Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-04-02
ON THIN ICE.

mother and daughter looked at eacl
other for long minute, then the form
er said:
1--WE must keep it from her.
eyes"
eff we don't she will certainly tall
right up to the deacon and max
things worse than ever. Your Aun
Salina is not afraid of any living man
You lust act as natural as you cal
and don't let her catch on to a thing.
And yet FIVE or six daysIater, whel
the guest in question arrived, sh
hadn't been in the house half an hou
before she set her jaw and said to Mrs
Thompson, her widowed sister;
"Now, Ruth, while Mary Is up
stairs 1 want to hear all about it
There's some skullduggery been goint
on here, and 1 want to get at th' roo
of it. It's no use to put on that H.
nocent look, for I'm woman thaj
can't be deceived"
Then the widow had to hI 1t up
Her daughte. Mary, now 20 years old
had been "keeping company" with
Deacon Bromley's son James, and the
marriage day had once been SET
Deacon Bromley had then favored the
match. The widow had fine farm
his, and if she took 40 acres
off of hers and he 40 off of his the
young folks would have a good start IN
life. She, as well as he, could also
contribute considerable cash toward
building the new house and barn
Yes, it would be good match all
around, and everything was going
swimmingly when the deacon took in
a summer boarder.
He was what might be called q
half-cash boarder. That is, for two
weeks he paid half the price of board
and lodging in cash and the other in
information which changed the deA'
cons nature all over. The boardsr
had made study of family trees, SC
he asserted, and after scratching bis
head and consulting the signs in the
family almanac for fortnight, he an
nounced that the 3romleys were di-
rect descendants of Lord Bromley, oi
England, while Lord Bromley him
self was a grand nephew Of William
the Conquerer.
The deacon had always been rather
a stif-necked man toward the com
munity, and this information added
to his pride. He did not question tn
strangers information, and after
time it began to get in its work. d.
wasn't rich, but he had the blue blooc
in him, and that was even better. Il
four weeks he was walking as if b
had a poker down his back, and a
the end of four more he said to hi
son:
"James, there is nothing that hurt
family more than meSalliance
What is the world going to say when
hears that Bromley has married
Thompson
care you talking about Mar
Thompson, father2'' asked James.
II am. am seeing things a grea
deal different than I did a few week
ago. Where did the Thompson
spring fromi Who are theyi Wa
the first Thompson lord or duke o
a cooper'"
"But, you know, I'm engaged t
Mary Thompson, and you know tina
the family is respectable. No on
can say that there has been any
thing against them, from grandfathe
down"
"Umi Uml None of them hav
been in Jail AS l know OF, but l as
again. Who are the ThompsOns
We know who the Bromleys sprsn
from, and 1 cannot consent to an
plebeian alliance. Until I know wh
the first Thompson was, l shall tee
justified IN opposing this match.
will be no use whatever to argue tn
matter with me. 1 am determined
preserve the purity of our blood as
has cone down to US.
James did not cease to call at tn
widows, bat it was not long befol
she realized that he had something o
his mind, and he vas finally prevail
ed upon to atate it. He held IN d
rect opposition to his father, but th'
did not satisfy the insulted mother G
the high.spirited daughter. An
strained relations followed. Sue