The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-09-20
LYDIA'S TRUE LOVER.

ILYDIA'S TRUE LOVER.
1t seemed to Lydia Kesson that night
as if her father never would be through
reading the weekly paps-, as he sat con
ten,edly By the shaded lamp with his
speciacles balanced on the bridge Of his
fine Roman nose, and his comfortable,
slippered feet crossed one over the other,
while the hands Of the wooden clock
travelled slowly from TO half-past S, and
from half-past s to9.
a don't see what he can possibly find
10 interest him." said Lydia 10 herself
Il am sure he must have read that ac-
count Of the burning Of Deacon Pleyels
barn at least four times, and l do believe
he knows the list OF prizes at the county
fair by heart. OF all the papers, the
Wertiy Trumpet Blat is certainly the
most stupid I ever saw. And dear, poor
Dick must be half frozen to death out
there in the courthouse"
For here was the root Of the matter
Pretty Lydia was in love with Dick
Churchill, who was s.eadfAstly discoun-
tenanced by old Mr.. Kessoa and this
sly young woman, with black-blue eyes
and the dimple in her chin, was actually
in the habit of indulging Dick with fire
side chat afterthe old gentleman had
plodded his way leisurely up to bed,
which ne did very soon after O'Clock.
zone can't 90 to bed at sunset, like the
chickens reasoned Lydia TO herself
"And l must see Dick sometimes, and lis
a deal too lonely and cold to meet under
the apple trees in the orchard any more /;
and as long as I'm darning the stockings
and mending fathers clothes, I'm sure it
can't signify to him what company l
have"
But Mr.. Kessol laid down the WesHy
Trumpet Blasi at last, and cleared his
throat, with prodigious noise.
Il see, Lydia said he, 'that Squire
Grex has took the premium again for his
fat cattle"
HAS he? said Lydia, indifTerently.
Dreadful fjrehanlel man, Squire
Grex," remarked Mr.. Kesson, staring at
the FIRE.
as he?"
"And I can't help hoping, Lydia"
added the old man, at last removing his
eyes from the smoldering logs and fixing
them solemnly on his daughters face,
that you'll make up your mind to recon-
siderth offer he was good enough to
make you last month"
Father" said Lydia, reddening to the
roots of her hair, Il thought that was all
past and gone
at amt too late yet to be Mrs. Grex,
if"
"Yes, it is :" burst out Lydia. Il never
viii marry that horrid, fat disagreeab!e
old man, not ifthere was nobody else in
the world."
"Humph :" said Mr.. Kesson. Well,
p'Taps the day will come when you will
be sorry for it, Lydia Young folks think
old folks are fools, but old folks know
that young folks are. Dick Churchill
hain't been here lately, has he?7 he ad-
ded, sharply.
"Dick Churchill, father?"
Because" said the elderly sage. with
some asperity, Il won't have him on the
place, and so I tell you. If you won't
marry a Ee.lt9-do, respectable member
Of society like Squire David Grex, you
certainly shan't throw yourself away on
q yagabond like Dick Churchill"
Lydia flushed deeply, and bit of the
end of her needleiul of darniug cotton
with considerably more emphasis than
the occasion seemed to demand, but she
said nothing. And Mr.. Kesson uttered
another resounding "Ahem." and went
ont.
But not to bed. Through some stra nge
fatality he took il into his bald head to
saunter out Of the back door and look at
the sky.
"Cloudy," said he to himself, "and
rainin' smart sprinkle. Well, the wind
has been from the East all day. Bless
me, what's that? =? It's too late in the sea
son for fire flies, bit slrtinly did see
:. l.. =, a.. ,,-----sk
And instead Of going to bed, as Lydia
had fondly hoped he would, Mr.. KessOn
strapped himself in an old army blanket
and crept stealthily out toward the corn
crib.
Dick Churchill, watching and waiting
for the candle in the middle pane Of the
window, which was the tslegraphic sig
nal between him aud Lydia, had become
thoroughly chilled and wearied, and in
an evil moment had lighted cigar to
while away the aeging moments.
"But it won't doto smoke here" said
D.ck to himself "It's too dry and in
fammable spot. I'll 90 out under the
big pine tree. Phew, how it rains Who
could have suppose that il would turn
into such a night as this?"
So just as Dick went out of one door
Of the corn crib, old Mr. KsssOn crept
steaithily into the other.
The sound of creakiDg boz7ds, and the
fall of an ear corn, dislodging all the rest,
startled Dick he turned TO see q spectral
figure closing the eorn-crib behind it.
"Hello ~ said Dick. Burglars !"
Lack Of promptness never had been
.c C-.-..L:II.- caa-.....:-.:. IL