Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-09-29


l put on my other suit and a new
blue nec&tie-the girls used to say
looked pretty well in blue neclSte-
and started out for my six-mile
tramp.
hadn't male all these preparations
for nothing, you may be sure. pro-
posed to do something more than sit on
the stone wall that evening.
There was light in the sitting-room
when came in sight of the house, and
Iplucl1ed up my courage and knocked
at the door.
don't mind telling you that while |
was waiting for somebody to come felt
kind of weak about the knees, and when
the door opened and there stood Molly
holding the lamp up high and looking
out into the darkness with her cheeks
as pretty as peach, we'll then was
clean gone.
managed tostammer out the speech
I'd made abe ut being out walking and
being tired, and might rest and have
a drink of water. Goodness knows |
needed both, for was that shaky was
fit to drop.
Molly told me to walk in, and called
her grandfather. told him who
was, Sam Thorpe, engineer on 47-the
best engine on the road, too strand
he made me welcome and treated me
hearty.
This is my wife" says he, land this
is my granddaughter Molly" he added,
as she came in carrying q pitcher of
cider and some glasses, and with a
pretty flush on her cheeks.
sat down and had real pleasant
evening, and it wasn't the last | spent
there, either, for in course of time
whenever spent the night in Chew
boro, which was every other night, you
remember, | spent the evening with
Molly.
One evening we got talking about
names, and says l.
your names a queer one-Stack-
pole-I never met with it before ex-
cept when | was boy. Down in Maine
where / lived there were two boys
who had been left on the poorhouse
steps one night and who were brought
up there Tom and Bic their names
was, | remember, and we boys used to
call them 'haystack' for fun"
Molly had given little cry of sym
pathy for the orphans, ] supposed, but
ceased abruptly as her grandfather
glanced at her severely. He was stern
man and dlsliked all display of soft
heartedness.
THE name isn't uncommon in some
parts" said he, and that was all. Do
you know, after that evening the old
man would hardly speak to me and
gave me to understand by his manner
that | wasn't as welcome as used to
be- 1t made me mad So at last says
to Molly:
II tell you, Molly, can't stand this.
must see you as much as have done,
and can't do it with your grandfather
acting as if he owed me money. Now,
| don't want to do anything under
hand, and | know your honest little
heart wouldn't let you, either, so the
only thing for us to do is get married
right off, and I'll go and ask your
grandfather now"
You see, we'd made it all up between
us some time before, but we'd agreed to
wait year, because Molly was SC
young.
Molly said "Yes," and off went to
interview the old man. didn't expect
very cordial reception, but | didn't
expect anything nearly so warm as ]
got.
was consigned to spot not fit to be
mentioned before ladies the minute !
made my proposition, and the old gen
tleman, used language that certainly
didn't belong to a deacon. Then got
mad, and, says |:
Have you anything against my char
acter, Deacon Staclpole," says I, "or
my prospects,"
No" says he, I've looked them UP
pretty carefully when | guessed what
you were hanging round here for"
"Then what is your objection?" says
I.
But he wouldn't have anything to say
| to me but mo, no, no" and wouldn't
listen to anything said, so went of
to find Molly crying under an appl,
tree, for she'd heard our angry voices.
didn't see her the next evening but
one, for found at my boarding house
long letter from her.
Sam, dear, GRANDPA Their is very determined
and you'd better not come over this week.
| Its all about those two little boys you knew
| in Maine in the poorhouse. You see, | had ar
| Uncle Tom, who was grandfather's oldest sou
| He turned out 10 be very wild, and great tria
! 20 grandfather, and he nearly broke grand
| fathers heart After awhile he married ar
actress, and they went away and never wer,
| heard of for years,
| grandfather is an awfully proud man, ant
| he was mortified to death at the way Uncl,
| Tom had acted He had been expelled from
the church, and that was great blow and
| finally, when he brought home his wife, tina
was the finishing touch
"She was placllhaired and she Redeemed he
cheeks and was rather handsome, but louC
talking, and not like grandmother.
| Grandmother tried to bear with her, but on,
day she was impudent, and Uncle Tom stool
up for her against his mother, and grandfatho
got angry and turned them both out of doors.
"'In three or four years letter came ogtand
mother from Uncle Tom, written from Maine
saving that his wife had died and that he wa
very i'll himself and didn't expect TO live long
! and that he had two little boys whom he ha,
called Tom and Ahijah, after himself ant
grandfather, and that they'd have to 60 TO tn
M1,g
soon and would Grandmother tell grandfathe
| how matters stood ssnd how Uncle ION re
! pented OF what he mad done
nrtilnllxr hidr,f dnrl 70, al