Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-01-07
A LOVE STORY.

0en tree IN Gne yaFQ was tall enough 20
spread its protecting arms over the low
shingle roof. moss grown with age. On
der the caves and In the ingles good
fairies had taken up their quarters. and
stable and granary, field and meadow,
were blessed with prosperity and
growth.
It had always been that way since
Hubert and Kathrine came there to live.
They brought with them bat little more
for a dowry than courage and health
and strong, willing. working hands. for
the little farm was not their own. They
had leased 1t for term of years. From
season to season they prospered, and
material bliss came with overdowing
hands when little dark haired girl
was added to the flaxen headed young
ster. The girl hadn't come in the usual
way, like the boy, whose arrival the
stork had heralded from the housetop,
but suddenly and Unexpectedly. In the
adjoining parish distant relative of
Kathrine's had died, and fearing no re-
fusal had left her dark eyed baby girl
to Hubert and his wife. They were as
tonished, to be sure, when one morning
the mail carrier lifted out of his small
country wagon a bundle wrapped in a
red checked pillow, with a letter from
the dead woman acquainting them with
the tiny strangers mission. Mistress
Kathrine was not long at loss what
to do, and she soon persuaded her hus-
band, who shook his head little doubt
fully at first. Their own boy. John. was
almost years old. No, the undertaking
was not such a momentous one after all,
and the old pine cradle that had been
slowed away in the garrett was brought
down into the bedroom of Hubert and
his wife.
Thus was little Liz's entrance made.
She grew out of the cradle and into
short clothes, and soon her little, quick
feet battered over Mother Kathrine's
clean kitchen floor and over garden and
field. Her long, dark braids few in the
wind, and her bright. brown eyes stole
their way into every ones heart. John
kept good company with the little sister.
In summer they hunted for berries to-
gether in the woods, and when the win
ter came they coasted down the hillside
on a little sled the boy had himself
built. They climbed the trees and pick
ed the apples from the branches that
would not give them up to Hubert's vig-
orous shaking. When other youngsters
troubled the child or made her cry, John
came to the rescue and proved an able
champion.
The years sped on, and the prosperity
and good fortune Of the farm grew on
apace. The homespun linen in the cup
board was piled up high. and the PEN
nies in the trunk were first turned into
silver and then into gold. When the
lease ran out. the farm became Hubert 3
property. He bought adjoining acres
and planted them with grain, and the
COWS and calves in his stables augmented
beyond his hope,
'The strange child has brought us
luck" Mother Kathrine was won't to
say, until she forgot altogether that Liz
was not her own flesh and blood.
"John must have the advantage Of a
better education than I had, y declared
Hubert, when the lad was 18 years old.
"I'Il send him to good commercial
college, and I'll keep him there as long
as he can find anything to learn
So John was sent away good many
hundred miles from home. The farm
er's boy should see the world. He
shouldn't t choose his vocation ignorant
of its ways, and if he found anything
that gratified his tastes better than the
simple farm life, Hubert was willing to
make the sacrifice and set him up in
business.
After three years John came back,
ready to settle down and live and work
on the farm like his father. He found
Liz as much changed as she found him.
Before her stood broad shouldered
man. Self consciousness was in the seri-
ous face. and the sprouting mustache
suited it we'll. The half grown girl he
remembered had blossomed into beau
tiful maiden.
Soon after Johns return Hubert and
Kathrine wondered why their boy and
girl, who had been the best of friends
all their lives, no longer got along well
together There were little chickering's
and differences all the time. When Liz
was gay, John was mad. and when he
teased her she resented it. When, as
was often the case at first, he sat down
for a quiet, confidential chat with her,
she snubbed him and gave him crusty
answers. and when he ordered her about,
as men like to do with their women
folk, she few into rage. Out of their
insignificant quarrels came serious diff
culties. Mother Kathrine, who in all
the years OF her married life had been
accustomed to even, quiet ways, was
distressed over the breaking up Of her
peaceful household. She mediated, ad-
monished, pleaded. 1t was all in vain.
Father Hubert lost his patience and
threatened to box his sons ears and
drive him from home If he could
not get along with the girl. One morn
ing, after another turbulent scene the
night before, Liz came with fearful eyes
and pale cheeks to her foster mother.
Mother, she began, II have been
: .hinkinp that fakhar shnr,fd r,fk have