The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-10
!"I'E'''IsT-s"l
WANTED,A man
And He Was There When He
Was Most Needed.
BY MARTHA NC. WILLIAMS.

beating like trip hammer, Well
might it beat fast! He had just asked
Squire Malcom for his daughter. The
squire was a choleric person at the
best of times. but this morning his
humor was tiendish. orestes, of course,
did not know that.
There was reason for the mood,
slight, to be sure, but any reason was
sufficient when the time came for one
Of the old gentleman's RACES. He was
nearly as proud Of his melon patch as
Of his daughter and felt it personal
insult If anybody else presumed to
have melons earlier. Yet here were
those miserable Dawsons, outlanders,
city bred at that, sending him melon
fully ripe with their compliments and
all because he had laughed at Dawson
and his gardener when they had talked
to him about certain extra early
kind.
Now, It would be quite ten days be-
fore he could return the sending.
want my girl, Ell? Isn't there
/ something else? Don't be mealy
mouthed. Ask for my eyeteeth or the
farm and all the money I've got in
bankl" he roared at poor 0restes, who
stood nervously shifting his feet. by
George, SIR, I'm amazed at your mod
Grafton! OF course I've raised Edith
Just a-purpose to see her throw herself
away. Don't interrupt me, sir!
know all you're going TO say-you love
her and don't care a bit that she'll
have more money than any other girl
around. I've heard that from better
men than you are. l tell you, as I've
told them. she's not for any such cat
tie. | want her myself yet awhile.
When / give her up it's going to be to
a man. Be Off with you now, sir, and
don't let me see you here again-not
unless you're willing to swear there
shall be no more of this nonsense"
'I'm going" orestes said hoarsely,
turning half about. But what you
call this nonsense is going TO last
with me and with Edith, too, / be-
lieye, Wen wait a year to let you
come to a better temper. But I'm GO
ing to see her across your gate every
little while. / won't ever set foot on
your land again, though, unless you
ask It."
do you think I'll have such scan
dalous behavior" the squire shouted
A hand fell over his lips. Edith had
crept up behind him.
Unless you win have It shall 90
with Restes right straight off," she
said. with a set of the mouth and a
lowering of the brow that made of her
her fathers daughter. In suffocating
anger that forbade speech the squire
waved the pair away. Edith would
not go. She held out her hand to
0restes, saying: "Tll be at the gate
tonight. Wen settle things there.
Then as the young fellow strobe of
she fetched cool water TO battle the
squire's head, famed him and made
him sit under the grapevines, saying
no word to him until he had come to
a semblance Of reason. When she
saw his head droop thoughtfully and
his cane make faint plunges into the
turf she whispered: Don't fret your
self sick, father. You know you can't
really say anything against Restes,
He's as good as he's ugly"
"He's a mollycoddle. brought up at
his granny's apron strings the squire
interrupted
"Then / like mollycoddles. and I've
been brought up to know men," she
said, running away to see about din
ner. The squire looked after her with
a scowl that softened at last to sigh
He thought the world of her Love
was indeed at the bottom Of his scorn
for poor 0restes.
Fate had hard lines ahead Of the
squire. Edith went duly to the gate
every Wednesday evening at shutdown
and spent an hour there in earnest talk
with her sweetheart Even the squire
could not bring himself to ignore Ores
ties completely when they met, but he
never went beyond the gruff nod all
the three Sundays before he was laid
by the heels. 0bstinacy Of man and
beast brought that about. Blicky, the
buggy mare, took occasion to balk just
at the top of the lane bill. and, instead
of humoring her by walking up what
remained of the rise. her master sat
tight and tried to make her pull him.
The result was much backing. kicking
and at last an upset vehicle and bro
ken leg for the squire with the pros
pect of spending month at least fiat
on his back,
He roared and ragged If by any
chance Edith was out of his sight
For two weeks she did not see Orestes,
but when the third Wednesday came
she put on her bonnet with the air Of
a person not to be gainsaid. At the
door of the squire's room she paused |
to say: "If you want anything, father.
ring your bell--it's right there at hand |
anu odily VIII COME III. lou u UelIer /
ring it every little while. else she'll go |
to sleep, hate going, but there is no
other way-not unless you
She stopped tentatively, her eyes
wistful. The squire glared at her, his
eyes full OF fury $50! This is your
notion of duty" he said thiekly. Every
well Go your gait! I'm old and help
less, but there are few things can
do