Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-01-08
Wben the
Deacon Whed.

1.-THE thing must stop at once. Elias
he said. "She is not the girl for you
to marry even If you were ready for
the serious step of matrimony. | de-
sire you to go over to the Widow Jor-
don's this evening and emphatically
announce that there can be nothing
further between you and her daugh-
ter"
The son respectfully but stubbornly
refused to do any such thing. There
was more talk, but 1t left both men
firm, and the result was that Elias
left the paternal roof and took up his
residence with an uncle. OF course he
called at the Widow Jordon's with the
news. Miss Nellie felt hurt and hu-
INFLATED and shed tears, but her moth
er had no tears to shed. She tossed
her head like a war horse, and there
was an edge 70 her voice as she said
to the young man:
"Elias, q Jordon Is as good as a
Grafton any day In the year and may
be q little better. If you want 1t all
On viii lSGlilc, just say luc WOlO anu
don't beat about the bush. She isn't
dying to marry you or any one else"
"But | am dying to marry her. and
we will call on the minister tonight If
you say So" was the answer.
mo; well wait awhile. I've seen
men like your father before, and |
have seen them come down off their
high horse"
Two nights later Elias "sat up" with
Nellie until near midnight. Nellie's
mother sat up in the darkness of
her room and made notes. One of the
notes was to the effect that a human
figure closely resembling Deacon Graf
toms was Bneaking about the yard and
trying to peer into a side window. She
was q woman who didn't have to be
hit with q potato masher to take a
hint. Next day she drove over to Ely
ria, and after buying a bear trap at a
hardwood store she took 1t to a black
smith and had him blunt the sharp
teeth with a hammer. She also learned
from him how to set 1t. When she
reached home the trap was placed In
the barn.
Word was sent to Elias not to come
to the house for three nights, but a
light was left burning in the sitting
room each night until midnight. FROM
her aerie In the second story the wild
ow waited and watched, and that same
human form appeared for half In hour
each night. Then she was ready for
1t. When Elias came on the wings of
lOr1 kho %ron ~ cof md coopat1v
placed beside the r~osebush. 1t wasn't
a rose without a thorn. On the contra
.Ae.y~s. ia OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ing into 1t to get at the side window
some one had left many bits of gray
cloth. There was also a larger and
sharper thorn waiting to mature.
The hour was II o'clock. and Miss
Nellie had just answered that she
guessed Thanksgiving day was as
good day as any other to get married
on when n long drawn yell was heard
under the window outside. At the
same moment the mother came down
stairs with a lighted lantern in hand
and said:
Keep your seats. children. It's only
a cat, and I'm going outside to talk
with him. He's yelling as If he was in
pain, but he won't be hurt much"
Deacon Grafton had stepped into the
Widows bear trap as he sought to get
his ear to a window. Had the teeth
not been blunted they would have gone
to the bone of his leg. AS it was, he
was held fast, and the plnching was
anything but pleasant. The widow
found him lying on the grass and try
ing to loosen the trap, and she placed
the lantern where the light fell full on
his face and sat down beside him and
said:
Deacon Grafton. since when did
you turn burglar?'
"What does this mean, woman?' he
demanded in reply as he held up a leg
''It means. sir. that that bear trap
was set to protect that window and
that you have been caught. Well see
what the law will have to say about
it."
'But you know I'm no burglar. You
know / was simply looking around to
see If Elias was here"
81 know nothing of the kind. You
can tell that story in cour and see
how many will believe it. 1t is my
duty, deacon
"Look here. widder," interrupted the
deacon, mo one will believe that |
meant to get into your house. but |
don't care to be made fun Of. If you'll
help me off with this pesky trap and
say nothing I'll send you a barrel of
-four"
"Whatl First try to break into my
house and then try to bride me? 1t
won't do, deacon. Elias is in the house,
as you know. Do you want to speak
to him?'
with this bear trap on my legs?
Neverl'
do you want to send him in word
to come back home and that you've