Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1894-10-05

sent !" added the old lady, winding
briskly away on big ball of clouded
red and white yarn.
Miss Octavia Mockbee, black-eyed
and scarlet-lipped, turned sharply
around with an impatient frown on
her shapely forehead.
| 81 haven't asked your consent yet ~
she retorted, imperiously. "When /
do, it will be time enough to refuse p
"Then you amt a-goin' to marry
him after all, Octavy?" cheerfully
commented Aunt Adaline, looking up
from the sponge pudding she was max
ing for dinner. "Im so glad Mr..
Fothergill may be respectable, for all
we know, an then ag'in he mayn't.
But we know all about Jerome Mead
owgay, an his folks afore him. Not a
shiftless enc among 'em. :"
''An' like as not the t'other one is a
wolf in sleeps clothin'," sagely COM
mentcd Miss Martha Phipps, who was
spending the day. 'It amt best to
take no resks, Octavy."
''But you hadn't ought to encour-
age Mr.. Fothergill so much, Ockie, -
admonished Mrs. Mockbee, with n
Modified glance at her tall grand
daughter. cit amt right to accept
the attentions of any man without you
think"
''Now, look here, grandma, and
Aunt Adaline-and you, too, Miss
Phippsr' %
The black-eyed beauty wheeled
around and leveled whole battery of
angry glances at her startled hearers.
You may all keep your good advice
till it's called for 1 don't want it
I'm going to marry Ferdinand Foth-
ergill and live in the city. 1 shan't tie
myself down to common farmer like
Jerome Meadowgay, and you needn' t
think it -
And the offended Xantippe fouuced
out of the room, leaving her auditors
breathless with astonishment.
One hour later, sixteen-year- old
Margie, coming in from the barn-loft
with a flat split basket of fresh-laid
eggs, met jerome Meadowgay leaving
the house.
"Oh, jerome, do stay to dinner -
greeted Margie, cordially. "We're
going to have rice watfles and sponge
pudding"
But Jerome gloomily shook his
head.
"I'm going away, Margie," he said
gently. This is the last time L shall
see you for long while-perhaps for
ever."
MNrgie's dimpled face clouded over
like an April sky.
"Going away, Jeromei 'But-but
where?" she asked, blankly.
'I-I don't know vet" hesitated
Jerome. "Maybe to Greenland" he
added, recklessly. "But good-by, lit
tie Margie. Don't forget me, will
you? There'll be nobody else to re.
member me.
But Margie clung to his hand.
"Oh, Jerome, mamma and grandma
will remember you, and SO will II"
she declared, impulsively. "And if
Cousin Octayia prefers that little dude
of Ferdinand Fothcrgill to you,
she'll rue it some day, see if she don't.
but you'll write to us, won't you,
Jerome?' she pleaded, looking at him
through pair Of forget -me-not blue
eyes frlnged with thick, curling lashes.
That's is, IL you don't got froze up
in Gree inland, she added, obviously.
jerome laughed in spite of his
gloomy prospects, aud ray Of
warmth seemed to find It's way 10 his
chilled heart
81 don't think I'll freeze, Margie
and TIL certainly write 10 you" he
promised.
And releasing the mito of "a hand,
he ssrosc away. while Margie hurried
iuta the house.
II musta't watch him out of sight,
because It would bring bad iusk, and
asybe he T0uld never come back. 1"