The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-09-03

% shs 81 tho meal On ths tsble, and
the old man, q 1 aAhamsd Of his l,As-
sion, praised hsr 1oe . mighty good
dinner. But sCaan in : few days he
heard the story repeated, this time
twitting her Of II halt 1ocularly, though
he studied her furtively, - she replied,
mirthfully:
sMost any girl with such Cross old
daddy would do IL and no ono would
blame her." abe 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 meditativelt for q long time.
After that often heard him pace
the gallery" a. they called the long
front porch, until late at night, 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 light sleeper, and my win
dow wide open, was easily disturbed
BY his clumsy lounging in the shrub
berry, or his peculiar laryngeal efforts
that resembled the rasping OF an in
sect. One evening I overheard q con-
versation. A young man from an ad-
Joining farm had come over on some
errand. I paid no sttention to what he
was saying to the farmer till he mem
toned Hiram's name, then 1t occurred
10 me that he was one Of Hiram's
A,v{ordo or5 that III. .4~<o,, .,,c~ n t,e.c,..
confidant Of Minnie. He was saying:
''Ye'll hev ter be hextra keerhul
t'night fer heerd one o. tn hands
atalkin', an he said thet Hiram's mig
ger said thet tn 1opement was planned
fer half arter one o'clock ter night,
sure"
"I've heerd ye say most tn same
thing afore, an I'm half o tn mind
thet ye're lynn ter me-"
"Call tt lyin', then" retorted the other,
Indignantly, 'but whut sh'd be tellin'
lies fer is tnore'n know" then he
resumed with evident good wilt "Ef
I wus you I'd put er stop to it some
ways; why, it'll worrit yer life aout;
We look now 'sif ye hedn't had speck
o sleep fer weeks"
There was nothing about Minnie at
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 I kept
up, fancied she glanced at her father
with sudden CLEAN Of cunning crafti-
ness. which, as quickly changed TO
something like tender remorse.
Minnte's room was next to mine,
and slight noise was easily heard
through the thin partition, but every
thing was 80 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, I
watched his dark shadow creep around
near the corner, under the shrubbery,
which offered point Of vantage Of his
daughters room.
oAO"Ay ohA oAACuu1y d11 lOu1 pooCCQs
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 shuffled off
his shoes in the hall, and with awkward
cautiousness ascended the stairs.
There was a slight jar, q sudden rustic
In the adjoining room, then I 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: Whats
tn matter?" but at the sound Of her
fathers gruff, anxious: "Air ye thar,
darterP" she sat up. wide awake. ex-
claiming:
"Why. daddy! whut's up? Air 70
sick ?"
"Yes, I air sick-sick ter death o. this
cussed business"
"Why, whut's tn matter wi you,
father?" (She called him father when
very affectionate.)
Minnie, tell me true-teu yer OIL
daddy, didn't ye hev no notion o rum
MIN away ter-night?"
"Not the least in tn world, ye pore OIL
honey daddy; whatever put 1t into yer
head?"
IAN hev We no notion o. whippin' of
wi Hiram-ain't him an You comm no
game on yer OIL daddy?"
"A fair enough game, father; ye know
well enough Hiram an me hev been
sweethearts long time, an we hev been
waitin' patient fer yer consent. Ishant