Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-20
A FOURTH ON A FARM
Copyright. 1895. by American Pres Associa.
tion.l

CHANCE thab the decision OF the court will
be reversed an we may get what We bought
an paid for with our hard earned money. I"
Well, amt that enough to make us feel
good. heyi Why shouldn't we celebratep'
II advise you to wait till you are sure
this new evidence Of yourn mounts to
anything, Elisha. Tho courts may not
give the case new hearin AM
They can't refuse, mother. It's clean
case OF robbery, an We II have Bunker pack.
In up an moyin In six weeks. hope he Il
move 20 fur away. that that stuck up son
OF his'u never get to SEQ Lizzie agin.
S'pose I'd have . dartor OF mine marry
Bunkeri Not II she never got marriedl
and Elisha Stone knocked the ashes from
his clay pipe 20 savagely that the stem was
| broken short on, whereat he spluttered and
furnsd Acrcely.
Mrs Stone calmly continued with her
knitting for some moments, but she fnaHy
dropped II In her lap and pushed her spec.
tacles MP on her forehead, observing:
There, there, Elisha, don't make such
, row over An old pipe. As for Dick Bun
ker, he seems rather likely sort Of young
man, even II Jed Bunker Is his father
| AM
MANDY Jane, almost roared the old
/
that young rascali Do you mean to say
you would have the son Of our worst en-
emy sparkin round our Lixxis?"
We'll not exactly that, }" replied the
woman, rather ovcrawed by her husbands
manner. But, then, she might do worse. -
"Shs might I'd like to know howl /
know there STINT many likely young men
out in this country, an for her sake /
sometimes wish we'd never left New
| Hampshire an moved out here. I'D never
done 1t II the old farm hadn't run out
| there, an then l got beat on this place
There amt no water here an I've spent
more Il $500 on that COMPOUNDED oldwell +"
Money throwed away" sighed Mrs.
Stone, picking up her knitting and resum-
| ing work In = mechanical manner
That's So" confessed Elisha, slightly
shASnsfaced Its no thin but hole In
tho ground. an lately 1t smells 10 bad
there's near no snduYin 1t when the wind
blows this way, don't understand it at
Ill, An II was goin TO stay here I'd have
to MI In that hole to stop tho stonoh."
1--WE may stay here, arter al, father"
"Nayl Iguess not Well move Just
- soon a. the law turns Bunker out"
(Which l fear It II never do. You know
Bunker claims Noah jackson, the man to
which you paid your money, didn't have no
real title to the property, an tho judge told
you you'd have to look to Jackson to get
your rights.
That's folderol! How'm I goin to
look to jackson when nobody knows where
on the face Of the earth Jackson's gone tor
Besides that, II this new evidence mounts
to anything, Bunker was In league with
! Jackson an the place longs to me- tell
We, feel good enough to celebrate q little
myself, an I'm goin to see the boys have
| good time You haint got no patriotism
! in ye, mother. The Fourth of July oughter
be celebrated by everybody In this great an
! glorious country ev'ry time 1t comes
round. Now don't make no moro talk
about it, - he cautioned as he saw his wife
was about to speak again. cts no use
talkin, for have sent for the fireworks,
! an they'll II sure be here tonight, SO the boys
| can shoot 'em of tomorrer night, an that
| settles it."
! With that he arose and marched out Of
the house, leaving Mrs. Stone to her knit
| ting and her thoughts.
"S'pose Elisha thinks he's goin to cele
| brate tho FOURTH she murmured, "but
| 1t II really be celebratin because he thinks
| he's goin to get tho best OF Bunker at last.
| Well, mebbe he will but dunno's Bunk
| er's SO much to blame, for he did make it
| look pretty clear he had prior claim to
| the place. Ny opinion Is that Jackson Is
! the rascal, else he'd never run away the
way he did, but there's no use sayin SO to
| Elisha he's so sot."
| That night at dusk Lizzie Stone slipped
| out by the back door and stole away down
the lane that led to the pasture Her man
ner betrayed the fact that she feared being
seen by some OF the family, for she paused
| several times and looked back neryously
over her shoulder.
| Lizzie was pretty girl, bright and
rather talented, but not without q touch
| Of the romantic and frivolous In her ma
ture. This, however, would disappear In
| later years when she came to understand
/ life as 1t really is, and, for tho time being,
1t made her seem all the more attractive to
the young men who know her
OF all those young man there WAS but
ono for whom she really and truly cared,
and that one she met at the foot OF the
lane, which Elisha Stone Had laid out In
genuine Now England fashion, much to
the wonder and amusement Of his western
neighbors. He was leaning on tho fence
and waiting for her - she approached.
! Lizzie, feared you would not come!"
he exclaimed, reaching over and clasping
her hands, while she saw his eyes CLEAN
| through the murk with a light that set her
heart futtering and her pulses throbbing.
II Rad to steal away" she replied, in
low tone, feeling that her cheeks were
| burning. ST father'd seen me-
II should not have had that pleasure.
Thank fortune he did not see you'll 1t Is q
cruel fate that makes our families foes,
while we love each other, for you CANNOT
deny you love mo, sweetheart.
| He drew her CLOSER and one arm slipped
about her shoulders. She struggled and
demonstrated a little, but she soon stood
with bent head listening to his impulsive
| declaration Of love- i
ST / wsfe scoundrel," he said, II
might try toinduce you to run away with
me, but mean to win you by fair means,
and win you will"
Father
81 know, sweetheart, but say you will
marry me, and will find some way to OBJ
tain his consent Will go to him tomor-
row and ask for you"