The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-07-10
Spelling A ROMANCE
~ NJ. QUAD.

settled the matter Tor aWhlte, Ecu
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 bubbling
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 Hash Of light
ming, and after turning It over In her
mind for Ave minutes she answered:
"Zed. ! win never. never marry you
unless we have some romance about
IT,"
no you mean going 70 the circus or
something Of that kindgs he asked.
eNo, I don't / mean that / don't
propose TO stand up IN the parlor and
be married by justice Of the peace"
"Well, what do you wantT
Il want to run away to get mar
RED"
"shool don't see the need Of that
when everybody's willing"
"But | do. / want folks to have
something to talk about and want
something to think Of afterward."
sI'm willing to do all can, Hattie,
Seems kinder foolish TO me. but If you
look at it 'tother way it's all right.
It's to be what they call an elopement
ehY'
"Yes.p
"AIl right never eloped, but
guess we can manage it somehow.
This Is Thursday. Shall we bring II
Of next Tuesday nightl7
The date suited the young woman,
and next morning both got up TO act
rather queerly, They were absent
minded and preoccupied and had SO
little 10 say TO each other that before
the day was over Mrs. CoWper said to
her husband:
Henry, I'm afraid Hattie IL coming
down with some sickness or other, Or
else she's got some awful thing on her
mind. I have never seen her SO quiet
Once she put her arms around me and
asked me 70 forgive her, and when
asked for what she ran away. What
dye 'spose ails herr
Cant tell, but Zelze 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;
win not give her upl | win defy you
to the endr when ] asked him what
he meant BY such burned nonsense he
actually chRnked his teeth
1t was that romance was bubbling,
and By the following Tuesday Zed had
made himself believe that a stern IA
theF had stepped between him and the
object of bis love and would brutally
blast bis future, and Hattie composed
a note to be left behind for her moth
or asking forgiveness and saying that
It almost broke her heart TO do the
thing contemplated.
The farmers bedtime was 9 o'clock.
BY 10 be and his good wife were snor-
ing. Evea the cat slept. Not so with
Hattie and Zed. however The young
woman sat IN her room, dressed for
the elopement and feeling thrills o. 70.
nance and Zed had made a sneak for
the barn to hitch up horse and
wagon.
at II O'clock the rig was driven 10
the front gate. and Zed jumped down
and bid beside the rosebush. Three
minutes later Hattie was with him.
There were whispers and hand
squeezes, and the elopement had start
ed It had progressed Just forty rods
when there came a fash Of lightning.
AT fifty rods the thunder beloved
AT a hundred the rain began to fan.
zed had been crafty, but he hadn't no.
ticed the gathering storm. Romance
and soaking shower do not 80 well
together, but there must be no turning
back. There was an old open shed in
a field a mile away, and as the rain
began to fall Zed put On the gao to
reach its shelter. The old horse tell
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 a fash of |
lightning showed an old bull at the
rear end. He had also cot In out Of
the wet and, being the first conner, be
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 I
and scattered the horse around. This |
brought about pretty plain converse. /
ton between Hattie and Zed.
'zed Green, I'm going home" finally I
declared the girl You are the biggest I
fool on earth, and nothing could an
duce me to marry yoar'
And the romance seeking girl as she I
stepped forth into the still pouring
rain to slosh her way homeward
through the puddles couldn't help but
hear the retort:
4 know of another fool Just as big, /
and I'm glad I've found her outR'
There was no marriage till six
months later, and then Zed and Hattie
clasped hands and stood up before
justice Of the peace and were married
for dollar Zed didn't even walk
around the yard for a wedding tour.
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