Middletown transcript., 1892-04-28

ol0 man sitLlng at MS c0iu ana cheer
less breakfast, and with remorsefl
cry she ran across the floor and tool
him in her arms, kissing him agail
and again, while Mr.. John Jenning
and his wife stood in the door.
Poor Of papl Merry could'n
leave you. She's come back to stay
as long as she lives."
4 The old man renamed cold ant
stern. His deep voice had raucou'
note in it as he pushed her away from
him, noticing no one else.
/ /" But how do you come back t
| mea"
j The girl grew rosy, but she stood
proudly up.
come back wife of a man, pap,
q wife like my mother, an this T.
hang beside hers''; and she laid
down rolled piece ofparchment.
Take it an co. growled he ;
take yer lazy lubber an git out o
my sight. I raised ye. took keer 9
ye when ye was little, sent yet school,
bought ye dresses, dome everythin'
fer ye could, 'lowin' t. have ye stand
by me when I got ol',--but no. ye
must go back on yer OF pap, au' go
| off in the night with q good-i-nothin'
houn' that nobuddy knows anythin'
about--a feller that never done a
thing fer ye in the warld-"
"W'at did you do fer mother that
she left her father and mother and
went with you. How much did yon
have when you took her away from
her good home an brought her away
out here among the wolves an Indians2
I've heard you an her say a hundred
times that yon didn't have a chair in
the house. No why doyou talk SO t.
me when want T. git-when Lyme
comes and asks for me
The old man was staggered. He
looked at the smiling face Of John
Jennings and the fearful face of Mrs.
Jennings, who had returned with
Lyman. But his face hardened again
as be caught sight of Lyme looking in
at.him. His absurd pride would not
let him relent. Lyme saw it, and
stepped forward.
OF man, want t. take a little
inning now. I'm fair, square man.
I asked ye fer Merry as a man should
l told you I'd had hard luck, when L
first came here. had five thousand
dollars in clean cash stole from me. l
hain't got thing now except credit,
but that's good fer enough t. stock a
little farm with. Now I wan to be
fair and square in this thing. You
wan to rent farm / need one. Let
me have the river eighty, or I'll take
the whole business on a share Of a
third an Merry Etty, and / to stay
here with you jest as Il nothin' ID
happened. Come, now, what d. "
say ?''
There was something winning in
the whole bearing Of the man as he
stood before the father, who remained
silent and grim.
"Or if you don't do that, Why,
there's nothin' left fer Merry an me
but to go back to La Crosse, where I
can have my choice Of a dozen farms.
Now this is the way things is standin'.
| don't want to be underhanded about
this thing
" That's fair offer" said Mr.. Jen-
nings in the pause which followed.
/" You'd better do it, neighbor Bacon.
Nobuddy need know how things stood;
they were married in my house-I
thought that 'u'd be best. You can't
live without your girl,n he went on,
8 any more IN could without my boy.
You'd better-u
The figure at the table Strengthened |
up. Under his tufted eyebrows his
keen gray eyes flashed from one to the
other. His hands knotted.
~ 4
$50 slow p went on the smooth |
voice Of Jenning, known all the coun-
Try through as a peacemaker Take
lime {, think it over. Stand out, an
you'll live here alone without chick'r
child; give in, and this house'll bub
Die over with noise and young ones.
Time isshort. and forever's long time
o feel sorry in.''
The old man at the table knitted /
nis eyebrows, and distorted, CULVER
ng, ghastIy smile broke out on his
ace. His chest heaved, then he burst
orth:
"Gal, yank them gloves off an'git
ne somethin' to eat-breakfus'r din
Ter. | don't care which. Lyme, you
nfernal idiot, git out there and gear
lp them horses. What in thunder
7ou foolin' around about hyer in
eed'n's Come, hustle. all O. yein
And then they shouted in laughter,
while the cause of it all strobe un-
teadily but resolutely out towards
he barn, followed By the bridegroom,
Who was laughing silently. Ham
in Garland, in the Century.
Charming people, these exceptional
,an,,lo Horryc