Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-12-21


tied out of sight in an instant. The
Bradford of all the Bradfords eyed me
over. Then. beginning with "Young
mani" he laid down the law of the Brad
ford dynasty. He g"Te me to under
stand that Prudence was reserved for
her blueblooded cousin, Staudish Brad
ford, and as good as told me that I was
nobody and never again to darken his
door. He was almost brutally plain in
his talk.
But Glove laughs at locksmiths," and
Captain Shrimp was my friend. Hewas
only shrimp IN the eyes of Pasonages-
sit-in the heart and soul he was
whale. Now, urged by necessity, Pru-
dence and came to a good. square under
standing She had a perfect horror of
Standish Bradford, and come veal or
woe l was to be the man. Yet she feared
her father and all her family. They and
all the town would be arrayed on the
side of her cousin Standish. She begged
me to keep our engagement secret until
we could see our way to an open declara-
ton of our intentions, and If need be de-
fance of Standish Bradford and all other
Bradfords. promised, at the same time
telling her to be of good cheer, that l
would set my wits to work for our mu-
tual benefit. Besides our occasional meet
ing under the hospitable roof of Captain
Shrimp we established an extra postof-
fee in the town, and this, after all, was
our mainstay. Through it We're dis
cussed all our plans, she keeping me in
formed in regard to every move of the
Bradfords.
The position of our affairs set me seri-
ously 20 thinking. did not wish old
Amariah Bradford - the Bradford of
all the Bradfords-to pronounce upon
his daughters Puritan curse, nor did !
wish the remainder of the family and
tribe to feel that Prudence had become
an outcast-had as good as thrown her
self away and disgraced the name of her
ancestors. must in some way bring
all the tribe to freely consent to the
marriage. must humor their pride Of
pedigree in some way.
The result Of this thinking took such
shape that, meeting my father alone in
the library one day, l surprised him by
saying, "Fathcr, I'm going to England
next week" ITO England, Sam" cried
the old gentleman, with widely expand
ed eyes. "Why, what put that notion
into your head, my boy:'
"Our talk some time ago. l have
thoroughly thought over the situation,
and I've arrived at the conclusion that
we've got to import an ancestor"
"Import an ancestor"
eyes, sir, an ancestor. There must be
plenty of Johnsons, Jonsons and john
stons buried over in England, and if !
can find one of the right date and quail
ty the mere spelling Of the namc is of
little Importance. shall look for Sir
John, Sir Ralph or Sir Richard John
son. and, when find him, over here he
comes to be prominently aid pcrina-
nently replanted in the Pasonagessit
cemetery. When find a titled Johnson
of the right degree Of antiquity, shall
steal him, bones, tombstone and all, and
we will then transplant him in Il style
that will astound the Pasonasessit de-
sccndants of the pilgrim fathers"
"Ha. ha, ha~ laughcdmy father. "Ha;
ha! Why, Sam, blast my buttons 1t
wouldn't be bad notion.
l then thoroughly unfolded my plans
to the old gentleman, who laughed con-
sumedly. My father, you know, is Jol-
ly joker as ever spun a yarn or set trap
to catch hunter after mares nests and
three tailed cats. He soon began to en-
tcr into the fun of the scheme and de-
clarcd that merely as joke it would be
worth twice what the expedition would
cost.
We were agreed that our enterprise
must be ke}7t dead secret from all III
the village end all our own family in Or
der to make it succeed as really gor-
geous and ever blooming joke. Even my
mother and sisters must remain III the
dark.
In consequence of this understanding.