Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-09-02
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
WANTED, MAN !:
And He Was There When He
Was Most Needed.
BY MARTHA M'c.-wILLIAMs.

Orestes Magin stood twirling his red
mustache, his eyes downcast. his heart
beating like a trip hammer. Well
might it beat fasti 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 fiendish. Orestes, of course,
did not know that.
There was reason for the mood,
slight, to be sure. but any reason was
/ of the old gentleman's RACES. He was
nearly as proud of his melon patch as
of his daughter and felt IL personal
insult IL 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
oil because he had laughed at Dawson
and his gardener when they had talked
to him about a certain extra early
kind.
Now, 1t would be quite ten days be-
fore he could return the sending.
"Want my girl. Ell? Isn't there
something else? Don't he mealy
mouthed Ask for my eyeteeth or the
farm and all the money I've got In
bankr' he roared Mt poor Orestes, 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 bit that she'll
have more money than any other girl
around. I've heard that from better
men than you are. tell you. as I've
told them, she's not for any such cat
tie. 1 want her myself yet awhile.
When 1 give her up It's going TO be to
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-
lieve. Well wait year to LETT you
come to a better temper. But I'm go
ing to see her across your gate every
little while. 1 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.
Sunless you will have it / shall go
with Restes right straight off, she
said. with 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
Orestes, saying: I'm be at the gate
tonight. Well 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
! semblance of reason. When she
saw his head droop thoughtfuIly and
} his cane make faint plunges into the
J 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"
Hes a mollycoddle, brought up at
his granny's apron strings" the squire
interrupted.
''Then l 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 Orestes.
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. Obstinacy of man and
beast brought that about. Blicky, the
buggy mare, took occasion to balk just
mt the top of the lane hill, 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 a month at least fat
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
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-its right there at hand
and Sally will come in. You'd better
ring it every little while, else she'll go
to sleep. l 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. 80! This is your
notion of duty" he said thickly. VERY
we'll Go your gait! I'm old and help
less but there are a few things can
do"
Eyes. you can ring for Sally and
scare her out of her wits" Edith said