The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-03-23

Peter Miles, on being asked for his
opinion in the premises, replied:
"Waal, donno. It's desput handy
for clans, to say nothin' about 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, fniling
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
patche was romantically situated
upon Cape Cod, crooked projection
which may be said to form the nose
upon the face of New England, re-
markabe only for the vast quantities
of sand and fishermen to be found
thereupon.
Boepatchie 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 it ns
evenly as possible over the surface Of
| dozen acres of sand.
A local poet, struck suddenly by
| the muse, undertook description of
tho place, and his endeavor amounted
to the following doleful doggerel:
"The sie In Hoepatchie Is poor and thin
When the rain comes down 1t rattles like
tin,
An I've ofren been told by the dwellers
therein
That tho crop was, worth less than tho seed
they put In"
Some writer's, happy at description,
will fascinate one with the spot they
choose to locate their story upon; bpa
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, 80 low that the
winds from the ocean storms passed
over it almost without touching the
shingles, and tiny barn which shell
tered three scrubby cows and mulish-
looking yellow horse.
Inside the house a bright fire blazed
in the stone chimney, and the light
| flickered out over the sanded floor
aud the white home-spun curtains and
lighted up the tall old clock in the
corner, which said; "rwilight-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 and white apron huttering
about her.
Her eyes we're blue, and her hair
was black, and her cheeks looked bright
and smooth as the last red cloud out
over the water. She was singing Il
queer old tune
II never loved you in my life,
| never loved your baby
Twas compelled against my will
To become your welded lady"
The door opened, and there entered
n 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 ledge and came over to the
hearth.
"You seem to be very happy to-
night, Beulah," he said, by way ol
greeting.
"Well, I don't know" Beulah an
swered evasively. "How have things
gone in school today?"
"Nicely, us usual.
Looking at him you would have
seen that he would compel life to &c
nicely with him.
No more was said by either, but his
deep gray eye, followed her figure til
the preparations for supper were com
plete.
The old man was sorting potatoes,
only you might have mistaken a grea'
many of them for peanuts, as he sal
on the milking stool and handled thu
tubers over, for it was getting toe
dark to separate them by sight. No
too dark, however, for Beulah's brigh
young eyes to see the great tears
which rolled down the old mans nose
and plashod upon the floor.
''What is it, father?" Beulah in
quired, anxiously.
Nothing much, he replied, as ht
wiped away the glistening drops with
the back of his rough hand.
'Tell me, father" pleaded littl.
Beulah with her arms about his neck
"Nothin' new, Beulah. You know
the mortgage is about out, an the,
amt nothin' to pay 1t with, and moth
er's so bad that l am afeared 'twoult
kill her TO move in this cold weather
/ was thinkin' perhaps could sel
taters enough to pay rent till spring
ii you think you won't"
"Won't what, father?"
"Marry John Mellen."
Benlah shook her head. "Yo,
know caunot do that" she said, tim
idly. II have told you so every tim
you have spoken Of it. Ihave toll
him SO, too" -
II can't see Why" said old Peter
''he's worth tho most Of any man i
Hoepatchie an will give me the desd
fAir and square, Of this place the Dc
yoq'll marry him.