The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-10-23

N hef IflenuB 70 the Lower
SFol9 Ranch. She was really
going, although she had
vowed that she never would. But they
were not ready yet, and he bowed his
head on his hands and allowed his
mind TO wander over the almost twenty
years Of their married life.
No one would ever accuse Jason
Grant of sentlmentallty; yet in this
retrospection his thoughts dwelt with
singular persistence upon certain
morning in a haying season long ago
when pretty Mary Moore had come TO
help his mother cook for the hay hands.
He recalled the jealous pang with
which he saw the young minister drive
Mary to the door-for Jason Grant.
Woodworking, close-handed, grasping.
was never given to sentiment But
twenty years made a difference: and
he had been at that time what most
Of the other farmer boys were-even
though every one thought him wrapped
up in land-getting and mOney-making.
How well he remembered that day!
lie had made numerous trips, neces-
sary and unnecessary, from hay field
to house, just for a word with Mary
Moore, or for a glimpse Of her plump
form and blooming face The picture
that rose Oftenest before him was that
of Mary, framed by the doorway. smil-
ing upon him as he turned away with
the hammer for which he had made
one of those unnecessary trips. That
smile had made his heart beat like a
hammer of another sort-foolish fell
low!
All, me! he could see it all in detail
the yellow farmhouse with green shut
tiers, the "leanto" for tools, the bench.
the grindstone, the scythe, the garden
rake, the woOd-pile with the axe in the
old stump the weIl-sweep, beyond the
stretch of orchard fence, the barn.
swallow-circled, and the fast-multiply.
ing stacks of emerald hay.
Jason, the only son, had inherited
the Grant homestead; and Mary Moore
had been wise, from the worldly point
of view, in accepting his hand, grasp
ing though it was, rather than that of
the young minister, which had been
offered her on that very mornings
drive.
1t was more the spirit of innate CO.
quetry that prompted her to inform the
reticent young farmer of the honor
prOffered her by the minister; though
Jason Grant, during the sober second
thought following the arduous insist.
ence Of his own proposal came to the
conclusion that the information had
been youched him in order to bring
him to the point.
His father had for some time had
his business eye upon a rich bottom.
land ranch, all entire section, six hun.
dred and forty goodly acres, wooded
watered and gently slOping, and lying
in the inevitable path Of the much
talked-of branch road from seat to seat
of the adjoining counties. When old
Ranchman Grant came to his last i'll
ness, shortly before his sons wedding
be confided to the prospective bride
groom that the coveted ranch could
be had upon 4 small payment, and by
assuming the heavy, though longtime
mortgage held by eastern parties; anG
that the requirement OF it was worth
even the postponement Of the wed
ding.
But love is love; his laundering pro
posal was made, and the marriage
celebrated shortly after the old father
had been laid to rest. 1t was not I'm
til the wedding day that the youn:
ranchman told his bride of the pro
posed purchase of the Lower Ranch
that it would require all his read,
money for the first payment, and tina
they would have to defer their intend
cd wedding tour to the STATE capital
Instead, she might accompany him Il
the county-seat, where he mus. go L
fix up the transfer Of the mortgage
SO Mrs. Jason Grant-how prou,
she was Of the new name-informct
her friends and the minislcc-who hat
the grace to hide his disappointment
ana of1lciate at the wedding 70
the present "my husband and me
would journey to the county seat M
stop at the best hotel till "my nus
bands" business was settled that @
buying six hundred aud forty acres Q
the richest bottom-land in tho country
that later they would build fin
house on their new ranch, and NOV
there; and that they would 80 OH thei
wedding trip in the fall
Needless to say, that wedding ton
was never taken. SO this was The trs
OF a long serle of credits to Mar