Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-06-30
Spelling A ROMANCE.
BY N. QUAD.

tCopyrignt, lSs. py L. - McSiure.J
Miss Hattie Cowper. daughter Of a
farmer. had arrived at the age of
thirty-five, and no one. not even her
mother. had suspected her OF romance.
She had cooked and washed and baked
and put up pickles and made her own
dresses and seemed content Even
when Zed Green, hired man TO her ia
| Their, had fallen In love with her and
asked her to be his'n she had success
fully concealed any evidence that Ii
was other than the humdrum program
Of existence and had replied that she
guessed she would have him, and that
settled the matter for awhile. Zed
didn't want to marry for year or
two. and Hattie was content At least
no one suspected her of discomfort.
and yet romance was fairly bubbing
In her soul She wanted to be abduct-
ed: she wanted to elope: she wanted
to be lost In the sugar bush and found
by a cavalier.
She kept hoping and expecting and
sewing carpet rags and helping her
mother make picked lily. and time ran
on. and one evening Zed announced
that he was ready to marry. Then an
idea came to her like fash of light
ming. and after turning 1t over in her
mind for FIVE minutes she answered:
"Zed. will never. never marry you
unless we have some romance about
It,"
do you mean going to the circus or
something Of that kind?' he asked.
mo. I don't. l mean that don't
propose to stand up in the parlor and
be married by justice Of the peace"
"Well, what do you wantf"
II want to run sway to get mar
ried."
..Shoo. don't see the need of that
when everybody's willing"
but do. l want folks to have
something to talk about. and I want
something to think Of afterward."
"rm willing to do all can. Hattie.
Seems kinder foolish to me. but II you
look at It 'tother way it's all right
It's to be what they call an elopement,
ehT
"Yes."
All right. never eloped. but I
guess We can manage It somehow.
This is Thursday. Shall we bring It
OF next Tuesday nighti"
The date suited the young woman.
and next morning both got up to act
rather queerly. They were absent.
minded and preoccupied and had 80
little y say to each other that before
the day was over Mrs. Cowper said to
her husband:
Henry. I'm afraid Hattie Is coming
down with some sickness or other, or
else she's got some awful thing on her
mind. have never seen her SO quiet.
Once she put her arms around me and
asked me to forgive her. and when I
asked for what she ran away. What
dye 'spose ais herr"
Cant tell. but Zeke has also been
acting up and astonishing me. This
afternoon as We was hoeing corn side
and side he suddenly stopped and look.
ed at me and almost shouted: No; !
will not give her up! will defy you
TO the endr When l asked him what
be meant by such burned nonsense be
actually chanked his teeth"
1t was that romance was bubbllny.
and by the following Tuesday Zed had
made himself believe that a stern IA
Their had stepped between him and the
object Of his love and would brutally
blast his future. and Hattie composed
a note to be left behind for her moth
er asking forgiveness and saying that
1t almost broke her heart to do the
thing contemplated.
The farmers bedtime was 0 o'clock.
BY 10 he and his good wife were snor-
ing. Even the cat slept. Not so with
Hattie and Zed. however. The young
woman sat in her room, dressed for
the elopement and feeling thrills Of ro-
nance. and Zed had made a sneak for
the barn to hitch up q horse aud
wagon.
At II o'clock the rig was driven to
the front gate. and Zed jumped down
and hid beside the rosebush. Three
There were whispers and hand
squeezes, and the elopement had start.
ed. 1t had progressed just forty rods
when there came a fash of lightning.
At fifty rods the thunder beloved.
At hundred the rain began to fall.
Zed had been crafty. but he hadn't no
ticed the gathering storm. Romance
and a soaking shower do not go well
together, but there must be no turning
back. There was an old open shed In
a field mile away, and as the rain
began to fall Zed put on the CAD to
reach its shelter. The old horse fell
down three times and had to be helped
up again each time before the shed
was reached. but they drove under 1t
at last. Just as they did so fash OF
lightning showed an old bull at tie
rear end. He had also got in out OF
the wet. and. being the first conner, he
naturally resented any intrusion. He
got up and began to paw and paw and
below, and when the brave lover got
down to shoe him forth he charged
the wagon and broke one wheel off