Evening journal., 1899-10-28
THE SQUIRE'S STORY


with quiet smile upon his lips, to his
old cronies yarns OF their various haps
and mishaps in their younger days in
trying to get possession Of the girl of
their choice.
"Ay, neighbOrs, you've told some
pretty queer stories, but I'll warrant
l can tell one that'n match 'em. I
rather guess 'twould astonish those ac-
quainted with my understanding wife.
yonder, to know how it was that
thought Of takin' her for better or
WOrse.'
Now, David" expostulated Mrs.
Glover. both reddening and smiling as
she met her husbands quizzioal look.
why viii you tell that silly story? If
you hadn't cared to take me, you could
have left me alone"
"Ah, sure it's easy talkin'." said the
squire, shaking his head with demure
gravity. But when a girl-an' espec-
tally sich a pretty One--iiies directly
into a fellows arms what else can he
do? That's what I'd like to know?"
Mrs. Glover gathered up her work
and ran away. and her husband, after
shaking his jolly sides with silent
laughter, gradually recovered himself
and proceeded to satisfy the curiosity
ne udu aroused. LuuSs
Il was a poor boy, as perhaps ye
know, with nuthin' but a pair of stout
arms an broad shoulders to push my
way in the world with.
"The summer / was 21 l went to work
for Sues father, Mr.. Bean was a WE'LL
to-do farmer. and Sue his only child.
He wasn't anyways stuck up about his
property, but he set great store by
NJ ba 1ruaur fhaf cor,,a Tarr
she'd have as good a farm as there was
in the country naturally expected that
the man who got her would be able to
give as much as he took.
so l had no more idea of ever bein'
Sues husband than l had of fiyin', an
yet the fust time 1 set eyes on her I
knew, as well as ! know now, that no
other woman would ever be to me what
she was.
They were real nice sort Of folks,
who treated their help like their own
family, an 1 soon began to feel at
home.
"All but with Sue; / couldn't seem to
say two or three words to her without
blunderin', an was always doin' some
awkward thing or other when l went
nigh her.
Il don't think I'd have felt quite so
shy if I'd have known her opinion of
me, for / wasn't a bad-lookin' chap in
my young days.
II hadn't been to Mr.. Beams long
afore l found out that Sue had a beau.
His name was Silas Peterkin, son of
the storekeeper down at the village
He was a white-faced, slim-waisted
feller, with little hands and feet. that
I'd be ashamed to own but which he
seemed to feel mighty proud Of.
"Sue never seemed to act as though
she had any partic'lRr hkin' for Silas.
but twas easy seen that the old folks
set great store by him. an was mighty
pleasant at the idea of his steppin' up
to their darter
$50 matters went on until September,
when Mr. Bean gave a huskin' party
We young fellers set to work with a
will. an afore sunset the corn was
all husked an piled away, an the barn
floor swept clean for the dance an
supper he was 30 have in the evenin'.
Pretty soon the women folks began
to flock in. but Sue was the prettiest
of the hull lot, dressed In her white
frock, with the pink ribbon tied around
her waist.
"Silas Peterkin, he was there, OF
to the house.
CAS- I was standin' on the back steps,
out of sorts with myself an everybody
else, heard a voice say;
Davidl'
"An' turnin' round, sew Sue, lookin'
as smilin' as a basket OF chips.
"'Aint you comm down to the
barnT says she.
" L rather guess I amt wanted says
Ion, yes you are, says she; 4 want
you
"She looked an spoke so sweet that
/ was enamost a mind to go. But Just
then I heard Silas calm her, an NUT
term somethin' about havin' some
tools to grind, I walked off.
Il was most sorry fort, though, when
I caught sight of her face as she
walked away with Silas, an saw how
sober it was
"Sittin' down on the back step.
went to work, the raspin' of my file
sOundin' deal pleasanter to my ears
than the fiddlin' that floated up from
the barn down in the medder.
1T had been uncOmmonly hot for a
number of days past, but this had been
the hottest one of all. There was
strange look in the sky. too; it was
streaked overhead with purple and
v'let, with a sort of yellow glare in
the west
when l went to fodder the cattle. I
found the poor critters huddled to-
gether in one corner of the yard. ut
term low bellows Of terror an dismay:
their instincts warnin them as all
these signs did me, Of the tornado that
was approachin'
Coin back to the house. shut every
door an winder
"Then thinkin' Of the folks in the
barn, I ran down through the garden
toward the medder where it stood.
But / had hardly gone two rods be-
fore It came-liftin' me Off my feet an
hurlin me against an opposite fencel
"I picked myself up an hurried on
AS ! came in sight OF the barn-Or
ruther where it once stood-the air was
filled with dust an fyin shingles an
timber
/ "As soon as it cleared away bit.
saw Sue standin' in a most perilous
position right in the midst Of iti I