Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1911-08-23
A Corn
field Talk

spot. His education and intelligence
may be equal to, IL not above, hers
He can make every night a sparkling
night.
Things were going tremendously
with Farmer Belden's household Abe
Saunders, his hired man. was a hust.
Ter and his daughter, Jennie, wasn't
threatening to run away and go on
the stage. She and Abe hadn't exact.
ly fallen in love. but they were spark
Ing. That is, they were sitting up
to pare and quarter apples and get
them ready for drying after the old
folks had gone to bed. II they didn't
pare apples then they popped corn
and cracked hickory nuts. In about
month more Abe would have made
a declaration of his love, but an aunt
In distant town wanted Jennie to
come and live with her and go to
school and she went away. Abe. how.
ever, looked upon the matrimonial af
fair as favorably settled. He could
wait her return
A year and half later Miss Jennie
returned. Abe drove over to the vii
lage and the depot to meet her. He
advanced to throw his arms around
her, but she retreated. He looked for
kiss, but got none. When he stood
back and gazed at her he saw a great
change. She was no longer the same
girl. She called him Abe, but in a
distant way
On the way home, when he tried to
call up the sparkling days, she warned
him not to be silly. She took very
little interest in the pigs and hens
and when he Dragged of digging three
acres or potatoes in a day she didn't
Seem to think it amounted to much.
Oh, yes, there was a change and it
was bad one for Abe. There was
no more sparkling; no more talk of
matrimony. There were times when
she addressed him as Mr.. Saunders.
Abe was no fool. He realized that a
gulf had opened and set himself to
solve the problem. He got the wrong
end OF it, just as other small men
have. He came to the conclusion that
there was a fellow in the case-one
OF those town fellows-and something
soon happened to corroborate his
idea
A cousin arrived. He was a fellow.
lie wore good clothes and was edu.
Gated He could talk we'll and sing
we'll
Abe was leaning on his hoe in the
cornf1eld when he solved the problem.
He had shown that young man that
he had no use for him, but now he
would go further. He would cripple
him for life-poison him--slay him
with club-strangle him, The man
who had stolen his sweetheart should
die. Abe might be hung for it, but he
would die happy. He had just come
TO this conclusion, and the knee-high
cornstalks were looking red to him,
when the youpg man in the case ap-
peared before him. He had wandered
out to the field to pass time
Abe sprang forward with a curse
and the Toe uplifted to strike but was
promptly knocked down. AS he sat
up and looked around in dazed way
he was asked:
Now then. have you gone crazy q?
Look up here and tell me what's the
matter"
you know. you villain!" muttered
Abe.
Il know that you have been down on
me for something since l came, but
can't guess what"
You lie! You have stolen Jennie
from mel"
"Oh, that's it. Glad to know what
1t Is You think we are in love, do
your"
Sure you are"
Abe, you are an ass. like Cousin
Jennie. but that is all We have new.
er talked love and never shall. don't
stand In your way in the least and I
don't know Of anybody that does"
Then the young man sat down be
side the angry and grieving lover. and
In sympathetic voice told him that
the inevitable had happened, as It had
happened hundreds and thousands of
times before. Miss Jennie had gone
away and risen above him. She was
no longer In his sphere. He was lust
as good man as before, but she had
improved. She was now Of the outside
world In speech and manners. and his
speech and manners grated on her.
She could never again look upon him
as In other days.
What's the matter with my talk p
asked Abe
We'll. the other night I heard you
say you had went to the barn"
And don't my hoeing three acres
OF 'taters in a day make up for lack of
education?"
Hardly, Abe"
Well, I'm sorry went for you as
/ did III sit on the fence and do some
thinking. This thing has got to be
settled some way"
He did SIT on the fence and wrestls
with the new problem, and as soon az
supper was over and the chores done