The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-11-20
SELECTED STORY.
Married at a GallOp.

the tall young schoolmaster who stood
fumbliDg the latch of the front gate and
clearing his throat more for the sake of
attracting attention than to remove any
obstruction from his windpipe. "Well7"
But 1t wasn't well. That wasn't the
right way to encourage the young man,
and shrewd old Joel Gringer knew it.
He wanted to make him go through the
torture of telling him plainly that he
had come to see his daughter, so that
he could put an end to the thing then
and there.
"Well?"
"H'm; IL just wanted to know if
Miss-h'm, h'm-is at home ~; and the
young fellow relieved his nervousness
by digging up the gravel walk with his
left toe at a rate that threatened to dam
age it worse than ten years. wear and
tear
81 thought your business was to teach
the children to speak the English Ian.
guage, and here you can't do anything
but hum and hawk. I'm at home and
80 is Growler there: Anything elseP"
and the steely eyes looked through the
young man like a ferret's.
"No, SIR" with a loud HIM; {" was
JueJ SOluR up Jut IOdU W MI. MdSOn'b
and wanted to know if the family were
all well-that's ALL" And the bashful
young fellow seemed to have found his
wits somewhere, for he turned coolly
away, raising his cane as be did so, and
striking the maple foliage over his head
three sharp clips that made the leaves
crack like pistol.
And the old farmers eyes were not
80 sharp as he prided himself that they
were, or he might have seen the futter
of something white,' three distinct
things, from the narrowest opening in
the blinds above, and have guessed
why the young man was so easily salts
fed
Maybe love is blind to its own OBJ.
jects; but for dizziness of vision give
me. all the time, the eyes that are ever
80 sharp after a bargain, but have not
the quickening of the divine passion to
make them vigilant guards against the
dangers that threaten to thwart loves
plans. That's long way of spelling
Joel Gringer, but true one.
He watched the straight, 1.-the young
form until it seemed only a shadow
against neighbor Mason's barn, and
then began banging the shutters with
vehemence that said to all: "Joel
Gringer can take care of his own every
time-leave him alone for that"
"Gone on to Mason's," was his gruff
answer to his wife's questioning look
"Only wanted to inquire after the
health of the family. S'pose he thinks
the deestrick is assessed to pay him for
goin' round an doin' that-ha, ha!
What would the funerals of two thirds
of this family count with him? Good at
fractions, they say. Well see how his
fractions will work in this house. Much
good it will do him to talk it over with
John Mason, the old"
"Sh-l' Kissed cautiously into his
ear, and warning finger told him to
the neighbor,-wth whom he had been
embroiled in bitter lawsuit, and be-
tween whose farms DEVILS lane"
prevented any joining of line fences
unsaid. "There's Mason's hired man,
again"
Well?" (About twenty per cent
more peppery THAI moment ago.)
1.-The old man sent me over to say
them there hogs % yourn's been in the
back cornfield again an he won't turn
EN- out till doomsday, nor let me.
They're there yit, an maxim the inter-
est on five thousand dollars fly like
sixty-that's what the old man lows the
field'll fetch him. Better not take that
there pup along, had ye? Hi? Wait
till can get outl"
The last exclamation was caused
by preparations for Enchanting the
huge bulldog Growler; and Ben Stone
made one leap over the fence, and was
out OF hearing before Joel Gringer could
finish something about going for wit
nesses."
Mrs. Gringer set her candle in the
back kitchen window and her supper in
the oven, and watched and waited for
Joels lantern to CLEAN down the lane
leading to the back cornfeld.
But it was cleaning in more fantastic
forms farther down. 1t was playing
hide aud seek up and down dusty rows
OF corn, just in the milk and toothsome
TO the unruly swine. He and Grower
We're defending the rear, with Mrs. Grin
ger doing sentinel duty for them; but
what of the front?
In little hollow in the road not
twenty rods from Joel Gringer's house,
the thick green turf of the wayside
served as a cushion for the feet of two
restless steeds that would stamp at the
troublesome flies. Every nail was fast
in their shoes and every strap buckled
tight, while the nervy fellows-two of
the most tireless travellers John Mason's
stables could boast, champed their bits
restlessly and tossed their heads, throw
ing now and then q fake of foam that
flashed with silyery brightness in the
chance rays of moonlight, and-but
what is that?
Adown the green, thorny breastwork
that defended Joel Gringer's posses
sions from the wayside fitted slight
figure, crouching and hating, and then
darling swiftly forward toward the lit
tie dell which seemed to be the rendez-
vous sought.
rs that you, Nannie?" a hoarse,
excited whisper met her a few rods dis.
tant from the horses.
"Sh-! Yes; l never saw man
who could help spelling things by blum