Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1909-12-24
MAJOR GRAHAM
AND OTHERS,
A Conspiracy That Resulted In
Complete Success.
BY CLAY ARMSTRONG.

Major George Graham, retired army
officer, had been a widower for ten
Fears. His daughter Nellie was nine
teen years old.
The major realized that he was
growing old, but when it came to the
daughter he continued to regard her
as a child. Even when she got into
long dresses he would not have been
bit surprised to find her walking the
fence with balancing pole or seated
on the limb of a cherry tree. She had
been away at school; she had returned
he knew that she went to parties and
he saw young men about the house.
but he seemed to be in dream about
her age. In his thoughts she had not
passed the rag doll stage yet.
Major Graham was enjoying his
cigar on the veranda one evening and
| listening to Nellie's chatter in an alb
strated way when that young woman
made a sudden dive into the house and
a young man came up the path and
| took the vacated chair. The major
squinted at him and thought he recOg-
nized him as young Hurlburt.
young mans name may be much
or little TO the father of the girl he is
In love with. In this case it meant
little until an explanation had been
entered into. Then it meant a whole
lot. Young Mr.. Hurlburt loved Miss
Nellie; Miss Nellie loved him. He was
Of good family and had some pros
poets; he knew she was an only child
and realized how hard it would be for
the father to give her up. but he would
love, protect and cherish her always.
The major was so shocked that in his
excitement he threw away n cigar that
had been only half consumed. a thing
lie had not done in battle with the
guns roaring around him
Just what the man OF war said 10 the
young man of peace need not be re
corded here. The gist Of il was that
his daughter was still n child. young
Hurlburt was only kid and that
he should put his foot down against
any nonsense. Yes. sir, il must be
stopped. Yes. sir. he would tell his
daughter so. Yes. sir and-and-and
so forth And the young man took his
departure Il human wreck. and Miss
Nellie, who, of course, had heard all
from an open window. sought out her
good aunt and buried her face in the
lap of that individual and moaned out
ooh, Aunt Mary. | shall die-I know
| shall die, Father won't let viii and
me get married.
Aunt Mary was not a matchmaker
but she had rather favored the young
man. She gave what comfort and sym
pathy she could, and after seeing the
weeping Child" tucked into bed she
sought the father in an attempt 70
soften his heart
Tho major was wanting some one to
talk to Just then. and she got ali that
was coming to her. She had been re-
miss. she had been careless, she had
neglected her duties as chaperon. she
had almost brought q calamity upon
the house of Graham. With her eyes
wide open she had allowed a mere
infant nla'anl. an infant-Io fail
in love and engage herself in marriage
to--to-well, TO a young man.
In vain Aunt Mary tried to exculpate
herself. No one had ever talked back
TO Major Graham. L. S. A, and got
the best of il, and she failed He
could utter twenty words TO her five
and the odds We're too great, even for
n woman's tongue. She retired from
the contest to say to the fearful maiden
in waiting:
If your father doesn't get over this
and talk sense I'll-I'n"-
You'll do something, Aunty?"
Il don't know what III do, but you
wait. Here you are, nineteen years
old, and he's talking as if you were
not out Of bibs aud high chairs"
There was hope that if Aunt Mary
went around with serious look on
her face and had little 10 say and that
If the daughter went about with tears
in her eyes and heaved heartbreaking
signs at intervals the major might
come down off his high horse. but
after three days of it he seemed more
determined than ever. Finally. at the
end of week, the sister said:
George. if that girl elopes TO get
married you will have only yourself
TO blame"
80 children have taken to clipping
eh!' he replied in cutting tones.
That night there was meeting Of
eOnspirators in Miss Nellie's room
There were only two conspirators, but
they We're enough. The major was
asleep and dreaming of battle as they
planned. There were no more tears
DO more signs. Next morning little
note was sent to young Hurlburt.
That night he disappeared off the face
Of the earth.
That night also good Aunt Mary
was engaged for two hours carrying