Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-02-21
w A N 7 { d.
a MAN
BY Martha
McCuHocb- WiIIfon1E

& Sop9 liSut' i"VO' DS L =. 1dTCellS
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Orestes Magin stood twirling his red
! mustache, his eyes downcast, his heart
beating like a trip hammer. Well
might it beat fast! He had just asked
| Squire Malcolm for his daughter. The
squire was a choleric person at the
best Of times, but this morning hin
| humor was tiendish. Orestes, of course,
| did not know that.
There was Il reason for the mood,
| slight, to be sure. but any reason was
! sufficient when the time came for one
| Of the old gentleman's RACES. He was
nearly rs proud of his melon patch as
| Of his daughter and felt 1t personal
| insult if anybody else presumed to
| have melons earlier. Yet here were
| those miserable DawsonS outlanders,
| city bred at that, sending him a melon
fully ripe with their compliments and
all because he had laughed at Dawson
and his gardener when they had talked
TO him about a certain extra early
kind
Now, 1t would be quite ten days be-
fore he could return the sending.
want my girl, eh? Isn't there
something else? Don't be mealy
mouthed Ask for my eyeteeth or the
farm and all the money I've got In
bank he roared at poor Orestes, who
stood nervously shifting his feet. by
George. sir, I'm amazed at your mod
Grafton, OF course I've raised Edith
just a-purpose to see her throw herself
away. Don't interrupt me, sir!
know all you're going to say-you love
her and don't care Il bit that she'll
have more money than any other girl
around. I've heard that from better
men than you are tell you, as I've
told them. she's not for any such cat
tie. | want her myself yet awhile.
When l give her up it's going to be to
man. Be off with you now, sir, and
don't let me see you here again-not
unless you're willing to swear there
shall be no more of this nonsense"
I'm going" Orestes said hoarsely,
turnin" half about But what you
call this nonsense is going to last
with me and with Edith, too, believe.
Well wait year to let you come to
better temper But I'm going to see
her across your gate every little while.
| won't ever set foot on your land
again. though. unless you ask it."
do you think I'll have such scandal
Gus BEHAVIOR the squire shouted. A
f,1 hic 1i,Nc
crept up behind him.
Unless you will have it | shall go
with Restes right straight off," she
said, with Il set of the mouth and a
lowering of the brow that made of her
her fathers daughter In suffocating
anger that forbade speech the squire
waved the pair away. Edith would
not go She held out her hand to Ores
tes saying: "I'll be at the gate tonight
Well settle things there" Then as
the young fellow strobe off she fetched
cool water to bathe the squires head,
famed him and made him sit under
the grapeyines saying no word to him
until he had come TO Il semblance of
reason. When she saw his head droop
thouGhtfully and his cane make faint
plunges into the turf she whispered:
Don't fret yourself sick, father You
know you can't really say anything
against ResteS. He's as good as he's
ugly"
Hes q molly coddle brought up at
his granny's apron strings" the squire
interrupted
Then | like molly coddles, and I've
been brought up to know men," she
said, running away to see about din
ner. The squire looked after her with
a scowl that softened at last to a sigh.
He thought the world of her Love was
indeed at the bottom of his scorn for
poor Orestes.
Fate had hard lines ahead of the
squire. Edith went duly to the gate
every Wednesday evening at sundown
and spent an hour there In earnest
talk with her sweetheart. Even the
squire could not bring himself to ig-
more Orestes completely when they
met, but he never went beyond the
gruff nod all the three Sundays before
Of man and beast-brought that about.
Blicky, the buggy mare took occasion
10 balk just at the top of the lane
hill. and, instead of humoring her by
walking up what remained of the rise,
her master sat tight and tried to make
her pull him. The result was much
backing, kicking and at last an upset
vehicle and broken leg for the squire
with the prospect of spending a month
at least fiat on his back
He roared and ragged if by any chance
Edith was out of his sight. For two
weeks she did not see Orestes, but
when the third Wednesday came she
put on her bonnet with the air Of per.
son not to be gainsaid. At the door OF
the squfre's room she paused to say: