The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-09-04
SELECTED STORY.
PAS WOOing,

lately, Zenas?"
The man to whom this question was
put was sitting at the other side of q
small table which was placed against
the wall in the kitchen. The break
fast was spread upon this table.
Mr.. Simpson paused momentarily in
the act of chasing a few peas around his
plate with a knife with a view to eating
the peas.
emo; l amt noticed nothin'," said
he, slowly. "Guess you're gittin' no.
tional."
Mrs. Simpson was slowly slipping tea
from her saucer, occasionally dipping a
twisted doughnut in her drink.
81 don't think men can see things
less they're chucked right under their
noses, m their heads raped at the
same time," she remarked with some
disdain. GIVE ben noticin' of it for
more'n a month; m l don't know
what to make of it,"
Mr.. Simpson leaned back in his chair.
"Old gentleman amt thinkin' of mar
ryin' ag'in, is hep" he responded.
Mrs. Simpson flushed all wei her
thin, nervous face as she replied:
"Course he amt! Marryin'l Why,
he's in his eightieth yearl Besides"
with an air of relief, "there amt no
woman round here that'd have him."
"Needn't be 80 sure of that" said
Zenas, more quickly than he had yet
spoken. "Women'll have anybody;
don't make no difference what"
Here the speaker laughed again. AS
the present Mrs. Simpson was this mans
third wife, she now remained discreetly
silent.
The couple were living in MI. Little
fields house; for this reason Zenas
could let his WI house and have the
rent money to use. Zenas was fore
handed, but that fact did not prevent
its being a very good arrangement that
they should all live in the old mans
house. Mr.. Simpson could not remem-
Der that he had eyer been able to make
80 advantageoust an arrangement with
any of the men who had been his
fathers-in-law.- His own sugg estion
that his wife's father was thinking of
marrying again" began really to worry
him.
He was frownlng and lingering a
tall, heavily-built man entered, and
walked to his place at the table.
Mrs. Simpson looked at him and ex-
claimed:
"Why fatherl"
Mr.. Simpson also looked and ex-
claimed. But he said:
"Oh. thunder!"
The elder man hurriedly extended his
cup for coffee. He grew red in the face
as he tried to smile unconcernedly.
What's the matter now?" he asked.
"You seem kind er s'prized bout some
thing. Lyddy, l wish you'd pass me
the sugar"
The daughter passed him the sugar.
She continued to gaze at her father,
who had the appearance of a we'll
preserved man of seventy.
81 didn't hardly know you," she
said. 81 amt never seen you 'thout
whiskers sence l en- remember"
Mr.. Littleield put his hand compla-
Gently over his long, white moustache.
HIS had always worn a full beard.
"Thought I'd try shavin'," he re-
marked. 81 did it myself. My hands
jest as stiddy."
He held up his hand as he spoke,
and glanced about him with pride.
There was a slight tremor in the fin
gers, but not enough to proclaim his
eighty years.
Suddenly he sat back in his chair.
His fresh, ruddy face grew pale.
1--WE amt arst no blessip' on u
victuals," he said.
"That's a fact" responded Zenas.
$50 ahead, pa"
Pa bent his head. His voice quay
cred somewhat as he began:
Heavenly Father, for what we are about
to receive make us duly thankful. Amen"
For more than forty years Lyddy had
heard this blessing at every meal when
her father had been present.
She felt it to be an i'll omen that he
had forgotten it for a moment, even
though he was late.
She sat back in her chair and looked
at him furtively. How strange his face
was without his beard, and with that
moustache sweeping back at each side!
81 declare, pa" she broke out, 81
feel kinder lost SEEM you 80. What
made you do it?"
"I've been thinkin' of it this some
time," was the answer. M finally l
thought I'd do it fore the convention
meets over to Gurley. l s'pose you're
goin', amt you, Lyddy?"
Mr.. Littlefeld was making a very
good breakfast, Notwithstanding his re-
cent interesting experience with his
toilet.
"No," said Lyddy, 81 amt goin'. 1
never was no hand to CAD, you know,
pa" .
Mr.. Littlefeld looked disappointed.
Mr.. Simpson showed his chair graf
ingly away from the table as he re-
marked that she m Lyddy didn't have
no time to go bout the country to o
ventions.'
81 didn't know but, bein' Baptists,
you'd be thinkin' of attendin'," was the
response.
The old gentleman presently added
that there ''wan't never anybody to 90
anywhere with him." He was always
alone.
His daughter stared at him in silence.
1t was true that she did not go any
wharf with her fathar Rut thap ohio