Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-08-10

Annie Paines. IL what l hear Is so,
perhaps it'll be your Alice's before
long" The old man squirmed and
asked what she meant He wanted no
son-in-law, though he could not object
to John.
why, you won't believe 1t, but that
half blind, hobbling old Judson ID max
ing up 10 the Widow King, they say.
She's handsome and young lookin' and
well heeled, the best cook In town and
economical too. She's good tempered,
except about Johns marryin' Alice,
and kind of hate to see her throw her
self away. But Judson's sly old
coot. Anyhow, l hope she marries and
leaves John free. He and Alice have
waited long enough-it amt right
Well, got to be goln'. You tell Alice
I was here" She walked off, leaving
the old man with a new fear-and with
q new Idea In his head. That Judsonl
He Ailq hudson had always conducted.
ZIG Rrunted and lit pipe.
Spring passed into early summer.
and In June Nelly and Harry and An.
nile and Richard were married. Alice,
sweet and grave and dark eyed, sang
at the weddings. Her rich roprano
was indispensable. John watched her
in love and despair and began to won
der II, after all, prudence and caution
were not sometimes vices as we'll aa
virtues. Would he never be free to
take Alice to his own home? Would
che never leave her father to come to
him2 He went to see her much oftener
than had been his habit. and, strange
to say, Of evenings her father disap-
peared, no one asked where, and left
them to themselves. John and Alice
were again almost the boy and girl
lovers of ten years ago. They took
twilight walks and long drives unmo-
Tested and unquestioned and were very
happy.
With surprise John began to realize
that his mother no longer nagged him
about his engagement nor had fits Of
weeping, during which she declared
that he was going to make her a stran-
ger and q, dependent In her own house.
Then one evening he took courage
and masterfully laid before Alice q
plan to brave everybody. Finally she
yielded, though she dreaded the ex-
PLANTATION that would have to follow.
One soft September evening John,
with license In bis pocket, drove to
her door and told her father he was
going to take her for n drive to Lynn
Vile, ten miles away, and that they
would not be back till evening. The
old man was used to their driving and
said nothing. In fact, he seemed al
most anxious to have Alice co.
Late In the evening they returned
man and wife. John tied the horse
and went In to have 1t out with Alice's
father. But the old man. strangely
enough, was not to be found. They
waited awhile, and then John left her
to go tell his mother se-AI
When he had gone Alice sat, SILENT
in the Zig chair on the porch, happy -
tplte Ut the probable trouble Johns
mother would nuke. happy ln The face
OF her iather's certain anger At any
rate, nothing on earth could make her
anything but Johns wife. So she walt
ed for John aud wondered where her
father could possibly be. Ia half an
hour she heard Johns quick. eager
footsteps He swung In at the gate
and almost ran to take her In his arms.
He kissed her, and he laughed actual.
ly laughed boy. Then he ex-
planned:
Hes at my house-your father. II
seems they took advantage Of our abb
sence to marry each other Alice.
How's that for sy2 They braved me
to my face. but they were 30 afraid
that we would be angry that they were
positively relieved when told them
what we'd done They are coming
over here tomorrow, dearest, and then
our home will be our own"
Then John, being man, could not
just zee why Alice could declare that
she was perfectly happy and still
should weep on his shoulder But
Sylvia was woman-she would have
known the reason.