The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-26
A VILLAGE ROMANCE.

Molly had been different girl since
she and John Lock had been excepting
company. At least this was what the
village gossips declared, and surely no
one would have the temerity to contra
dict authorities SO we'll informed. And
the village gossips had spoken truth
this time. Molly, the pride Of all Long.
vile, the pretty country girl whom ma
ture had endowed with superabun-
dance Of animal spirits; Molly, the fas-
cinating coquette, had been subdued,
and John Lock, the village carpenter
son, had conquered. At least that was
what all Longville thought.
John in himself, although boasting
no ancient lineage, was, as the laborers
termed him, "a cut above the ordinary
run" Somehow without having had
any educational advantages he had de-
veloped a strong love for books, and
when the days work in the little car
penter's shop was done he would 60 out
into the soft summer eve, and a brisk
walk over the hills would bring him to
the rugged cliffs by the sea. Here he
would throw himself down, and as long
as tho red shoots of the setting sun gave
light over the land he would read with
rapturous intent, and when at last ii
had disappeared in blaze Of color in
an opalescent sea he would watch the
stars and talk learnedly Of their dis
10, onl ~ rry1,,t e,ta 1oki
formed part.
The good people of Longville could
never quite understand John. He would
astound them with his enthusiastic de-
scriptions of tleeting clouds, would bid
them hear poem in the constant roar
ing of the sea and tell them that there
were new worlds, of which they knew
nothing, in pictures and books. But
John was genial and kind hearted, and
so, although his personality eluded
definite analysis by them, they yet REQ
ognized him as the village favorits for
the humber and maybe more useful
qualities Of good fellowship and unset
fish courage.
1t was little wonder that when Molly
and John commenced excepting oompa-
N.Y. that Longvilie should talk. Never
two persons had less in common, so far
as temperament and tastes were con-
Gerned, and yet somehow for reason
which even old Mrs. Knight, who had
seen two generations of village court
ships. could not explain, these two peo-
plo of opposite dispositions were DIES.
tined to share life's storm and sunshine
together.
How they came to be engaged can
not say. There was a meeting of the
two. when the usual chesry "Good
night, JOHN" and GOOD night, Mol
"" ceased to have the old prosaio sig
nificance. The untamed, restless little
heart Of Molly beat oonyulsively, and
the roses on her cheeks burned deeper
hue when that evening John stopped
her and insisted on her talking with
him. I was not there, so that Of what
was said | am unaware.
This much, however, all Longville
soon knew-that John Lock and Molly
Lane had become sweethearts How the
good wives enjoyed standing at the door.
way of their cottages and discussing
the probabilities of 'llags wedding
and what it involved These good souls
would have made the devious, sinuous
track Of these two lives much straighter
aud more direct than it was fated to be.
No event is too wonderful to become
familiarized with, and 80 it was that
the wonder ceased, and Molly and John
for months pursued their pleasant way,
the old love dreams common
to youth since the world began. 1t was
true that sometimes John imagined
'his Molly" was restless and scarcely
She seemed to sigh for new
Of conquest. The old spir.
it, which he thought dead, reared its
head again and gave warning of, al
though it never actually broke out in.
open rebellion. Then John would be
troubled and would search his generous,
simple heart in the hope of discovering
some excuse for the discomfort which
only too obviously was smoldering in
MS sweetheart's mind.
One week in the midsummer of the
following year Squire Hurst's only son
ZANE of age, and the event was csle-
orated with great eolat by tho whole of
he inhabitants Of the village. The love-
y old park surrounding the hall was
brown open, and numerous were the
Il fresco attractions provided to amuss
he assembled guests. The sports of the
lay terminated with grand villagers
,all, at which the heir to LongyilIe
Hall himself was present. There had
,een many rumor that Harry Hurst
lad been "a gay young spark" in his
ime. but tonight all ugly memories
we're lost In the pleasure and excite
nent Of his presence among the COM
non folk at the ball.
All seemed happy savo one, and that
sas John. III spite Of his best attempts
o suppress it great pain was at his
leart-almost az severe az u physical
ne-as he saw his Molly being claimed
or dance after dance by the squire's
Oh. How she seemed to enjoy the dis
motion, too, as with flushed checks