Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-02-07

ming milk, preparatory to churnln8'
DO you want to sell this place,
Mrs. Grey?" he asked, abruptly.
"Don'no as l do, said the widow.
otis the only home I've had for TWEEN
ty-fye years. Au' l couldn't get
nothin' for it. The lands bout wore
out. Still, if 1 had an offer of fifteen
hundred dollars for it, l d snap at 1t. "
81 know somebody who'll give you
that, " said John. "Five hundred cash
down and a mortgage on the place for
the rest, due in two years, with inter
est, at six per cent"
otis a bargain, said the widow
"Where's the man?'
"Here!" SAID john.
"You?" exclaimed the widow. 81
didn't know you had five hundred
cents"
GIVE got the cash ready for you,"
said John; "and if yor'll let me drive
into Sedgewick this afternoon, we'll
have Lawyer Saunders make out the
deeds.
81 suppose I'll have to hold by my
word" said Mrs. Grey. "But you'll
never be able to pay me the thousand
within two years. How can you save
anything en- forty dollars month";
"That's my lookout" said John.
'You needn't worry about the amount
of ny salary. You have the farm as
security, and you can live on it till all
is paid. rve no use for the house,
you know, unless [ get u wife to put
in it..
"Fo!ls can't say he amt clever, ="
said Mrs. Grey, in telling her daugh-
ter, a little later, of this o1er. "Id
have hated to leave the hoase right
Of. But what puzzles me is his hayinS 3
thai five hundred dollars put by. lie
mus have been awful sOyin'."
Lydia smiled, but said nothing. She
might have enlightened her mother
on the subject mad she SO chosen; but
she preferred to keep her cwn counsel.
A week later, John paid a second
visit to the dairy.
"You said 1 couldn't marry Lydia
until | had a home to offer her as good
as the one she's had with you," he
said. "Now you cant say I'm moi
able TO do so. She needn't make any
change at all, you see. D."
az see, said the widow, tersely.
$50 you'll consent to our engage
ment?" said John.
81 suppose so, since you're both SC
set on it, said Mrs. Grey, on whom
johns five hundred dollars had pro
duced marked impression. "Liddy'
so stubborn. headed she wouldn't thinl
of changiu' her mind if preached an(
argyied ali night, and l don't wan
her talked about"
"Neither do l." said John; "an(
I'm glad to have the matter settled.
I'll 60 up aud tell Lydia about it now,
if you have no objection.
eco if you want to, said the wild
ow. 'Like rs not she's looking fol
vou-hangin' over the gate, perhaps
while the breaPs burnin' in the over
and the eats on The breakfast-table.
The wedding was set for the middl
of October but, to her mothers sur
prise, Lydia began no preparation
for it.
"Why don't you begin your shop
pin'?" asked the widow, who had
a natural longing for cruise amoD;
tho drygoods stores OF Sedgewick
"Thero's no time to be lost You'll
have to be pretty smart if you expec
to get sewel up by the middle Of DC
> tober."
"There's no hurry" said Lydi
quietly.
"rGat money you've got in ban
will come in useful 'norgh now," sali
her mother. "Thrae hundred dollar
will buy yOu q good set-out."
"Better than l need, said Lydia
cit would ha sheer extravaganza 10
ME to spend that much. "
"But you've got to have som
5 fnery," said her mother.
2 T shan't want much. I'm prett
we'll supplied now with clothes" "
"rhere's no call for you to be stingy
Your Uncle Nose left you the none
for this very purpose, Don't you re
{ member the will sal SO? And l wan
to see you we'll set.out. Girls don
get married morn'n onct, as rule
aud you'd best make the most OF tn
= chance" "
/, "I'll sec,' said Lydia. There
time enough yet to buy aud max
double what I'll get. "
And though Mrs. Grey fretted an
scolded about the delay, and began t
think her daughter had grown pars
9 monious, Lydia continued to put o
4 going to Sedgewick to buy her wee
I ding clothes.
"Who were those men prowlin
a L