The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-03-07
A ROMANCE OF
CONCORD TOWN

We eiio the following from the Daily
Boston Pfss- 81 4 recent date In .-~hnrl
story c3nsez;." with several b. ndre,i ~tss,
rles sssonittesi. a Romance OF concord
Town Was awarded by fhs counties
the highest ezssh prize ffo0). Mrs otiS 4
a native OF. ana until her marriage. = few
years ago 10 4 Bqstonese, was a resident
OF Confluence. this county. She i. We
are inf7rsned- regular contributor u va
rion- newspapers and Periodieais--ED.
IL was early morning in Concord The
sun had Lot yet risen high il The sky. bat
threw its changing lights and colors across
the clouds. The broad. carefully cleared
fields. bounded by low stone walls. the
cotnfort-ple dwelling houses. with tall
ehimneys and overhAnging caves, told ol
the thriff and energy CT these New Eng
land pioneers Spring was coming; one
could feel Il in the wind, mild as May
day breeze; the birds were twitteriDg
gsyly 70 each other as they splashed in
the tiny broOklet hurrying its way 70 the
river beyond; ali nature seemed full OF
new, vigorous life All in perfect har-
Inony with the scene maid came gayly
dancing down the psth--such demurs
little creature, with her hair brushed Sc
vereiy back under close white cap and
although her gown wss Of a sober hue.
and plainly cut, il could not quite conceal
the rounded prettiness of form just bud
ding into young womanhood-
But staid only in dress was Dorothy
Dent. for notwithstanding the sstonished
looks and severe sdmOnitions Of all who
knew her, she remained the same, a sau-
cy. teasing. impetuoas little gsrl--the dar-
ling of the viIlagel
She was bit Of eoquett6, too, and it
was whispered about that there wasn't a
lad in all the country around who had
not been ser away a-sighing." save one,
Reuben Hale. the parsons son.
Reuben was scholar, and when even
! ing came, aud the other youths and maid
ems would forget their cares in merry
making, he would steal of all alone, and
taking for companion one Of the few
books his fathers library contained.
would live over again the life of years
past He paid very little attention to
Dorothy. seldom addressing her. save the
Good morning TO you, Mistress Doro-
thy,-'when she came to the manor to see
his sister Faith. This rather piqued the
spoiled cOquette. so used was she TO uni
versal homage, 50 on all occasions she
worked revenge. His books would mys-
teriously disappear; fsvorite hooks down
by the river. where be loved to lie and
dream 10 the cDol summer evenings.
would be found full of sticks and stones
or perhaps when sitting on the rustic
seat he had built under the large oak tree
in the door yard. and deep in the enjoy
ment Of the writings Of some inspired
author, down would come whole show
er Of seorns, accompanied by peal OF
laughter from the ssney face peeping
through the branches above him. But
never a word said Reuben. though little
by little he grew TO know that. as the
years went by, and the maid was beeom-
ing e woman, he loved her As only a man
OF his mould can love-with a strong,
deep, true affection.
And Dorothy? Well, she would stoutly
maintain that she didn't care a mite if
he loved her or no. but she knew down
deep in her hear that she did care-mOre
than she wished to tell. But she did not
pine away for love a. did the lorn dam
sels of the middle ages; life was one long,
happy holiday, for did she not have the
other lads-and Reuben, to tease2 So on
this beautiful morning her heart was
light as a bird as she went down from one
familiar place 10 another. Down to her
pigeon cote, 70 see the downy chickens,
the little calf, the lambs; all were in
spected. and at last up the path again she
ran. and in at she kitchen door. There
stood Reuben. A strange Reuben, too;
for, with fixed white face. be stood aside
70 let her pass, and continued his cOaver-
sasiOn with her father.
A little swed, Dorothy slipped away.
She had seen that same worried, anxious
look upon many faces during the pas.
few months, for the stamp act and Boston
massacre had aroused the intense indig-
nation OF all the eOlOnists, but she had
not realized what might be the result,
though the men, Reuben among them,
drilled daily on the Common But now
pang went through her heart. for she had
heard the words We can not endure this
tyranny much longer" spoken by her
father as she passed him. so with restless
movements she waited.
The Americans had collected military
stores at Concord, and runors were afioat
that the British wsre about 10 capture
them. This was verified early the next
morning by Paul Revere, who made his
famous midnight ride to warn the people.
We all kuoS the scenes Of the next day.
How the British force of 500 men faced
the homsspun-clad Minute Men at Lex
ingtol; how they pressed on 10 Concord
and destroyed some Of the stores; Of the
skiImish that took place, and Of the final
victory for the colonists. All this has
passed into history-b'Ir Of Dorothy? Did
she crouch in eornec. shutting out the
sound Of the battle with both hands, As
did some Of The frightened women7 No
it was a strange, new Dorothy who moved
among the woanded like a sweet-fAced
Sister Of Mercy, the Surgeons right-hand
worker Eagerly she searched among
the wounded. but no Reuben surely
he IS safs,'T thought shei so she worked on.
After the wounded the dead were cared
for. and side by side they were laid on the
village green. one poor fellow had his
head completely torn of by a shell, and
as they covered over the body the sur
geon turned 20 Dorothy. who was care
fully binding a wound, and said: '''ris
sad; Reuben was q good bOyr'
The earth seemed slipping away from
Dorothy, but with men dying around her
there was no time 10 lose, 80 with a prayer
for strength she went on with her work.
At last all was finished, and with falter-
ing steps she went home A knot Of sol
diers was in the door yard, talking ex-
citedly. Who vas that with blood stain=
ed garments and dpowder=hlackened faces
With glad cry, Dorothy quietly fzinted
away in ths arms of-Reuben And this
was the romance Of Concord town.