The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-01-27
A VILLAGE ROMANCE.

Molly had been different girl since
she and John Lock had been keeping
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
thistime. Molly, the pride of all Long
ville the pretty country girl whom ma
ture had endowed with a superb bun
dance of animal spirits; Molly, the fas-
cinating ooquette, had been subdued,
and John Lock, the village carpenter s
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-
yeloped strong love for books, and
when the days work in the little car
penter's shop was done he would go out
into the soft summer eve, and 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 the red shoots of the setting sun gave
light over the land he would read with
rapturous intent, and when at last it
had disappeared in blaze of color in
an opalescent sea he would watch the
stars and talk learnedly of their dis
tances and of what consultations they
formed part.
The good people of Longville could
never quite understand John. He would
astound them with his enthusiastic de-
scriptions of fleeting 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 rec
ognized him as the village favorite 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 compa-
ny" that Longville should talk. Never
two persons had less in common, SO far
as temperament and tastes We're COLI
oerned, 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-
pie of opposite dispositions were DIES.
tined to share life's storm and sunshine
together.
How they came to be engaged | can
noe say. There was meeting of the
two, when the usual CHEEKY Good
night, John, and Good night, Mol
ly," ceased to have the old prosaic sig
nificance The untamed, restless little
heart of Molly beat convulsively, and
the roses on her cheeks burned deeper
hue when that evening John stopped
her and insisted Oh her talking with
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 village wedding
and what it involved These good souls
would have made the devious, sinuous
track of these two lives much straighter
and more direct than it was fated to be-
No event is too wonderful to become
familiarized with, and SO it was that
the wonder ceased, and Molly and John
for months pursued their pleasant way,
dreaming the old love dreams common
to youth since the world began 1t was
true that sometimes John imagined
"his Molly" was restless and scarcely
contented. She seemed to sigh for new
opportunities of conquest. The old spir
it, which he thought dead, reared its
head again and gave warming 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
his sweetheart's mind.
One week in the midsummer of the
following year Squire Hurst's only son
came of age, and the event was cele-
brated with great eclat by the whole of
the inhabitants of the village. The love
ly old park surrounding the hall was
thrown open, and numerous were the
al fresco attractions provided to amuse
the assembled guests The sports of the
day terminated with grand villagers
ball, at which the heir TO Longville
Hall himself was present There had
been many rumor that Harry Hurst
had been "a gay young spark in his
time, but tonight all ugly memories
were lost IN the pleasure and excite
ment of bis presence among the com
mon folk at the ball.
All seemed happy save one, and that
was John In spite of his best attempts
to suppress it a great pain was at his
heart-almost as severe as IA physical
one--as he saw his Molly being claimed
for dance after dance by the squire
son. How she seemed to enjoy the dis
tinction, too as with flushed cheeks
she was waltzed around in whirl of
excitement!
And when the evenings amusements
had ended Molly seemed cross when
John pushed his way to the front and
claimed his right of seeing her from the
park to her fathers cottage gate. She
was irritable and moody. John had
never known her SO before, and it was
with heavy, aching heart that he
l., he, tnh hn