Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-11-14

IT HAD fairly poured 1or TWO uays'
and l had waded through all the
newspapers and other reading mat
ter to be had at the little Adirondack
hotel at which / was staying.
The landlord, Mr.. Carpenter, was
Jolly old fellow who was noted for
his sprightly stories, and he did his
best to entertain his guests and keep
up their spirits as they sat on the
broad piazza of the Wayside house and
watched the steady downpour.
L did not join the group on the
veranda. If there is anything l par
ticularly dislike it is to listen to the
chatter of lot of people who are
trying to delude themselves into the
belief that they are enjoying life
when the face of Nature is ankle
deep with mud and water, and 1t is
still raining as if it never intended to
stop. So 1 stuck to my room and
burrowed my way through books,
week-old newspapers, patent medl'
cine almanacs-anything that would
help me in a measure to forget the
abominable weather.
But on the evening of the second
day, when it grew suddenly colder
and roaring wood fire had been
kindled in the open fireplace in the
big sitting-room, 1 was one OF the
first to gather around it's cheerful
blaze.
Now, If ever, was the time for
storytelling, but the landlords roper
tory seemed toabe about exhausted.
mo use asking for any more funny
STORIES" he drawled out with a depre-
catory shake of the head. These
two wet days have pumped me dry,
so to speak. / can only think OF one
more story, but as there isn't any
thing comical about that one, don't
suppose you'll care to hear it."
"Give us a story, by all means,
urged one of the ladies. 81 can al
ways sleep better if 1 have ghost
story or some exciting adventure to
go to bed on"
WELL" began the landlord, re-
fectively, II don't think this comes
under the head of ghost story nor
even a story of adventure. I'll have
to tell it, and let you classify it for
yourselves. The climax of my story
came ten years ago when l was keep
ing a hotel in my native village,
which / will call Eden Center; but the
beginning dated back many years be-
fore that, to the time when the Peeks
were the nabobs of the place.
Squire Peek, with his wife and
only daughter, lived in a big white
house on a hill in the outskirts of the
village, and a naughty, housekeeping
old chap he was when l first knew
him. He always seemed to consider
himself and his family little above
the rest of the folks in Eden Center
| and when Lucinda Peek grew up, al
though she was by long odds the best
looking young lady in the place, and
while the young fellows were al
half daft over her, none of them real
" had the courage to make love tC
her for fear of arousing the wrath Of
the stiff-necked old squire.
"The first one who tried it was ar
outsider, and the ruthless way in
which his aspirations were nipped ii
the bud by Lucinda's father hello
forth very little encouragement tC
the others. He was a young college
student, named Henry Randell, who
had come to Eden Center to spend hi!
summer vacation in earning some
needed money. Though dependent
wholly on his own earnings, he wal
bravely working his way through
college, it seems, and he got a jol
keeping the books and making up &C
counts at the village store daytimes
and at night he gave lessons on th'
violin and other musical instruments
He was a frst-class singer, too, anC
soon after coming to the place h
started singing school, hiring thu
schoolhouse and charging regula,
fee for the lessons, which he CAV
every Thursday evening.
at was at the singing school tina
he made the acquaintance of Lucind;
Peek, and 1t was a clear case of low
at first sight. He was manly yount
fellow, and when the rest of the boy
saw how matters were shaping, ther,
wasn't one of them but wished hin
well.
"But the course of true love run
uncommonly rough sometimes as tn
poet tells about, and when young
Randell walked boldly up to the BIZ
house on the hill with Lucinda on
evening, and asked her father for he
hand in marriage, it was said tina
the naughty old squire drove hin
from the house with the dires
: threats and curses that one MAJ
: ever poured upon the head of anoth
: er. 1t was then near the close o
= his vacation, and Rande1l was com
PEELED to return to his college with
out again seeing Lucinda.
: at was said that letters addresse'
to Lucinda in young Randelrs hand
writing came after he went away, bu
the postmaster, who was friend an
i. sort of dependent of the squire say
! to it that none of them ever reache
a her. Finally one of the letters re
ceived after Randell had left tn
place, was returned to him, so Nv
! heard, with the notation across tn
= face of it that the person to who1
q it was addressed, was dead.
ct was a cruel and wicked thin
= to do, but such things will happe
: when penniless. student falls In ioV
q with a nabob's daughter.
"Years passed. Squire Peek finall
= died. and then it was discovered tina
/, the most of his fortune had bee
I. wasted in unwise speculations. In
big house on the hill was sold, an
mother and daughter moved into
small cottage at the other end OF IN
!. village. A year later Mrs. PEEK ole
(of broken heart, it was sa1d), an
- Lucinda was left alone in the worl'
She was now 80 years of age, an
IL If Cattle