The Monitor-register., 1897-04-23
HIRAM's W0OING.
BY WAKE ROBIN.


to look out of the window. His house.
keeper sat primly before the fire as she
asked:
"Can you see anyone comm? l reck-
oned the parson would come early"
II think hear the sleigh bells. Yes,
there they come"
! There was a great flutter and confusion
Tor a few minutes, as the load of young
people scampered from the sleigh and
rushed into the house. Still they kept
coming, until the house was filled with a
mixed crowd of people. Gray. bearded
men sat in the corner and talked about
the crops, and rosy-cheeked matrons held
Sarah or Robert on their lap while they
visited with their neighbor, and out in
the great roomy kitchen the young folks
played Needles Eye" and other games.
Hiram Scott spoke to his h~ousekeeper,
who was Familiarity known as Aunt
Sabrina, saying:
II think we would better start the fires
upstairs, and let them sit up there, if
they can't find room downstairs"
II was just going to ask you about
that. l declare to goodness, l don't know
where you'd set another one. Pm real
glad, too, cause Mrs. Swifip is here, an
she said so much about the soci'ble at
Martha's, hintin' that Martha wasn't
popular, an a lot O. such stuff, because
there want but a few there; an massy
knows that it hailed an thundeIed dretful
that night"
"WelI, this is the largest gathering we
have had yet; she can't say you are not
popular"
Taking some bits of pine, Hiram went
upstairs to light the fires, while Aunt
Sabrina was here, there and everywhere,
looking after the comfort of her guests.
Hiram Scott was q bachelor; but WHY
he remained single, when he could have
bis pick of the bright girls in this place,
was a Puzzling question to many a man
aging mother. He was good looking
not handsome, just good ~looking-and
was one of the wealth lest landowners in
the town. He was devoted to his mother
while she lived, and many said he would
never marry. His mother had been lead
for three years, and Aunt Sabrina still
kept her place, although she often wished
that she could live with Martha.
Hiram built a fire in the large front
room, and just as be was about to light
the fire in the back chamber, he heard
Aunt Sabrina say:
eyes, go right up; there's a fire up
there, but mebby you had better lay on a
stick or two, an then twill be warm
enough"
He heard the swish and rustic of their
garments, and as they spoke he recog-
nized the voices of Mrs. Clayton and her
sister, Mrs. Dash.
Mrs. Dash was a widow, and a schem-
ing one, too. She said, as she settled
herself in the low rocker before the fire:
81 wonder how much Hi Scott is
worth? | tried 10 a roundabout way to
find out, but Aunt Sabrina bad no idea
" hNhOh hO 40 l. u RdF0 ID as
her opinion that be was better off than
folks knew of. I've been looking the
house over, and | tell you in COL fidence
that l wouldn't object to being mistress
of it"
"lf you ever get to be mistress of this
house, you will have to take advantage
of leap year and propose to him, for he is
too bashful to ask anyone to have him :"
II don't think he is bashful. l thought
that he was very easy among his guests"
Eyes, 10 a crowd; but you never see
him talking to one of the girls apart
from the others. 1 tell you, I know Hi
Scott. l know that he would nave been
married to Ruth Whitney years ago if he
hadn't been SO bssbful. Ruth is one of
your proud, reserved girls, who would
rather die than give her love unsought."
swell, l think be has waited long
enough. l mean to marry him before
the June roses blossom"
"Surely you are not in earnest ?"
Eyes, I am. I mean to begin this very
night. You propose that, as it is leap
year, the ladies select their partners for
supper, instead of the usnsl way. 1 will
take care to secure Hi, and the rest will
be easy"
They were now joined by several 9TH
ers, and the conversation took a turn.
Poor Hiram was in agony. He had no
thought of listening to their confidential
talk, and, when he realized what had
been said, he felt that it would be awk-
ward for him to make his presence
known. He could not leave the room
without passing through the room they
occupied. He still knelt before the stove,
but he dared not strike q match or move,
for fear they would discover him.
At length, to his relief, they all left the
room, and be FASTENED down the stairs
just in time to hear Mrs. Clayton say to a
group of girls;
"As it is leap year, you ladies will
escort the gentlemen out to supper"
He looked wildly about him, and there,
coming toward him, be saw Mrs. Dash.
Fortune favored him, for someone
stopped her for a moment. and in that
moment, Hiram opened the cellar door,
and in the little dark entry be wiped the
moisture from his brow as he thought:
"What a fool | am I'd rather give
the best horse I've got than to go to
supper with her, and l know she'll find
me. might as well go out, and perhaps
some one else will ask me before she
does"
He opened the door and peeped eau
tiously forth. She was not in sight; so
he stepped boldly out, only to near a
voice at his elbow exclaim:
"Ah, here you are at last 1 have
been looking for you everywhere"
Before he hardly knew what had hap
pened, be was led out to supper by Mrs
Dash. Hiram was silent and distracted
in his manner, even passing pickles to
Mrs. Dash when she wished for cake;
then, discovering his mistake, be apollo
gized in an awkward manner, for Ruth
Whitney sat at the other side of the
table, and he fancied that her eyes had q
sly twinkle in them as she glanced at
Mrs. Dash.
Mrs. Dash was gaiety itself, and kept
him at her side the remainder of the
evening; and, before be hardly realized
how it happened, he was esoortiDg her to
her home. When he reached his own