The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-05-13

tion was simply to open it.
No doubt; but here arose n slight
difficulty: it wasn't his The postman
had delivered it at the shop by mis-.
take. 1t was addressed to Miss Nancy
Vale.
All day the sight of it lying on the
top of a ham on the counter had
literally tantalized him. When the
shutters were going to be put on for
the night, he took 1t up for final
scrutiny.
"The postmark's London" he
ruminated. 81 never heard tell oil
any--my goodness I've done it
now!"
And SO he had. The imperfect
adhesion of the envelope had yielded
altogether to his too insinuating
finger.
OF course, now that it was open, it
would have been depth of folly
passing Mr.. Sprunt's comprehension
not to master the contents, and his
face actually quivered with suppressed
excitement during the perusal.
'If that doesn't beat the Dutch !"
he CALCULATED on reaching the end.
"a legacy of five hundred pounds
from her grand aunt. If had known
this was going to happen, I would
have made her Mrs. Sprunt long ago.
I've always been fond of Nancy, and
I'm fonder now than ever. What Il
mercy this letter came my way!"
This was no time, however, for
moral reflections. The situation called
for immediate action. gin order to
secure this golden windiall for his own
Golfers, he must not let the grass
grow under his feet.
A moments cogitation showed that
the first thing to be done was to get
the fair legatee, by hook or by crook,
to promise to marry him before she
knew Of her good luck.
Suppose he proposed that night, and
was accepted? In the course of day
or two ne could produce the letter, all
sealed up again, as if it had newly ar
rived. Once Nancy had pledged her
word, he could depend on her not
throwing him over.
With Mr.. Sprunt to think was to net,
especially when five hundred pounds
were at stake.
1t was clustering March evening,
both raining and blowing at a rate
enough to quell the ardor of any ordi
nary suitor. But deluge of old wives
and pike slaves wouldn't have deferred
the redoubtable Sprunt from setting
out for Cherry-tree Cottage to put his
fortune Tor rather Nancy's) to the
test.
A few minutes battling with the
elements brought him to his destina
tion.
In answer to his resounding rat. tat.
tat on the knocker, Nancy appeared
nt the door, accompanied by Spook, q
handsome black cat.
"Ah !" says the clever reader; can
old maid"
Well, she was single. undoubtedly,
but it wasn't from want Of
"An Offer" interposes the readers,
with cynical smile. at never is."
To tell the little dressmaker's story
to one capable of making so vile al
insinuation would be casting pearl.
before swine. Enough to say that ter
years before, Nancy, then winsomt
dark.eyed maiden of eighteen, hat
played ont her one romance.
To bring about reconciliation be
tween her lover and his tyrannical
father who had threatened to disin.
herit him if he persisted in his atten.
tlons to her, she had given poor Ton
his congo, coldly, firmly, finally.
Instead of this having the effect an
ticipated, it made life at homo seen
so intolerable to young Ford that ht
ran away.
From that ill.fated day Nancy hat
never seen her lover again, though hi
haggard face and that last look in hi.
eyes as of some dumb animal in pair
had haunted her ever since.
But this is a depression. Let us re
turn to the present and Mr.. Sprunt.
ITS a very wet night, my dear,
he observed. Without waiting to b,
invited, he entered and seated himsel
in the armchair, and after few
desultory remarks and preliminary
clearings Of the throat, he made tn,
plunge.
"What time it seems since you've
been over to the shop, Nancy! w
been missing You badly"
S"Have you, really?" returned she
SfxNHasnge of color stealing into he
falo cheek.
"Yes, I've been missing you, and i
set me a thinking" continued Mr.
Sprunt, in reflective tone. 81 say
to myself, says /, 'ef you misses
person when you don't see her, tina
shows you've n hankering after her
And if you've hankering after pei
son, that shows you're in love wit
her. And if you're in love with per
son, we'll, the next things to get maj
ried to her, says l-subject to he
approval, of course" added the ma
OF soap and treacle, and rs au after