Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-08-27


the old man, as il ashamed of his pas
sion, praisel her for mighty Cocl
dinner. But again in few days he
heard the story repeated; this time
twitting her Of it half jccularly, though
he studied her furtively, as she replied,
mirthfully:
! "Most any girl with such cross old
daddy would do it, and no one would
blame her" she said. Noting his
frown, however, she added, wistfully:
'Td ruther hev my fathers consent ter
being married.
He did not seem quite satisfied, and
though he said nothing more, he sat
smoking meditativcly for long time.
After that often heard him puce
the gallery as they called the long
front porch, until late ut night, a sign
that he was troubled, or watchful, for
his custom was to retire almost with
the chickens.
| He was often up till after midnight,
for, being n light sleeper, and my win
dow wide open, | was easily disturbed
by his clumsy lounglng in the shrub
berry, or his peculiar laryngeal efforts
that resembled the rasping of an in
sect. One evening l overheard con-
versation. A young man from an nd
joining farm had come over on some
crrand. paid no attention to what he
was saying to the farmer till he men.
toned Hiram's name, then it occurred
10 me that he was one of Hiram's
friends, and that his sister was bosom
confdant OF Minnie. He was saying:
"Ye'll bev ter be hextra keerful
t'night, fer / heerd one o. tn hands
atalllin', an he said thet Hiram's mig
ger said thct tn 'lopemcnt was planned
fer half arter one o'clock ter night,
sure"
"T've heerd ye say most tn same
thing afore, an I'm half o tn mind
thet ye're lyin' ter me-"
"Call it lyin', them" retorted the other,
Indignantly, "but whut I sh'd be tellin'
lies fer is more'n i know" then he
resumed with evident good will: "Ef
wus you I'd put er stop to it some
ways; why, it'll worrit yer life aout;
We look now 'sif We hcdn't had speck
O. sleep fer weeks"
There was nothing about Minnie Mt
the supper table that betokened any
thing unusual. She was neither hilar-
ious or dull; simply her pleasant,
thoughtful self. One thing, however,
| noticed, she did not appear to see that
her father left his meal almost un-
tasted, and that he studied her de-
meanor anxiously. Sometimes, amid
the feminine chatter that she and kept
| up. fancied she glanced at her father
with q sudden CLEAN Of cunning crafti-
ness. which, as quickly changed TO
something like tender remorse.
Minnie's room was next to mine,
and slight noise was easily heard
through the thin partition, but every
thing was so absolutely still that night
thought could hear her breathe.
The offensive smoke Of the farmers
pipe greeted my nostrils as the clock
struck one. It's reverberatio had hard.
ly ceased, when, from my window,
watched his dark shadow creep around
near the corner, under the shrubbery,
which offered point of vantage Of his
daughters room.
Slowly and silently an hour passed,
, and the clock in the dining-room loud
ly tolled, zone, two" The old man
, waited ten minutes longer, then dragged
himself from the bushes. could clear.
ly distinguish his tall, lean figure as
he stood, apparently gazing up to the
window of his daughters room. Some.
: thing dropped from his hand, clatter'
ing as it struck the ground, and he
, started into the house. He shufiled of
his shoes in the hall, and with awkward
cautiouspcss assembled the stairs.
There wns slight jar, sudden rustic
, in the adjoining room, then distinctly
heard the girls regular breathing.
He neither stopped to listen or knock
The door must have been open for he en-
tered Immediately. A chair stood in tho
way; he stumbled over it, making q
: great racket on the uncovered floor.
Minnie's voice came sleepily: what:
> tn matter?" but at the sound of hei
fathers gruff, anxious: "Air ye thar
) darter?" she sat up, wide awake, ex
claiming:
:; "Why, daddy! whut's up? Air "
sick?"
; "Yes, air sick--sick ter death O. this
, cussed business"
"Why, whut's th' matter wi you
father?" (She called him father wheI
! very atfectionate.)
Minnie, tell me truc-tell yer oil
daddy, didn't ye hev no notion o run
min away tcr-night?"
"Not the least in tn world, ye pore oil
honey daddy; whatever put it into yel
; hea1?"
"An hev ye no notion o whippin' of
wi Diram-ain't him an you comm nc
game on yer OF daddy?'
"A fair enough game, father; ye know
we'll enough Hiram an me hev beer
sweethearts a long time, an we hev beer
waitin' patient fer yer consent. shant
never like no other man like do him
| uil tIiInh soilttiilit NY bV"i VI t"'NJ
II give in, fer he's right clever at,heart
an ef we kin wait fer his consent, wheI
D we might run off easy enough, don't i
: look like wen stand by ye as long as w
J live ?--don't it, daddy?
I could imagine how Minnie caugh
/, his hands, and how the poor, wornou
u old man succumbed, just as his artful
loving daughter expected; for | heart
him give q broken sob, then her low
. comforting tones, reassuring him.
: The old androns reflected Minnie'
u brightness as she stepped to the door
:. and announced breakfast that morn
ing; and perhaps it was no wonder tha
. could think of nothing more inspir
4 ing all day than the girls happiness anc
loyalty, as she excused herself for max
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