The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-08-22

Two days later, as Tom Dingwell
| came over to the potato field where
| Uncle Ben was working and asked for
the loan of saw. he thought he saw
a change in LiZZie's father. The greet
Ing seemed cold and distant. and when
| he was called Mr.. Dingwell instead Of
Tom his knees began to quake. He
was too upset to ask for explanations,
| and as he went to the house to get the
saw Aunt Mary bowed to him stiftiy
| and said:
Its hanging in the woodshed, Mr..
Dingwell"
"Wwhat?" gaspcd Tom as another
| quake struck his knees.
And it's pleasant weather, Mr.. Ding
well. and it looks as if all the crops
would turn out we'll"
"A1r. Dingwell' swallowed a lump
| In his throat and hurried away He
| had some queer thoughts as he crossed
the fields and climbed the rail fences
1t took him two hours to arrange his
thoughts on Il string and reach Il con-
clusion, and that conclusion was:
by gum, but the old folks want Liz.
Zie to throw me over and marry some
stuck up Teller with curly hair"
The more he thought of it the more
firm was his conviction. and he finally
became so upset over it that he had to
knock off work and sit on the fence
and chew straws. He was hard hit
and full Of trouble, but he proposed to
tie game. In other words. he proposed
TO marry Lizzie if he had to walk over
the dead bodies of forty stuck IN
young men and set barn or two OH
fire to give Chemung county fair warn
Ing. An hour after dark he appeared
ut Uncle Ben's with his Sunday clothes
on. He expected to find Lizzie seated
on the piazza. but she wasn't there
The mother had seen to that. There
was young man there. however, and,
curiously enough. he had curly hair,
and he was stuck up. He smoked
cigarettes and spoke with n drawl.
All. yas. | suppose you are the fell
low who has been hanging around
Miss Lizzie for the last three years
You needn't mind hanging any longer,
you knaw. 1t gives me pleasure to in
form you that | have won the dear
girls hand and heart and that we are
to be welded next month. Charming
evening. I'm suah.'
Tom stood there like man turned
to stone, and for minute the quarrel.
ing Of the hens OH their rOoSt sounded
in his ears like the thunder of Niagara
lie had lost Lizzie. She didn't want &c
see him. even for Il last goodby, and
Uncle Ben and Aunt Mary had no fur
Their Use for him. As it all surged up in
his soul he turned, walked down the
path and out of the gate and paused
not as the stuck up young man called
after him:
Sorry, doncher knaw. but you were
too slow about it. I'll tell the deah girl
that you called"
Tom reached home intending to cut
his head off with the AK or choke him.
self to death Oh an early turnip. but ali
of Il sudden he began to get mad about
it. He had been thrown down. and
thrown hard, without nGIce. and he
wouldn't stand it. Lizzie and every
body else knew that he intended 10
marry her after awhile-aftcr the price |
of corn got above 10 ccntS-and no
man should step in and take her from
him.
Hardly conscious of what he was do |
ing. he went to the barn and hitched |
the old bay mare to the forty dollar |
Ohio top carriage. Then he brushed |
the dust off his clothes. felt in his |
pockets to see if his 81 was safe and, |
leaping into the vehicle. yelled |
"G'lang." in a way that sent the staid |
old mare forward ten feet. She was |
Oh the %allOp when she reached Uncle |
B"n'S. and. without waiting TO tie her.
Tom slrrang down and banged the gate |
open. Four people We're on the piazza.
and he came TO the stuck up young
MAN first. grabbed him by the legs and |
threw him into II bed of pinks. Uncle
Ben started up with whats this.
Tom" but Tom pushed him over his
chair and Stcrmly exclaimed:
Don't dare to fool with Il desperate
man. Come on. LiZZie"'
oh. Tom. what is it," she asked.
Come on. | say. You'll marry me or
I'll chuck you into Woouchuck creek
and drown YOU
but. Tom
Come on.
And Tom almost carried her to the
carriage, and. climbing i'll after her, he
gave the old mare Il cut and sent her
along to Squire Joslyn's ut three
minute gait. The squire was at home.
Ten minutes later the knot was tied.
and Tom was saying to his bride:
BY gum. but I've got you, and you
can't get away. Now Ill take you
home, and if your folks or that young
squirt has got anything to say they'll
find themselves locked in the smoke
house, and Ill he saying Sorry, don
cher knaw, but you were too slow
.,t