Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-04-06

ueI edStIuSSS. out IL III Suo d
day. and good tall girl for her
age, and a great help to her grand
mother, l can tell you."
At which for some unknown
reason l felt much pleased.
"Sbe's all fired pretty" added
Jim Stokes, the engineer on 1l9, at
which 1 felt an equally sudden de.
sire to kick hin.
put on my ether suit and new
blue necktie-the girls used to say
| looked pretty well IN a blue
necktie-aud started out for my
SIX mile tramp.
l hadn't made all these prepara-
tiOns for otbinr, you may be sure,
| proposed to do something more
than SIT on the stone wall that
evening.
There was a light in the sitting
room when l came in sight Of the
house, aud | picked up courage
and knocked at the door.
l don't mind telling you that
while was waiting for somebody
to come | felt kird d of weak about
the knees, and when the door
opened and there stood MOllie
holding the lamp mp high and look.
ing out into tho darkness, with her
ch eeks as pretty as "a peach, well,
then l was clean gone.
l managed to stammer out the
speech III made about beng out
walking and beng tired, andmgiht
| rest and nave drink Of water
Goodness knows l needed both, for
l was that shaky was fit to drop.
MOlie told me to walk in and
called her grandfather. l told him
who | was-Sam Thorpe, engineer
on AZ, the best engine on the road,
too, strand be made me welcome
and treated me hearty.
"Thls is my wife," said he, "and
this is my granddaughter, MOllle," }"
he added as she came in carrying a
pitcher of cider and some glasses,
and with a pretty blush on her
cheeks.
sat down and had real pleas
ant evening, aud it wasn't the last
| spent there either for III course
of time when ever Ispent the night,
you remember, l spent the evening
with Mollie.
One evening l got talking about
names, and says L;
"Your names a queer one
Stackpole | never met with 1t be
fore except when | was a boy
Down in Name where | lived there
were two boys who had been left
on the poorhouse steps one night
aud who were brought up there
Tom and Bile their names were,
remember, and we boys used to cal
them 'hayStacks' for fun"
MOlhe had given a little cry ol
sympathy for the orphans, | sup
posed, but ceased abruptly as hel
grandfather glanced at her severe
| ly. He was a stern man and dis
liked all display of soft hearted
ness.
"The name lsn't uncommon IL
some parts" SAID he, aud that was
all. Do you know, after that The
old man would hardly speak to ne
and gave me to understand by hli
manner that wasn't as welcome
as l used to be. 1t made me mad
SO at last | says to MOllie:
81 tell you, Mollie, can't staut
this. I must Seee you as much as
have done, and | can't do it Will
your grandfather acting az if III
owed me money. Now, | dom
want to do anything underhand
and | know your honest little hear
wouldn't let you either, so The only
thing tor us 70 do is to get married
right off, and III 60 and ask YOU
grandfather now
You see, we'd made it all up be
tween us some time before, bu
we'd agreed to wait a gear, be
cause Moliie was so young.
Mollie said, eyes," and eff
went to interview the old man.
did't expect very cordial receI
tion, but l didn't expect anything
nearly so warm as got
! l was consigned to spot not f
to be mentioned before ladies tb
minute | made my proposition, an
the old gentleman used languag
that certainly didn't belong to
o deacon. Then got mad, an
! says /:
"Have you anything against m
character, Deacon Stackpole," say
p I, cor my prospects ?"
"No,Y says he; "T've looked thel
up petty carefully when / guesse
what you were hanging round hel
y for.D
g UTben what Is your objection