Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-12-30

Lena Raymond had always been Just
heart high to Francis Rowlandson. In
their juvenile days they had swung on
the same grape vine, and then fought
over the fruit; robbed birds nests Of
eggs as well as the helpless young. and
then sobbed repentance in a mutual en-
brace after a parental chastisement
He had snatched her from an early
grave. or its equivalent, quicksand
quagmiTe. on one OF their wading trips
and been sounGly ouded after. reaching
3 safe embankment, by the angry and
frightened girl because her hair was
almost pulled out in the rescuing pro
cess.
As time passed they grew in stature,
and disfavar with the community. The
neighborhood seourge, was a sample
epithet bestowed upon the pair DE
stroying angels" was the best with
which even their respective parents
could endear them. Unbelievable were
some of their antics. Leaning over I'M
covered and abandoned wells juest to
see how far without falling in: rid
ing. circus style, two hcrses at the time.
(Which horse they had led out of a
nelghbor's unguarded stable without so
much as by your leave"): climbing
telegraph poles and touching the wire
with the tip OF their noses to see if
the wire were alive" were some of
their calmer diversions.
Never had Lena a sound garment or
Francis whole skin. These trifling
incidents happened before the girl was
fourteen. Francis lived next door TO
R0VnannHg F,,J
and dissensions were stopped without
warning one summers day when the
girl walked out on the lawn with a
heightened skirt. ner hair braided neat
" and Topped up with a blue ribbon.
I'm getting big girl now, Frank.
You kids can continue to play mar
bles in my back yard and spin your
top on the side hall floor And that
finished it. There was more in the de-
livery than the phraseology. Frank
stared and swallowed his RAPIDLY en-
larging Adams apple and dropped on
the grass. One expletive escaped as
took It in, that clearly reached Lena's
accustomed comprehension. "Wen. Ilf
be darned!" He felt estranged from
his old comrade, alienated from the OBJ
Jeet of his boyish devotion, eXpatriated
from home and country!
Then he braced up. He took sudden
~ 10 long trousers, thought deeply in
neGlIwear lore. passed into heavy
voice with embarrassing indecision be-
tween tenor and bass, and ultimately
left for college The two following va
cations found Lena absent from home.
The third brought him home from his
Oh
and his final session left him covered
with more honors than he honestly
came by according to Lena's face TO
face verdict.
That yonug miss had arrived at the
diary keeping age. Here is an extract
She had views about this young fellow
whom she had always bullied but Sc
cretly feared.
June 30tl. Old Frank is home now.
a Man. Good enough to look at. some
thing better to talk to, but as difficult
to lasso as a Texas broncho. AS he
babe me goodnight he leaned over and
told me l was still Just heart high
to him. I'm glad | stopped there, for
he has taken on six feet now mot lit
orally, but by measurement and 1
don't aspire to his mans prerogatiye"
Francis sat in his room reading a
love story and scribbling Lena on
the margin as he romanced out of its
text The next page or so found this
marginal note: Pretty enough to
make a man throw brick bats at his
wife. is Lena" One other AS uncer-
tain as a game of Pigs in the Glover"
His thoughts were running back over
his twenty summers mixed with all his
escapades and escapes. He recalled
how his mother had sighed over his in
corTigible boyhood and lamented his
dead fathers guidance and control.
Then how Doctor Johnson had come on
the scene and declared that he was
beyond a father, that 1t was a step
father he needed. He recalled the lack
of ceremony with which he Collared
the beginning to take notice widow
er. Doctor Johnson, and forthwith
kicked him out Of the house, lad
though he was AS he unused he color
ed with rage at the monotony of the
occasion. His mother had gone to
where there is peace. but Doctor
Johnson was still above the daisies.
Between his life's retrospecticn, scriD-
bling random thoughts of Lena and
the persistent mental vision of Doctor
Johnson, the evening passed. The
summer was spent in running over the
"ifs" and lands" Of the several profess
sions. He chose medicine. His patri-
mony was accumulated and banked,
and he departed for New York. In due
course Of time he returned to his native
Southern home and opened an Office.
He was magni1cently equipped in
learning but shy on Office fixtures and
instruments And then Doctor John
son came on the scene again. He was
jealous of his young professional rival,
and began an organized persecution.
Upon one propitious Sabbath the
minister was handed note as he en-
tered the stand and requested to read
1t aloud
IF Doctor Francis Rowlandson is
+ present viii ne please withdraw to the
yestibule, as his professional services
are desired"
when the young doctor responded as