Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-04-16
MAJOR by Martha
McCulloch
B0RUM Williams
AND THE THIEF
Copyright. 1901.
ny Martha Mecuiioeh Williams.

S3c@o3o@ NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Old man Buckley one OF Marshall
s)wn's three iuYeterafe topers. was
trylag to sater up against bis daush-
ter's weddiDe. when he had his con.
plcmcet Of drinks. be was 70 outward
seeming as sober as a judge. Lack Of
them set him reeling upon bis horse
aud guiding the sagaeious beast ia let
ter SIS al over the read.
"Lookp' Major Borum said TO Molly,
his niece and adopted heiress, That's
what I'm trying TO save you from--the
( thing which biteth Ike serpent aud
stingeth Ike an adder"
"You needn't try to make ont poor
Jink is a snake" Molly said splritedly.
I'm sure he wouldn't crawl. not even
to get me-"
'oh. no! You think 1t was his indie
pendenee that kept him from signing
the pledge when I demanded II Of
| him." the major said, with fine. lofty
scorn. Again Molly tossed her head.
81 would have said no to him II he
/ had signed it." she said. "Why. Jink
was never drunk but once In his life.
and that was In the way OF business.
\ Ii he had not drunk to match that
Long Hollow crowd. his pa would have
\ lost all their trade, and it's worth a
thousand dollars clear profit every
year"
The major groaned He was a
round. pursy man. rosy faced. with lit
tie eyes twinkiing through smothering
fat. He had come back to his native
town the year before breathing out
vague aroma Of riches and ready to
give advice offhand to anything from
divine Providence to the town coun-
ell. Marshalltown folk said he was
cram full of crank notions. which he
had had no chance to spend properly in
governing wife or bringing up chill
dren of his own.
He struck Marshalltown teetotaler
OF the first water. the second water
and also the third. Water was indeed
his creed and rallying cry for the time
| being. His mind and heart were set
upon organizing a temperance knight
| hood after ideas peculiarly his own.
Marshalltown would have none OF
the knighthood. 1t was so temperate.
letting the single saloon languish ex-
cept at Christmas time and the Fourth
OF July. that II resented organized tenn
perance much as it might have resent
ed the organization Of an antistealing
brotherhood. To its mind a man ought
| 10 drink when he felt like II and had
good liquor handy. but should never be
tempted into swallowing stuff he did
not really care for by giving II the tang
| Of forbidden fruit. So 1t heartily APP
plauded Jink Travis refusal to become
the first fruits of the majors enthusi-
asm. 1t was a fine thing. everybody
admitted. seeing how matters stood
Jink as good as engaged to Molly and
Molly's heiress-ship contingent on her
marrying to suit the major.
Jink and Molly had been lovers time
out Of mind. 1t was all settled that
they should marry when Jink was TAX
en- into the firm. But the major came
| down upon them three months before
! the sign. Travis & Son. Groceries,
Hardware. Provisions. Liquors, Whole
sale and Retail" went up upon the big
block at the head OF the main street.
Molly had eight younger brothers and
sisters. Her father could not hope TO
do more than feed and ciothe them. SO
the major and his fortune had to be
taken into account. especially when he
asked TO have Molly the same as his
own child
That was where the pinch came. For
herself and Jink. Molly could have bid
den the fortune go hang. But the chill
dren! She could not shut out her moth
er's anxious eyes, her fathers patient.
troubled face. AS long as she did not
rebel openly she was free to help with
both hands. So she eontented herself
with vowing she would die an old maid
unless she might marry Jink and smil-
ing her sweetest at Jink himself when
ever she got the chance.
Jink could not well be SO patient.
He wanted a wife. home of his own
and Molly for that wife. He was ready
to do anything reasonable to get her.
He might have gone in for that knight
hood foolishness If he had not known
she would be the first to despise him
for it. He might even have done ii
and tried to square himself later with
his sweetheart il he had been sure the
major was honest in his crankery.
Somehow the majors enthusiasm rang
false to him. Under and behind the
he.e q