The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-07-13
IN THE BIOGRAPH.
What Old Abner Carter Learned the Moving Picture
Show.
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wv. R. Rose in Cleveland Plain Dealer.)

The last man on earth to admit that
Abner Carter lived a narrow NE
would have been Abner Carter hlmseli'
That was an admirable form OF proof
of his narrowness. All his 54 years
of existence had been passed on a
farm in a Vermont township not far
from the Canadian line. He was Two
miles from the nearest village-and
tiny village it was-and eleven miles
from the nearest railway. He sold his
produce in the village to buyers VINO
were understood to come from far-
away Burlington and that two miles
radius enclosed his little world.
There had been talk of another
railway. the line to take in the village
on its way to Montreal. Abner carter
had resented this proposed intrusion.
The village had done very well with
ont a railway for century and more.
A railway meant smoke and smudge,
and noise and cattle killed and MAIN
ed. and depot loafers. He liked the
railway still less when a good look
ing young surveyor at work on the
coming route saw Sylvia Carter in the
lane beside the Carter homestead. Syl-
via was pretty, very pretty and smart,
too-and Abner Carter was proud OF
her beneath the shell that hid his
emotions.
/ Well the railway didn't comet
may have been all financial bluff, but
the surveyor kept on coming and one
day the good looking young fellow
faced him.
"Mr. Carter" he said, Il want you
to give me Sylvia"
Abner Carters face grew hard.
when Sylvia marries," he said,
she's goin' to marry some steady
young feller who was raised in this
neighborhood-an it'll be young fel-
Ter that Sylvy knows an know"
'T'm little sorry" said the young
man, that | wasn't raised in this
neighborhood, but that can't be helped
now, I'm generally considered pref
ty good fellow, as it is, and my pros
pects are excellent. There's fine po-
sition waiting for me in New York
assistant engineer in big railway Of
fce-and / want Sylvia to go with
me-"
Abner scowled ominously.
'"You can't have her." he snarled.
The young man drew deep breath.
-Then it's up to Sylvia" he said and
turned away.
"You get off these premises as quick
rs you know how" the angry Abner
roared after him.
Then he stormed into the house.
"Sylvy," he cried that jackanapes
OF a chain toter has just been asdn'
me eff he could marry you. / sent him
packin' mighty quick" He turned to
70 and then looked back. 81 dunno
what foolishness you've got in your
head" he said, "but you'd better get
It out as quick as you know how. You
have good as promised to Cyrus
Roundtrees boy an you'll marry him
or nobody. If you was to go so far
as to take up with this engineerin'
foafer I'd never want you to darken
these doors again an I'd never want
to hear your name any more" And he
stalked away heavily and expended his
surplus energy in vicious attacks on
the woodpile.
Sylvia's pretty face had turned very
white and her heart beat hard and
fast, but she held her temper and
made no reply.
That night she ran away with Rich.
ard Merriam and her name was men
toned no more in the old homestead
A year later Abner Carter received
letter.
At the top of the sheet was street
and number and the letter was datet
in New York. The message 1t bore
was a brief one, written in veal
and waving hand.
Dear father" it began, Il am thu
mother of baby girl. Her name Il
Sylvia. / wanted you to know abou
my great happiness. Sylvia"
Abner stared at this letter lonl
dime. Then he growled something un
der his breath and tore the letter Il
fragments and flung them into the fire
place.
They don't get no money out {
Nne," be growled.
Then life moved along as before O