, I'll come imme-
diately"
The red-cheeked damsel, who proved
to be no despicable charioteer. ratified
down the frozen mountain road with con-
siderable i'll and energy, reaching the
solitary station just as the freight train
came in sight around carve.
So Mr.. Marryatt arrived in town just
in time to see the sunrise glow irradiate
the red brick chimney tops behind the
Delavan House.
"Not married yet." he said to himself
"but l will be as soon as possible, if she
will have me. I'll run no more such risks
as this"
That very afternoon he called Mt Doc
tor Mere's house and proposed to Avice-
and Avice accepted him. Yes, she &C.
tually accepted him!
"But did you really say that ?" asked
Avice, feeling that it was her duty to ad-
monish her swain little: "that--that
you didn't want to be married against
your will?"
"Of course I said it," answered Mar
ryatt, "and I meant it. don't intend to
be married against my will; I intend to
be married with it. And did you really
say that you wouldn't marry John Mar
ryatt for $50, ,OO0?"
"And / wouldn't!" cried Avice, look
ing up with sparkling eyes. "Not for
twice that money, but-just because l
love him!"
So they both were happy and laughed
heartily over the adventures at Uncle
Origen's house.
When Penelope Paxton next saw the
bride-elect, she chuckled and said:
$50 it isn't to he case Of Miss Betty
Baxter after all ?"
Avica colora1 and aoid aha 1didn't