The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-07-21
THORNTON'S
NESTAKE.
-. 49, -. -. ~, -. - -.


John Thorntnn's house. and while he was
still Oh Thcrntnl's farm, he met old man
Barton.
Gregg and Barton were neighbors and
friends. and. neither of them being i'll any
hurry. they stopped for IL little friendly
chat They spoke of the weather and the
crops. exchanged few Items Of local
news and discussed the prices of farm
products Then. by and 10y, when these
common subjects had been disposed Of.
Barton s;id
Il don't know whether there is any
thin. in ii. Frank. but hear il whisper.
cd about that you've got Sn:ac notion of
getting married..
Gregg chucklrd softly. half closed his
eyes and nodded his head with know
ing air.
We'll if did have Il notion of that
kind" he rrH!ird. II reckon there
wouldn't br nuikin wrong ah"ut it,"
WHAT mott her name lee, Frank"
Brown. She is Il widow"
Neither Gregg nor Barton WAS aware
of the fact. but nevertheless just over
tie fence which ran by the side of the
road there Was Il man crouched among
come bushes listening intently to every
wor;l they uttered.
Widow Brown?" Barton said Ques.
tioningly to himself. Widow Brown:
Is she Young and good looking:"
she is young and good looking enough
for me-
Got any money or pruperty?'
"Oh, Sl0,GnO in cash and a small farm.
She just received the money last week.
Got il from her fathers estate back cast.
But I'm not marrying her for that, III.
drrStand."
"Of course not. But. still, the money
will come in handy. Well. must jog on.
Got little blowing to do this after
noon"
Barton started forward but when lie
had gene few steps he stopped again.
"Oh, say" he called back, you'd bet
ter not let old Thornton know you're GO
ing to marry, for if you do he'll cut In
and upset your plans
II guess there's no danger of that"
Gregg replied. with Il laugh. mo doubt
he would if he could, but fortunately he
can't"
Maybe he can't. but I'm not sure of
it. He's a long headed old cuss and
powerful schemer."
Gregg and Barton rode away, and no
sooner were they out of sight than the
| man behind the fence arose to his feet
and danced about with joy. 1t was John
Thornton himself. and he would not have
| missed what he had heard for n good
deal.
Thornton was GreGg's bittcrest enemy,
and more viudictive and unrclcnting
enemy no MAN ever had. For years he
had worked against Gregg and had been
quick to embrace every opportunity to in
jurc him and thwart him in his under
takiugs. Why he was so bitter against
Gregg doesn't matter. 1t is sufficient to
say that it was not Gregg's fault.
When Thornton learned from the con-
vcrsation which had just passed that
Gregg was going to marry. his first
thought was how to prevent it, and he
was not long in hitting on plan.
Now. it so happened that Thornton
was a widuwcr and consequently in a
shape to do little something in the mat
rimonial WAY himself. He thought Of
this, and the plan upon which he hit was
Just to go to the Widow Brown ahead Of
Gregg and try to induce her to change
her mind and marry him.
81 know the Wilder Brown" he mus
cd. land if amt mighty mistaken she'll
re willin enough to have me- She's shown
disposition to he sweet on me for some
time. but | amt never encouraged her,
because she wasn't just to my fancy. But
I'll take her now in order to knock Gregg
out, even if she is old and toothlcss ana
Il vixen to boot. Then that $10,0O0-it
wouldn't como in so bad. neither. | guess
Id married her long ago if Id known she
was going to have all that money coming
her way"
lie chucklcd with 4 satisfied air and
was immensely pleased with himself. lie
thanked lis stars that he happened to he
at work that morning In part of the
geld so near where Gregg and Barton
met, and it was lucky, ne told himself,
that lie recognized the two mems voices
and sneakcd up to the fence to hear what
they were saying.
lie bad thwartcd Gregg more than
once, but to beat him out of $4,000
that would be the cap sheaf Of the stack.
Thornton went home, put Oh his best
clothes and saddcd his horse and rode
away. Having decided on Il plan. he pro
posed to net on it Immediately. He rod"
direct to the domicile of the Widow
Brown and there he stopped.
The widow was standing in the front
door when he came up. He looked at hpr
closely for Il moment and involuntariiy
Shuddpred. lie knew before she was dis.
trrsslnGly homcly, but that was the first
lime it had occurred to him that she was
really hidcous.
1t would he bitter pill, he acknowl
edged. TO tie himself to such creature rs
that for life, and for an instant he way
cred. But lie remembered Gregg and
that $4,000, and he recovered his forti-
tude nj once.
lie diSmountcd and went in. and the
widow received him sraciously. He talk
cd awhile on other subjects. then he shut
his eyes and uSk@l her to marry him. A
little to his surprise. she consented readi-
~ He had expected her to show 4 dis
a1stinn to hold TO Gregg. and he had cal
cuIatcd to have to use persuasion with
her in order to win her over. However,
he WAS very glad that she was so easily
won, and straishtway he proposed that
they marry the next day. To this propo-
siti0n she agreed without demur or hest.
tation.
He refraincd from mentioning Grcggs
name, and he was particularly careful
not to let her know that he had any init
nation of her rich Inheritance. lie
wanted her to n'St under the impression
that he was marrying her solely for her,
self.
He went home in high spirits. and
when he met Gregg on the road he felt so
strongly inclined to crow over him that
it was with difficulty that he restrained
himself As it was he tossed his head
with a superior air and smiled knowing
ly, but even in that moment of cXultation
he found himself wishing that the widow
was not quite so homely and sour as to
be altogether repulsive.
The next day the wedding took place at
the widows house, and Immediately aft
erward Thornton started back home with
his wife. GrcSg'B house was two or
three miles out of his way, but he was so
anxious to let Gregg know how complete
ly he had defeated him that he drove |
around that way. He was disappointed |
in finding Gregg not at home.
''Wherc is hep he asked of Gregg's |
housckecpcr.
81 don't know" she replied, but ]
think he has gone somewhere to get mar
ricd."
"Ah, who is he going to marry, won
DER"
81 think il is Mrs. Brown"
Thornton chucklcd. He had played il
on his rival better than he had expected.
He had snatchcd his bride and her for
tune right out of his hands. Wouldn't
Gregg feel cheap when he discovered
how smoothly and completely he had
been beaten? Thornton was so pleased
that lie WIS almost tempted to embrace
and kiss his new wife i'll spite of all her
LONELINESS. AS he drove off he called
back to Grcgg's housckccper:
Il have lust been and got married nv. |