The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-01-01
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Major By Martha
ooz McCulloch
AND THE THIEF
Copyright, 1901.
by Martha McCuiIoch williams.

Old man Buckley, one of Marshall
towns three invetcrate topers, was
trying to sober up against his daugh-
ters wedding. When he had his com.
plement of drinks, he was to outward
seeming MS sober as judge Lack of |
them set him reeling upon his horse
and guiding the sagacious beast in let |
ter SIS all over the road
Cook Major Borum said to Molly, |
his niece and adopted heiress. That's |
what I'm trying to save you from-the
thing which biteth like serpent and
stingeth like an adder
you needn't try TO make out poor
link is a snake" Molly said spiritedly.
I'm sure he wouldn't crawl, not even
TO get me-"
"Oh, no! You think it WAS his indie
pendence that kept him from signing
the pledge when | demanded It OF |
him." the major said, with a fine, lofty |
scorn. Again Molly tossed her head.
Il would have said no to him If 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 n
round, pulsy man. rosy faced, with lit
Ia it,Is
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 10 the town eoun-
ell. Marshalltown folk said he wns
cram full OF crank notions, which he
had had no chance to spend properly In
governing a 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 We're set
upon organizing temperance knight
hood after ideas peculiarly his own.
Marshalltown would have none of
the knighthood. 1t WAS so temperate,
letting the single saloon anguish eX-
cept at Christmas timeAlnd the Fourth
of July, that 1t resented organized tenn
perance much as it might have resent
cd the organization of an antistcaling
brotherhood To Its mind man ought
to drink when he felt like II aud had
good liquor handy, but should never be
tempted into swallowing stuff he did
not really care for by giving 1t the tang
of forbidden fruit. SO 1t heartily ap
plauded link Travis refusal to become
the first fruits of The majors enthusi
assn. 1t was n fine thing, eyerybod!
admitted, seeing how matters stood
link as good as engaged to Molly nnt
Molly's helrcss-ship contingent on hei
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- ito the firm. But the major came
down l.. them three months before
| the sign, Travis & Son, Groceries,
Hardware, Provisions, Liquors, Whole
sale and Retail" went up upon the big
Molly had eight younger brothers and
sisters. Her father could not hope TO
do more than feed and clothe 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 contented herself
with vowing she would die an old maid
unless she might marry Jlnk and smil-
Ing her sweetest at ,Jink himself when
ever she got the chance.
Jinll 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. |
lie might have gone In for that knight
hood foolishness If he had not known
she would be the first to despsc him
for II. He might even have done 1t
and tried to square himself later with
MS sweetheart IL lie haa peeh sure the
major was honest IN MS crankery.
somehow the majors enthusiasm rang
false to him. Under and behind the
flow of words he saw something in the
uhctuous Ips, the beady, twinkilns
eyes, when maze nm suspect that the
major, Ike other SELF deluded mortals,
was more anxious to pose as Il great
moral force IMAM 10 RUE strictly ms
own appettes.
Indeed, as Dan Brown put IL, the
cut or the major JiD gave nm away
Tor banned OH hypocrite. Dan
Brown was Jink $ chuni, the head man
at the new electric Ight pant, when
travis " Son had done so mucl TO get
Installed. Or course, their own store
was the very hrst TO be Wlred anu
lighted All the first week afterv3nrd
Jlhh himself dIu mourning hiuch put
4.