Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-05-14

M ::;::;: i: s: 5: !: (: !: :: :: s:
eNS~ Sprunt to mr.
rive at the dc sired information was
simply to open it.
No doubt; but here arose q 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 q ham on the counter had
literally tantalized him. When the
shutters were going to be put on for
the night, he took it up for final
scrutiny.
"The poslmark's London" he
ruminated. II never heard tell OF
any-my goodness! I've done it
nowl |"
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 dcpth of folly
passing Mr.. Sprunt's comprehension
not to master the contents, and his
face actually quivored with suppressed
excitement during the perusal.
"If that doesn't beat the Dutch +"
he aiaenl"tsd reaching the end.
"a legacy of five hundred pounds
from her grand aunt. If had known
this was going to happen. l would
have made her Mrs. SprunS long ago.
I've always been fond of Nancy, and
I'm fonder now than ever What a
mercy this letter came my wnyl"
This was no time, however, for
moral reflections. The situation called
for immediate action. In order to
secure this golden windfall for his own
Golfers, he mnst 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 accepted9 In the course of day
or two he 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 act.
especially when five hundred pounds
wero at stake.
1t was clustering March evening,
both raining and blowing at rate
enough to quell the ardor of any ordi.
nary suitor. But doluge of old wives
and pike slaves wouldn't have deferred
the redoubtablo sprunt from setting
out for Cherry tree Cottage to put his
fortune Tor rather Nancy 81 to the
test.
"A few minutes battling with the
elements brought him to his destina
tion.
In answer to his reeounding rat. tat.
tat on the knockcr. Nancy appeared
at the door, accompanied by Srook,
handsome black cat.
"Ah !" fays the clever reader; "an
old maidl"
Well, she was single. undoubtedly,
but it wasn't from want of =
can offer" interposes the readers,
with a cynical smile. ''It never is"
To tell the little dressmaker's story
to one capable of making so vile an
insinuation would be casting pearls
before swine. Enough to say that ten
years before, Nancy, then winsome
dark-eyod maiden of eighteen, had
played out her one romance.
To bring about reconciliation be.
tween her lover and his tyrannical
iather who had threatened to disin.
herit him if he persisted in his atten.
tlons to her, she had given poor Tom
his congo, coldly. firmly, finally.
Instead of this having the effect an.
ticipated, it made life at homo seem
so intolerable to young Ford that he
ran away.
From that ill.fated day Nancy had
never seen her lover again, though his
haggard face and that last look in his
eyes as of some dumb animal in pain
had haunted her ever since.
But this is depression. Let us re-.
turn to the present and Mr.. Sprunt.
"lts very wet night, my dear"
he observed. Without waiting to he
invited, he entered and seated himself
in the armchair, and after u few
desultcry remarks and preliminary
clearings of the throat, he made the
plunge.
"What time it seems since you've
been over to the shop, Nancy I've
been missing you badly"
"Have you, really?'' returned she,
faint tinge of color stealing into her
pale cheek.
"Yes. I've been missing you, and it
set me thinking" continued Mr..