Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-07-30

OalIef hltcncock, carefully folding the
evening paper and placing it ON the
table.
The person addressed-a tall, slen-
der woman about 35-looked up from
her knitting and answered with a
pleasant smile "About half past
eight, l believe" and, rising, began
to put away her work.
CATERS question had been for the
last six years the signal for retiring to
rest, and although it was full an hour
and half before the usual hour,
Madeline never thought for a moment
of hesitating to obey.
Something has occurred" she
thought, 'and he will tell me before
long," for Gaffer had looked at his
watch at eight, and few minutes
after, and at quarter past had
changed his chair aud coughed un-
easily, and now he asked: "What time
is it ?'
Madeline was the orphan daughter
of an old schoolmate CATER had
taken her home with him when she
was only 10 years old, and his sister
cared for her with motherly solicitude
until she was wooed and won by Frank
Reynolds and went to distant city to
live. CATER had ma lie terrible to-do
about her marrying, called her al un-
grateful good-for nothing, aad declared
it was proper punishment for takin g
her in the beginning but, neverthe-
less, he spared no expense on the
wedding trousseau. And when, about
nine years after, she came back to her
old home, widowed and childless, she
was tenderly welcomed by the lonely
man, for the grass waved over the
grave of the good, true-hearted sister.
For six Years she had kept house
for him, humorel him, and made
everything bend to his comfort, as few
daughters ever do. Lovers she had
in plenty; those who would at any
moment have laid heart, fortune aud
hand at her feet; {; and when Gaffer
heard that Madeline had refused them
he chuckled at their discontinue aud
smoothed her soft brown hair, telling
her she was good girl, every way
worthy of their love, only he knew
that she would never leave him.
He had grown so accustomed to see
ing her happy, contented face by the
opposite side of the fire, with some
kind of work in her hands that oe-
cupied neither brain not attention, but
left her always free to listen to him
when he spoke, that he felt no fear
at the attentions she received. He
seldom spent an evening from home
unless Madeline was with him and
he had never left his native city since
she came home. He was thinking of
all this tonight, as he watched her
folding her work SO carefully.
"What are you going 10 do Made
line?" he asked, at last
Going to put away my work." she
answered, simply.
"What are you putting it away for?"
"You ask the time, and that is
equivalent to saying: Il am tired of
you, Madeline go to bed. >"
"No, it amt" said CATER, grufiy /;
''come back here, I want to talk with
you--there, let that knitting work
al)ne. What is it, that you are in such
a hurry to finish it?'
Stockings" answered Madeline,
sententiously; stockings for Made
line Reynolds"
Gaffer sat for few moments in per-
feet silence; at last, with VIOLENT
effort and with very much the air of a
man who has just made up his mind
to have tooth pulled, said:
"Maddy, / am going away"
"Going away?" she repeated.
"Where to, pray?"
The tone of surprise in which the
question was asked fully satisfied
CATER of the importance of the revela-
ton.
eyes I am going to New York.
Bonnehue is going to be married on
New Years day, and wants me to be
groomsman. Who would have thought
old Bonnehue would have got married
at last Why, he's at least ten years
older than /, and lam most fifty. You
see, Maddy, child, your old batchelor
friend is not too old to get married
yet. Dreadful pity leap year is most
over. Here l am, a hale, hearty man.
in the prime of life, with plenty of
money to support wife, and no wife
forthcoming. But what makes you
SO quiet-don't you want me to go?"
"No, " said Madeline, gravely, 81
would rather you would not go. L
had made different calculations for
New Years; in fact, | rather think
of getting married myself -
"Madeline, are you crazy ?" and
Gafler fairly bounded in his chair with
astonishment. "Why, what will be-
come of me ? I'll starve, | know
shall"
''You might live with me, remarked
Maddy, in the same grave, business
like tone.
"You know very well, /" said GafTer,
testify, "that l could never live with
another man in the house | should
puthim out before the honeymoon was
over. And who may the happy man
be Some blind old dotard Some
conceited dandy Some lame mendi-
cant Some lazy vagabond, who sings
love ditties to carry away CATERS
money? Or-or-"
CATER did not stop for breath, but
fon lack of sufficiently expressive
words to convey his detestation of the
projected union.