The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-05-25

Eirl'o npIr1eA - nummeQ , tun6 ~ bno
set the meal On the table, and the old man,
as II ashamed Of his passion, praised her
for mighty good dinner. But again In q
few days be hoard the story repeated, this
time twitting her Of 1t half jooularly,
though he studied her furtively, as she re-
piled mirthfuliy.
Most any girl with such cross old
daddy would do 1t, and no one would
blame her," she said Noting his frown,
however, she added wistfully, "I'd ruther
hey my fathers consent ter bein mar
RED"
He did not seem quite satisfied and
though he said nothing more he sat smok-
ing meditatively for q long time.
After that often heard him paoe tho
gallery, as they called the long front porch,
until late at night, q 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 light sleeper and my window wide
open, was easily disturbed by his clumsy
lounging in the shrubbery or his peculiar
laryngeal efforts that resembled the rasp-
ing of an insect One evening overheard
q conversation. A young man from an ad-
rand. paid no attention to what he was
saying to the farmer ~ he mentioned
Hiram's name. Then 1t Occurred to me that
he was one of Hiran's friends and that
his sister was bosom confidant of Minnie.
He was saying:
"Ye'll hey ter be hextra keerful ternight,
fer I heerd one O. the hands a-talkin, IN he
said tibet Hiram's Niger said tibet the
lopement wuz planned fer half arter
o'clock ternight sure"
"I'ye heerd ye say most the same thing
afore, an I'm half o. the mind tibet ye're
a-lyin ter me-"
"Call it lyin, then," retorted the other
Indignantly, "but whut sh'd be tellin
lies fer is more'n I know" Then he re-
sumed with evident good will: SET I wuz
We, I'd put er stop to 1t someways. Why,
it'll worrit yer life aout. Ye look now's II
70 hedn't had speck O. sleep fer weeks"
There was nothing about Minnie at the
supper table that betokened anything un-
usual. She WINS neither hilarious nor dull
simply her pleasant, thoughtful self. One
thing, however, noticed. She did not ap-
pear to see that her father left his meal al.
most untasted 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 o
sudden CLEAN of cunning craftiness which
as quickly changed to something like ten
der remorse.
Minnie's room was next to mine, and a
slight noise was easily heard through the
thin partition, but everything was so abso-
lutely still that night l thought could
hear her breathe
The offensive smoke of the farmers pipe
greeted my nostrils as the clock struck !.
Its reverberation had hardly ceased when
from my window watched his dark shad-
ow creep around near the corner under the
shrubbery which offered point of van
tage of his daughters room.
Slowly and silently an hour passed, and
the clock in the dining room loudly tolled
/, g. The old man waited ten minutes
longer, then dragged himself from the
bushes. l could clearly distinguish his
tall, lean figure as he stood apparently
gazing up to the window Of his daughters
room. Something dropped from his hand,
Gathering as it struck the ground, and he
started into the house. He shuffled off his
shoes in the hall, and with awkward eau
tiousness assembled the stairs.
There was slight jar, q sudden rustic
in the adjoining room; then l 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 great
racket on the uncovered floor. Minnie's
voice came sleepily, whats the NATTER"
but at tho sound Of her fathers gruff, anx-
ious, "Air 70 thar, darter?" she sat up
wide awake exclaiming:
"Why, daddy Whut's upS Air ye sick9"
Eyes, air sick-sick ter death O. this
cussed business.
"Why, whuts the matter wi you, ia
ther?' (She called him father when very
af1ectionate.)
minnie, tell me true-tell yer ole dad
dy, didn't We hev no notion O. runnin
away ternightf"
Mot the least in the world, ye pore ole
honey daddy. Whatever put it into yer
head2'
IAN hev ye no notion o. whippin off VII
Hiram-ain't him an you comm no game
on yer ole daddy"
"a fair enough game, father. Ye know
well enough Hiram an me hev been sweet
hearts long time, an we hey been waitin
patient fer yer consent. l shan't never
like no other man like do him, an I think
some time my dear ole daddy'll give in, fer
he's right clever at heart, an If we kin wait
fer his consent, when we might run of
easy enough don't it look like we'll stand
by We as long as we live? Don't 1t, daddy"
! could imagine how Minnie caught his
hands, and how the poor, wornout old
man succumbed just as his artful, loving
daughter expected for heard him give a
broken sob, then her low, comforting
tones, reassuring him.
The old andirons reflected Minnie's
brightness as she stepped to the door and
announced breakfast that morning, and
perhaps it was no wonder that l could
think of nothing more inspiring all day
than the girls happiness and loyalty, as
she excused herself for making the meal q
trifle later than usual.
II was bound ter give father somethin
good this mornin-he's deservin it, fer he's
promised to set me an Hiram up in house.
keepin, an ter stay by us all his life, " she
said with tender glance at the old man,
who hastily gulped down his coffee, declar-
ing loosely he'd take it all back if she
failed to continue to feed him on the pres
ent excellent fare,-Mary Spaulding Hatch