Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-05-10

half blind, hobbling old Judson is max
ing up to the Widow King, they say.
She's handsome and young lookin' and
we'll heeled. the best cook i'm 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 a sly old
coot Anyhow. | hope she marries and
leaves John free He and Alice have
waited long cnough-it amt right
Wen, | got to he goiu'. You tell Alice
| was here She walked Off leaving
the old man with a new fcar-and with
a new idea In his head That Judson'
He and Judson had always confiicted.
He grunted and lit his pipe.
Spring passed into early summer,
and in June Nelly and Harry and An
ME aud Richard were married. Alice,
sweet and grave and dark eyed, sang
at the weddings. Her rich soprano
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 as
virtues. Would he never be free to
take Alice to his own home? Would
she never leave her father to come to
him? lie went to see her much ofteneT
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 mmo-
Tested and mquestioncd 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 10 make her a stran,
ger and a dependent in her own house.
Then one evening he took courage
and masterfully laid before Alice a
plan 10 brave everybody, Finally she
yielded. though she dreaded the eX-
planation that would have to follow.
One soft September evening John,
with a license In his pocket, drove to
her door and told her father lie was
going to take her for a 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 90.
Late in the evening they returned
man and wife. John tied the horse
and went in to have it 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 60 tell his mother.
When he had gone Alice sat, silent,
in the big chair on the porch, happy in
spite of the probable trouble Johns
mother would make, happy in the face
Of her fathers certain anger At any
rate. nothing on earth could make her
anything but Johns wife So she wait
ed for John ana wondered where her
father could possibly be In 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 a boy. Then he ex.
planned:
Hes at my house your father 1t
seems they took advantage of our alb
sence to marry each other, Alice
Hows that for slyf They braved me
to my face. but they were 50 aTrai0
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 see why Alice could declare that
she was perfectly happy and still
should weep on his shoulder. But
Sylvia was a womau-she would have
known the reason