The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-01-24

Be quick, or the rain will catch You.
It will be storm, Think
AS the young fellow moved away the
elder man again put out his hand. To-
ny overlooked it, but slipped to earth.
Her cheeks were scarlet, her eyes suspi-
ciously dewy, yet she lifted them brave.
ly and held her head high as she step.
ped within the piazza shade.
y,
Nance, poor creature. was the unlike.
liest possible instrument of fate, yet
such in the end she turned out to be.
Barely two months after sho tainted by
the wayside Colorel Cross, coming home
from town, met his son riding through
early moonshine at q mighty reckless
pace. Tho encounter was just beyond
the outer gate. As they came to it Cur
tis held it open for his father, yet kept
his face studiously averted. Side by
side the two rode on to the stable yard,
speaking no word. A waiting groom
took their horses. Then as by one i'm
pulse they faced about and looked hard
at each other. Still no word passed.
They went On to little clear space of
lawn, where the waxing moonbeams
shone clear enough to show oil things
plain as day.
After long, long look Colonel Cross
said, q curious under vibration in his
voice:
"Your leave is up next weekp
Eyes, sir, the young man answered,
folding his arms, the line Of his mouth
hardening until it was q copy Of the
fathers.
"You have spent full third of it
dangling after Tony Morris'' the old
man went ON.
II am glad to say you are right, sir, T"
the son returned.
'No doubtyou think yourself in love
with her?''
II know it." Curtis said.
"H-mi Do you not know also that her
father a
Eyes. know everything, tho whole
miserable storyl'' the son burst out, his
hands clinching savagely. II dare say
you'll disinherit me for saying it,, he
went on. perhaps deserve it anyway
for loving that mans daughter, but
cannot think it was right for you,
to live here among these people, where
all that old coil might come back upon
an innocent headP'
"Why, what's up? Has the girl re-
fused you?" Colonel Cross asked, and
the moon rays showed him smiling.
"Yes. She has refused me-refused
me in such fashion that cannot misun.
derstand it for pretty maiden ruse I
begged for the tiniest hope. I would
wait, do. endure anything. Then she
told me, as delicately as it might be
told, Of oil that lay between, Us, Of how
impossible 1t was that you and my moth.
or should not hate her, and how more
than impossible it was that she should
bewilling to SOW division between them
and their only child" eS. ae
Conscientious, I must sayl We ought
to be very grateful" +" Colonel Cross said,
drawing deep breath. "My lad. (" he
went on, flinging an arm over his SOM g
shoulder, II will disinherit you If You
are such faint heart as to let that re-
fusal daunt you. Even il I still felt Bit
terly toward Antony Morris, poor fel-
low, what other revenge could he so
complete as to see his daughter my son g
: wife! As the case stands feel that
owe him great deal. Bitterly as suf-
fered at his hands, he taught me that
chivalry is something more than q
name-that it is, in essence, the consid-
Grafton Of the strong for the weak OF
helpless. More than that, he made me O
free soil man, and SO gave me your moth.
er and my after career. Say, youngster,
are you ready to assume your fathers
debt?''
"Yes, sirP' Curtis said meekly. but
wringing his fathers hand. II think,
though, it will take lifetime to pay il
properly
''No doubt of it, and you can't begin
too soon, ;" tho colonel said, smiling al
his hoy. "You'll havo pretty hard row
to hoe, though Tony is, I think, too
gallant and sensible to be unreasonable
Nanny is tho lion in your path
But to the establishment Of everybody,
most of all herself, Nanny surrendered
without discretion. At the Unfair, which
made the county open its eyes, she ad
mitted to Sis May Johnson. between
mouthfuls of wedding cake:
II gut mo- finger IAN mos anybod,
in dis zero wedding pie. Seem lex To
ny sho des cain't gree wild herself tel
say yes ner no. Den l took an suadt
my chile. All 'suade her, dough hit dit
go 'sinst de grain. thunk erbout oil
marstcr an Marse John Ant'ny an al
dat; den thunk erbout Tony, gal born
ed quality. dribin ole mules ter mill
wild no much ter cay, an singin cawl
songs on dc road. Pear lex dat WI
wussern chen ma'yin de Harp Cros
boy. Marse John Ant'ny hisse'f woult
low he wus right likely an mon righ
peart. Dec tells me, too, when Tony g
wild i'm ter de presidents house, sh'
gwine como way yander at de head ol
des de common sort. I dunno bout dat
but does know dee amt gwine be ma
rybody nowhar wild mo- ter make de-
Eole dee haid up Am my gals gut.
THE END.