The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-07-05
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THORNToN'S
MISTAKE.
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ridge on his way to the little town of
Scrougeout. just after be had passed
John Thornton's house. and while he was
still on Thornton's farm. he met old man
Barton.
Gregg and Barton were neighbors and
friends, and. neither Of them being in any
hurry. they stopped for a 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 by. when these
common subjects had been disposed of,
Barton said:
II don't know whether there is any
thing in 1t, Frank, but hear it whisper
ed about that you've got some notion of
getting married"
Gregg chuckled softly, half closed his
Eyes and nodded his head with know
ng air.
''Well. IL did have a notion of that
kind" he replied, 81. reckon there
wouldn't be nothin wrong about it''
what mout her name be, Frank"
Brown. She is a widow"
Neither Gregg nor Barton was aware
OF the fact but nevertheless just over
the fence which ran by the side of the
road there was man crouched among
some bushes listening intently to every
word they uttered.
widow Brown Barton said cues
tioningly to himself widow Brown?
Is she young and good bookings?
She is young and good looking enough
for me-"
Got any money or property"
oh. $4,000 in cash and a small farm.
She Just received the money last week.
Got it from her fathers estate back east.
But I'm not marrying her for that, un-
derstand."
"Of course not. But, still, the money
win come in handy. Well, must Jog on.
Got a little blowing to do this after.
noon"
Barton started forward, but when he
had gone 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 eur plans"
i guef there's no danger of that"
Gregg 81 I'd. with laugh. ''No doubt
Il he could, but fortunately he
.aIayH he caIi,. but I'm not sure of
1t. He's long headed old cuss and a
powerful schemer."
0le5S anu DurlOu fOue away, ana no
sooner were they out of sight than the
man behind the fence arose to his feet
and danced about with joy. It was John
Thornton himself, and he would not have
missed what he had heard for a good
deal.
Thornton was Greggs bitterest enemy,
and more vindictive and unrelenting
enemy no man ever had. For years he
had worked against Gregg and had been
quick to embrace every opportunity to in
jure him and thwart him in his UNDER
takings. 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-
versation 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, 1t so happened that Thornton |
was widower 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 so to the Widow Brown ahead of |
Gregg and try to induce her to change |
her mind and marry him.
Il know the Wilder Brown" he mus
ed. and If amt mighty mistaken she'll |
be wiliin enough to have me. She's shown |
a disposition to be sweet on me for some |
time, but amt never encouraged her, |
because she wasn't just to my fancy. But |
III take her now in order to knock Gregg |
out, even if she is old and toothless and |
a vixen to boot. Then that $1O,O0O-it |
wouldn't come in so bad, neither. / guess |
I'd married her long ago IL I'd known she |
was going to have all that money coming |
her way"
He chuckled with satisfied air and |
was immensely pleased with himself. He |
thanked his stars that he happened to be
at work that morning In a part of the |
held so near where Gregg and Barton
met, and it was lucky, he told himself, 1
that he recognized the two mems voices
and sneaked up to the fence to hear what
they were saying.
He had thwarted Gregg more than
once. but to beat him out of $1,000
that would be the cap sheaf of the stack.
Thornton went home, put on his best
clothes and saddled his horse and rode
away. Having decided on plan, he pro-
posed to act on it Immediately. He rode
direct to the domicile of the Widow
Brown and there he stopped.
The widow was standing in the front
door when be came up. He looked at her
closely for n moment and involuntarily
shuddered. He knew before she was dis
tressingly homely. but that was the first
time it had occurred to him that she was
really hideous.
II would be q bitter pill. he acknowl-
edged. to tie himself to such n creature as
that for life and for an instant he wav-
cred But he remembered Gregg and
hat $4,000. and he recovered his forti-
NJ once
dismeunted and went in. and the
nw received him graciously. He talk
while on other subjects. then he shut
~ eyes and asked her to marry him. A /
little TO his surprise. she consented readi-
II He had expected her to show dis
position to hold to Gregg. and he had cal
culated to have to use persuasion with
her in order to win her over. However,
be was very glad that she was so easily
wen and strairhtway he proposed that !