The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-04-22
A MISER'S ROMANCE.
BY MARTHA n. PENNINGTON.


man in Monroe county.
He lived alone on Il 200 acre farm, did
his own cooking, washed his own clothes
and mended the same. At mendins ne
was an expert, for 1t was common talk that
he had worn one suit OF clothes ten Yeas.
No one in the nel2hhorhood knew bis exact
age, but he looked - be on the SHADY SD"
OF forty, Neither dId any one nave "uthrn-
tic information as to the extent OF MS
wealth. lie was afraid OF banks aud kept
his thousands IN some secret hiding place
about the house.
That suon man should be hAcnelor
was quite IN order NO 0oNht ne looked
upon ths question "t marriage IA the sam"
light that BIZ viewed III ether propositions
Iron lAs standpoint o! Pfohao!e cost ne
seldom called apja glrI. occas'onai'y
when ne had as1e'G"lnsd IN a"Vhpce IAa'
there would ne 10 charge Tor retreshmeh'a'
he would attend q church social ms gram
leather boots bright with stove poI'Sh AMI
MS 'o'' '"''',.'' ''H"''' '.' '''' T'"'
i'o"'' SUM- '''' ~ '''a 'S'''', '''"''
IL '". SUM ',0>, wy" WV ~ ~
pe e'!'Hc" ""'J W '"' l'o''i'"9'S '''"'
AT one o. these church aifalIs he met the
daughter o. farmer VINO bad recently
moved 'nto the hel@hhorho"d' 'She was
lass OF rare beauty and IL was no "o''"e'
tnat tne misery oacheior eNe''eo himself
to Quito the younger men IN witty sayings
ana Pheasant speeches. 60 her'
AS ne drove nome IN MS sqneaKy spnhE
wagon nehihu ol' hSau' tus mule ne nan
peen driving 10Y seventeen years tue ''Sion
OF the rosy checked, brown-eyed ma'n
avert Pers'Stent'y III MS mluo' ana ne
caught himself repeating her name over
ana over again:
mabel Harvey, Maoei Harvey, NAB
Git up there, Ls"u :"
he interrupted MS musing on the falf
mabel with savage s"lsh Oh the relhs ana
co'hihhh" 10 the aSea ANIMAL winch hau
takeh advantage u its master : "o5t'ac''oh
to siacAen It's gait to slow walk
81 can't be a-thinking Of gals and sich
nonsense exclaimed the farmer aloud.
"Winmin is only expense and trouble any
how
1t was a brave attempt to Danish the
memory OF the girl, bat it failed Five
minutes later E~au had resumed the slow
walk, and the bachelor was gaz nt lrelmijy
at the stars going over in his mind she in
cideuts at the church social with Tie pretty
Mabel as the center figure.
Several times in the night he awoke from
a restless sleep to think of the ,irl. lie
could not drive away the constants oont2m-
plation Of her. Whether in the folds or in
the stable, the kitchen or the stting.room,
Mabel Harvey was the subject Of bis
thoughts.
Two weeks passed. He met her the
second time at the church. On the way
home that night Esau pace was absolutely
snailish. Pike ceased to try to escape from
the fascination. But then terrible battle
arose between the imp of avarice and the
love sprite. Throughout his life the bach
elor had denied himself every pleasure and
the qualification Of every whlm FOR econ
Omy's sake. Why should he break the rule
because certain girl seemed Il thousand.
fold more attractive to him than all others :?
Then he remembered how she had smiled
at his witticisms, and his vanity was touch
ed. He argued himself into the belief thaE
il he should want to marry her she would
nave HIM.
III rcher imam any Single teller III the
county, ana she must know IL, be mused'
Gais'r great alter fellers with money, and
lsuess she's good deal IKE the rest OF
them."
but ne could not come to hnal decision
to lhaugurate the counting.
Wlmmln 10 powerful extravaganza.
ms thought invariably shattered his
dreams OF welded life.
one day an idea came to him. he wonld
:,
port vile.