The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-24
MATRIMONIAL.

81 answered it III good faith" she said.
"Here is his advertisement. / cut it
from matrimonial agency paper"
She took the clipping from her pocket
and read it aloud. her black eyes snap
ping dangerously:
am n widowcr, "a years old. live. with my
TWO little girls, upon my cotton plantation. !
nave 900 acres, more or less, my own unin-
numbered property, situated on the beautiful
Bayou St. Lucas. | have II nice cottage home
embOwcrcd in vines. with gardens, chickens,
COWS, harness and saddle horses, flowers, fruit
every comfort except II wife. With IL view To
supply ing the deficiency, l ask IL correspond
ence with some respectable young lady hoping
to persuade her to
"Sharc my cottage, gentle maid
1t only waits for thee
To add sweetness To its shade
And happiness to me-"
References exchanged.
ALEXANDER GRANVILLE
81 answered that advertisement" said
the black eyed girl sitting on the zinc
covered trunk.
81 was Il teacher III Il small private
school in New York. The work was hard;
the pay was poor. l had stepmother
ut home and houscful of small half
brothers and sisters. l wanted to get
away. I-l-had had a-disappointmenl
the black eyes tillcd-'and | was I'M
happy. | had read Jane Eyre and L
really thought that man might be anoth-
er Rochester. We corresponded. He
gave the postmaster us reference. |
wrote to the postmaster. and he answered
that Mr.. Gravillc's character and stand
ing We're all right. He had good farm,
he was honest and paid his debts.
MIR. Granville wanted me to come on
and be married at his hon drew
what money had saved out .hc saw
ings bank, sold my watch ana came on
My stepmothcr was glad to get rid Of
me. got here yesterday. He had said
he would meet me ut this landing-it
would be Il pleasant ride ont TO his cot
tagc. had written II letter Just before
l left, saying when / would arrive. /
found nobody to meet me. asked the
way to Mr.. Alexander Graville's. No
body could tell until an old tlarliy sung
out:
"'Dat white oman mus mean ole
Sandy Gravel. He live back here in the
swamp, but he amt got no ca'agc to send
for nobody Got nuthin but CT cyart
Hits here now. His son Ben driv' III
to git some pcrvisions.'
Has he ii SOM asked.
- Got Il swarm of EN- was the an
swer. All done married but Ben.
My mind misgavc me, but | had no
place to go to-no money, so | hunted up
Ben and told him was going TO his ia
thcr' house. He was IL frcckled, patched
stupid looking young man. He looked
at me with eyes and mouth open in
ainazement and was so bashful that re-
Trained from asking questions. never
limited to Ben that had come on TO be
his stcpmother.
ION we drove, over stumps and roots
and Sullics-throuSh mud and swamps.
1t seemed to be 20 miles. AT last we drew
uD before Il dingy, two rooncd house
with Il shed at the back \ few scrnygy
peach trees and q neglected grapevine
We're the only green things in the yard
beside the weeds. A woman was milk
ing II scrawny COW i'll front of the gate.
She had her back to us and sunbonnct
OH. Two shock headed, barelegged chill
dren sat on the fence. They gave the
alarm when they SAW Il stranger in the
cart. and a man, who had been suuatted
IN Il fence corner holding off the calf got
up and came toward us
That's pap said Ben.
He looked nearer GO than 81. He was
grizzle and snaggle toothed; his neck
was red and wrinklcd. He came up to
the cart. He was agitated and chewed
his tobacco wonderfully fast. l got up
from the flour sack.
:" / am Amelia Jones'
"He turned very red and told his son
to carry the sack of flour into the house.
''I wasn't expectin YOU, he said It's
so long since you wrote
"'You have deceived me- burst out
'You said you had nice home, en-
powered in vines and fruit trees. You
said you were 30. You said you had
only two little girls. You said you were
rich
"No, didn't he interrupted. 4 said
had 1000 acres of land-so have
though a big part of it is swamp. Acres
don't make folks rich III these parts.
This amt New York. | said was 30.
didn't say was few years over, for
Pm spry and young enough for any wo-
man. l said had two little girls livin
with me-said nuthin about the boys.
They're all big fellows and married and
gone, 'cept Ben. AS for the house, amt
that n good house?-double pen and
shed to boot. Don't leak unless it rains
and got first rate chimney. And amt
kba,n y;pac A,l xx.l...,.