Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1898-03-11

How anyone ever came to take up
his abode at Hoepatchie / am sure |
don't know.
Peter Miles, on being asked for his
opinion in the p emises, replied;
"Waal, donno. It's desput handy
for clans, to say nothin abo1t the
farmers preclivities Of the sile. "
But Peter Miles pretty daughter,
Beulah, declared she believed the
original settler had come there to hate
himself to death in peace, but, failing
in that, had left the spot to his de-
scendants, who had grown poorer and
poorer, till now they could not get
money to carry them mile further to
the poorhouse.
Possibly, Beulah exaggerated. Hoe
patchie was romantically situated
upon Cape Cod, crooked projection
which may be said to form the nose
upon the face of New England, re-
markable only for the vast quantities
of sand and fishermen to be found
thereupon.
Hoepatchie had the appearance that
somebody, in fit of insanity, had
wheeled truck load of brown earth
from some more favored portion of
Massachusetts, and distributed il as
evenly as possible over the surface Of
a dozen acres of sand.
A local poet, struck suddenly by
the muse, undertook description of
the place, and his endeayor amounted
to the following doleful doggerel;
"The sle in Hoepatchie is poor and thin;
When the rain comes down 1t rattles like
tin.
An I've often been told by the dwellers
therein
That the crop was worth less than the seed
they put in.
Some writer's, happy at description,
will fascinate one with the spot they
choose to locate their story upon; but
fear my genius is not sufficient for
the task, and | shall give up trying
here and now.
Peter Miles home was an ancient,
unpainted structure, so low that the
winds from the ocean storms passed
! oter it almost without touching the
shingles, and tiny barn which shell
tered three scrubby cows and mulish-
looking yellow horse.
Inside the house bright fire bazed
in the stone chimney, aud the light
fiickered out over the sanded floor
and the white home-spun curtains and
lighted up the tall old clock in the
corner, which said: "Twilight-twi-
light-twilight," as plainly as the
words could do
Over the fire and out to the round
table in the centre of the room Beulah
Miles fitted like bird, with her
blue dress aud white apron huttering
about her.
Her eyes were blue, aud her hair
was black, aud her cheeks looked bright
and smooth as the last red cloud ont
over the water. She was singing
queer old tune:
81 never loved you in my life.
rever loved your baby
| was compelled against my will
To become your welded lady
The door opened, and there entered
a man, so tall that another inch upon
his slight brown head would have OBJ
liged him to stoop in crossing the
room He placed his hat in the win
dow Aedge and came over to the
hearth
''You seem to be yery happy to-
night, Beulah, he said, by way of
greeting.
''well, don't know, Beulah an
swered evasively. "How have things
gone in school today?"
Nicely, as usual.
Looking at him you would have
seen that he would compel life to go
nicely with him.
No more was said by either, but his
deep gray eyes followed her figure till
the preparations for supper were com
plete.
The old man was sorting potatoes,
only you might have mistaken a great
many of them for peanuts, as he sat
on the milking stool and handled the
tubers over, for it was getting too
dark 10 separate them by sight. Not
too dark, however, for Beulah's bright
young eyes to see the great tears
which rolled down the old mans nose
and FLASHED upon the floor.
''What is it, father?" Beulah in
quired, anxiously.
Nothing much. he replied, as he
wiped away the glistening drops with
the back of his rough hand.
Tell me, father" pleaded little
Beulah with her arms about his neck.
''Nothin' new, Beulah. You know
the mortgage is about out, an they
amt nothin' to pay it with, and moth
er's so bad that am afeafed 'twould
kill her TO move in this cold weather.
i was thiukin' perhaps I could sell
taters enough to pay rent till spring
if you think you won't t-"
won't what, father?"
"Marry John Mellen."
Beulah shook her head. ssYou
know cannot do that" she said, tim
idly. 81 have told you so every time
You have spoken of it. have told
him so, too"
Il can't see why" said old Peter;
"he's worth the most of any man in
Hoepatchie an will give me the deed,
fair and square, of this place the day
you'll marry him"
''But, father, he is my cousin and 40
years old. ;" objected Beulah.
"What OF that? Amt Hoepatchie
all cousins? So don't see who you
can take that's better. an as for his
age, that's nothin'; Jest the prime of
life Won NAV saw
II shall not marry my cousin any
way" said Beulah, resolutely.
Then you can't marry nobody,
that's sure, returned the old man,
positively, 'ithout it's the school
master" he added moment after.
The red blood rushed up to Beu-
labs temples, but she did not speak.
you don't mean to marry Dwight