The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-07-30

the girls spirit. She hummed tune
as she set the meal on the table, and
the old man, AZ If ashamed Of his pas
sion, praisel her for q mighty good
dinner. But again in q few days Re
heard the story repeated; this time
INVITING her of it half jocularly, though
he studied her furtively, as she replied,
mirthfully:
*Most any girl with such a cross old
daddy would do it, and no one would
blame her." she said. Noting his
frown, however, she added, wistfully:
"I'd ruther hev my fathers consent ter
being married"
He did not seem quite satisfied, and
though he said nothing more, he sat
smoking meditatively for a long time.
After that often heard him pace
the "gallery." as 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 q light sleeper, and my win
dow wide open, was easily disturbed
by his clumsy Longing in the shrub
berry, or his peculiar laryngeal efforts
that resembled the rasping of an in
sect. One evening overheard con-
versation. A young man from an adj
joining farm had come over on some
errand. paid no attention to what he
was saying to the farmer till he men
toned Hiram's name, then it occurred
TO me that he was one Of Hiram's
friends, and that his sister was bosom
conidant of Minnie. He was saying:
"Ye'll hev ter be hextra keerful
t'night, fer I heerd one O. tn hands
atalkin', an he said tibet Hiram's mig
ger said tibet tn 'lopement was planned
fer half AFTER one o'clock ter night,
sure"
I've heerd ye say most tn same
thing afore, an I'm half o tn mind
tibet ye're lynn ter me-"
"Call it lynn, then" 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 hedn't had q 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 I'M
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 a 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 partitions, but every
thing was 80 absolutely still that night
1 thought I could hear her breathe.
The offensive smoke Of the farmers
pipe greeted my nostrils as the clock
struck one. It's reverberation had hard
ly ceased, when, from my window, I
watched his dark shadow creep around
near the corner, under the shrubbery,
which offered a point Of vantage Of his
daughters room.
Slowly and silently an hour passed,
and the clock in the dining room loud
" 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 shufaed of
his shoes in the hall, and with awkward
cautiousncss assembled the stairs.
There was slight jar, a 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 the
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,
darter?" she sat up. wide awake, ex-
claiming:
"Why. daddy! whuts up3 All We
sick?"
Eyes, 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-tell yer OIL
daddy, didn't We hev no notion O rum
MIN away ter-night?'
mot the least in tn world, ye pore Of
honey daddy: whatever put it into yer
head?"
"An hev ye no notion o whippin' off
wi, Hiram-ain't him an you comm no
game on yeror daddy?"
"a fair enough game, father; ye know
we'll enough Hiram an me hev been
sweethearts long time, an'w hev been
waitin'' patient fer yer consent. 1shant
never like no other man like do him,
on think sometimesmy~d dear OF daddy
III give infer he's right clever atheart;
an, eff we kin wait fer his consent, when
we might run of easy enough. don't it
1ool, like we'll stand bv We as long as we