Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-10-13
FIVE YEARS.
By Opie Read.
copyright, 1899, by the Author.1
OH pTER

CHAPIER L.
"You are a pretty looking thing to
talk about marrying Charles Oh, you
are a fine specimen of matrimonial
Achievements Marry my daughter
Why, both of you would starve in less
than year. You are 10 years old and
able to support a wife eh2 Eighteen
years old indeed Why, sir, when 1
was of that age, I no more thought of
marrying than l thought of swallowing
a tenpenny nail
at was probably because you had
never loved any one" the young fellow
replied looking down with an embar-
raised air.
Loved any onel' The old gentle
man blew his nose. Loved any one at
49, Why, sir, if my father had awak-
ened in the middle of the night and the
belief that l was in love with some one
had entered his mind he would have
hoped out of bed seized board and
famed me until l would have thought
the 10th of January was the 4th of
July. Loved any onel Why don't
catch some rabbits2 Is that your top
string hanging out of your pocket?
Only your handkerchief Excuse me.
My eyesight is not so good as it used
to be, but my Judgment is laundering
sight better. Love at 1871 Charles, of
course you are always welcome at my
house and l don want to hurry you
off, but, confound it, go homep'
"Then you say l shall not marry Err
mance2"
"Not at the present writing, whose
few lines may find you enjoying the
same blessing, Charles. l don't know
what may occur in the future but l
am pretty sure of what is happening
now.
"Will you let us be engaged, then? p
ooh, yes; be engaged as much as you
pleased"
"Alay heaven bless you, sir.
"Now, here, young mani You are
not on the stage The fellow who used
to be so good at saying May heaven
bless you, sir, is now working on a
hatboat.
But 1 desire to thank you for your
great kindness. -
eyes; that's all right
"Ermance and l can see each Other
daily"
"Well, hardly. You must understand
now that | want no lovemaking round
here. have touch of rheumatism and
can't stand it. am somewhat peculiar
about my own affairs for which eccen-
tricity l hope to be pardoned. If you
agree to go away and remain five years,
why, at the end of that time you may
come back and marry the girl. Do you
agree?"
81 suppose l must.
"Well, run along, then.
81 don't like for you to talk to me
as though | were a child.
''As though you were a child, ell ?
Well run along now Ermance is ont
in the garden somewhere giggling. Find
her, plight your troth and hurry away.
At the cad of five years come back
Rather severe probably, but it is the
best trade we can make under the cir
cumstances. Don't look exactly right
to deal thus in connubial futures
there now, don't blubberl Why, you
are swelling up like toad. Shut the
| door. That right. Run along.
The above conversation occurred be-
tween Colonel Epimenides Harleyman,
well known planter and eX-member
of the Arkansas senate, and young
Charles Wexall, son of n neighborin. !,
clergyman. Ermance, the young lady
in question was half frolicsome, hall
sedate girl. Strange as it may seem,
she was not beautiful She had a thick
mass of yellow hair, so luxuriant that
her father often referred to her head rs
a patch of jute She was sudden kind
of girl-sudden in all Of her movements,
sudden in her EXPLANATIONS. There
seemed to be nothing premeditated
about her