Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1910-01-14
Spelling A ROMANCE.
~ N. QUAD.

| farmer had arrived al the d-e OF
thirfy-five. and no one. not even hei
| 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 Ever
when Zed Green. hired man TO her IA.
ther. had fallen In love with her and
asked her to be his'n she had success
fuI1y eoncea led any evidence that il
vas other chan the humdrum program
of existence and had replied that she
Guessed she would have him. and that
settled the matter for awhile. Zee
didn't want TO marry for a year OF
two and Hattie was content At least
no one suspected her Of discomfort
and vet romance was fairly bubbling
In her soul She wanted to be abduct
ed. she wanted % elope: she wanted
TO be lost In tb. 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 be was ready to marry. Then an
idea came to her like a 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 OF
something Of that kind r he asked.
NO. | 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 wantY'
II want to run away to get mar.
RED
"Shoo. | 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."
I'm willing TO do all | can. Hattie
Seems kinder foolish to me. but If you
look at 1t ,tother way it's all right
Its to be what they call an elopement
eh?"
YES"
All right never eioped. but !
guess We can manage it somehow
This is Thursday Shall we bring il
off next Tuesday night?
The date suited the young woman.
rather queerly They were absent
minded and preoeeupied aud had SO
little " say 70 each other that before
the dav was over Mrs. Cowper said to
her husband
Henry. I'm afraid Hattie Is coming
down with some sickness or other. OF
else she's got some awful thing en- her
mind have never seen her So quiet.
| Once she put her arms around me and
asked me to forgive her. and when l
asked for what she ran away. What
dye 'spose ails herr
cant tell but Zeke has also been
scting 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. I will defy you
to the end When asked him what
he meant by such burned nonsense he
actually ehanked his teeth"
It was that romance was bubbling.
and by the following Tuesday Zed had
! made himself believe that q stern fla.
! Their had stepped between him and the
object Of his love and would brutally
blast his future and Hattie composed
q note to be left behind for her moth.
er asking forgiveness and saying that
II almost broke her heart to do the
thing contemplated.
The farmers bedtime was Q O'clock
BY 10 he and his good wife were snor-
ing Even the cat slept Not 80 with
Hattie and Zed. however. The young
woman sat in her room. dressed for
the elopement and feeling thrills OF 70
nance. and Zed had made q sneak foi
the barn to hitch up Q horse and
wagon.
At II o'clock the rig was driven to
the front gate and Zed jumped down
and hid beside the rosebush. Three
minutes later Hattie was with him
There We're whispers and hand
squeezes and the elopement had start
ed 1t had progressed just forty rods
when there came fash OF lightning.
At fifty rods the thunder beloved.
At hundred the rain began to fall.
Zed had been crafty. but he hadn't mo-
ticed the gathering storm Romance
and q soaking shower do not go well
together hut 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 te
reach its shelter. The Old horse fell
down three times and had to b. helped
up again each time before tie shed
was reached. but they drove u1der il
at last Just as they Gid 50 lash OF
lightning showed an old bull a TIE
rear end He lad also got Il ous c.
the wet, and. being the frss Gomez. be
naturally resented any intrusion. .-e
got up and began 70 paw ss.-ei = x a-ad
below, and when the brave ioEe. lot
down 10 shao him forth b els
the wagon and broke che Thse. II
ard scattered the horse aro.aG. )
brought abcGt Il pretty pain conYersa-
ton between Hattie ard ze6.
"Zed Green. IcI gcins home" trally
declared TIL girl. You are re biggest
. fool on earth and nothing con.o IN
, duce me 10 marry you
And the romance seeking girl IS she
, stepped forth into the still pouring
. rain TO s.osh her way ho;newsrd
through the puddles couldn't help bar
hear the retort:
Il know Of another fool just as big.
and I'm glad I've found her oct"'
, There was no marriage till six
months later and then Zed and Hattie