St. Paul daily globe., 1893-01-19
ALL is FAIR IN LOVE.

DeCemoeI SHOW StOrill were TdlIllliS
against the easements of old Mrs.
Naples farmhouse; patter, patter. the
last dead leaves of the old sycamore tree
drifted down upon the door stone.
1t was an old. old house, and Mrs.
Maple was an old, old woman. But you
VIII sometimes find tufts Os snowy BIOS
SONS bursting from age-lichened apple
trees, and sprays of greenery on the
boughs of century-old oak trees; and so
it happened that Minny Maple, the
ancient crone's great-granddaught
was the bud and blossom of her worn
out life.
Old Mrs. Maple owned house and land
and had money out at interest; but she
| keep her affairs in her own hands. And
pretty Minny, albiet an heiress in pros
pective, taught the district school and
took care of the farm dairy out of hours.
''lt won't hurt her to work for her
living if she is to be rich one of these
days" said Mrs. Maple. 81 worked
when | was a girl"
And upon this dreary December night
Mrs. Naples swift knitting needles
cleaned like steely lightning in the
freight. and Minny sat on low chair
beside her mendlng table cloths, while
ever and anon big drop would plash
| a
gliStening globule OF dew.
But, grandmother. why?' burst out
Minny at last. with blue eyes lifted up
like forget-me-nots drenched in rain, to
the old lady'S parchment like face.
Because | say so,'' said old Mrs.
Maple. And the fire cracked, and the
snow clicked softly against the window
panes, and the knitting needles made
zig-zags OF light as they flew back and
forth.
but you say, yourself, grandmother,
that'he's good young man." pleaded
Minny.
Old Mrs. Maple nodded.
without bad habit in the world"
! And again old Mrs. Maple nodded
like Chinese manderin in collection
Of curiositics.
''And forehanded with his farm?'
For the third time Mrs. Maple nod
ded.
"Fhen, grandmother, why won't you
consent to our marriage?" arged the
girl.
Child" said Mrs. Maple. turning her
spectacle glasses full upon Minny'S
sweet, fiower-lke face. "I've told you
why, half hundred times! It's be
cause your great-grandfathe Maple
and his great-grandfather were mortal
enemies. Because your grandfather's
last words upon his deathDed were: i
leave my soul to heaven. my mouey to
my dear wife, and my everlasting ell
nifty to Job Crofton =
But, grandmother" said Mlnny, with
a shudder, that was very wicked! Aud
! surely, surely, the shadow of a tomb
| stone should be reconciliatiOn?'
Old Mrs. Maple shook her white head.
Your grandfather was Vlndictive
man, Minny," said she; 81 never dis
obeyed him living, and l will never dis
obey MIN deadn
But, grandmother" coaXed Mnny,
with her fresh cheek against the old
lady's hand, "he wouldn't know it.
How could he?'
Child, child, your Grandfather
| lady, with sudden SuperStitlouS glance
over her left shoulder, as something
seemed to rustic at the easement. "And
| do believe his ghost would haunt me
| if didn't give good heed to his last
words. No, no; Gilbert Crofton can
never he your husband, and you may as
we'll give up the idea first as last"
e And Minny Maple cried herself to
sleep that night.
For [ never. never can marry him
without Grandmother Naples consent"
she sobDed. "I'll stay single for his
sake until the day of my death; but [
never can disobey the kind old soul
who has taken mothers place to me
and brought me up from baby"
But the next night there was an apple
bee at Deacon Dangertield's, and Minny
Maple was there. Gilbert Crofton did
not make his appearance until late.
| Colbert" said the little tiancee, who
I got reproachfully amid a crimson ava
! lanche of apples, "What makes you so
| late?"
"rve been busy" said Gilbert. "But
never mind, so long as am in time for
the Virginia reel"
And they walked home together
through the snowdrifts. talking hap
| PLY of what might be ii only Grand
mother Naples adamantine heart could
be softened.
But, late though it was, with the old
| clock on tie stroke of 1.there was a light
shining redly from the keeping room
! windows, and through the uncurtained
easement they could see Grandmother
! Maple marching up and down the room
| like sentinel on duty, her high-heeled
boots tapping OH the floor, her fingers
instinctively wandering around and
around the inside of her empty snuff
box.
Minny hurried into the room.
"Why, grandmother" cried she,
"whatever is the matter? Here are the
logs all burned down to white ashes and
the candle wick guttering. and you in
such a fiutter as never was! What has
happened. grandmother?
Mrs. Maple turned her keen blue eyes
upon her granddaughter with an eX-
preston like that of a sleepwalker.
"Minny, come ill., said she, land
shut that door. Is that you, Gilbert
Crofton, the great grandson of Job?
Come you in also. Childron," with her
old hands shaking as If palsy-stricken,
1--WE seen ghost!"
"ImpossibleE" cried Gilbert Crofton.
"Dear grandmother, you must have
been dreaming" soothed Minny. creep
ing up to her SIDE and drawing her
down into the old arm chair beside the
| hearth.
ssDreamingvr shreked the old wom-
! an. II was as wide awake as l am at
this moment. | had been over to see
on 10 O'Clock when got back. And the
minute / crossed the threshold l had
that queer feeling Of some one being in
| the room creep all over me. And there,
sure enough, in the chair opposite.
where he used to sit thirty years ago,
was your great-grandfather Maple,
with his old cue wig and his suit of but
ternut brown. and the very green spec
tacles he used to wear for his weak
eyes. And he took his pipe out of his
mouth and looked at me Just as your
Grandfather Maple has looked at me
thousand, thousand times. And says L:
Reuben, is that you?' And says he:
Yes, Lois, it is And says /: oh.
Reuben, what brings you back to this
world?' And says he: To wipe
out the stains of wicked
world And says /: Are you
happy, Reuben?' And says he: Yes.
and that's the reason want others to
be- And then began to tremble all
over, and says 1: Is it anything l can
do, Reuben? And says he: There's
no more offending nor giving offense in
the other world, Lois, and Job Crofton's
soul and mine are at variance no
longer Says he: Let there be peace,
Lois, and let the young man Gilbert be
your grandchild's husband And then