Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-09-24

sy WILLIAM n. HAMsv.

Il &&&&@&
Some OF EN- WIN set bad hurt II ] Dc
ketch en-"
Il had bean hard enough TO guard
Elvina alone. but now that he had
to watch both the melon patch and the
girl he was In q constant sweat ci
anxiety.
The melon patch was hid away In
the corn field three hundred yards
from the house. and 30 far Ebenezers
ingenuity had devised no plan BY
which he could watch the girl and the
melons at the same time.
No sooner was he hid In q bunch
of tall weeds where his shotgun com
manded the patch than he began &c
worry about Elvina. He was sure she
had seemed anxious for him TO gel
away.
He remembered she had looked out
OF the kitchen window two or three
times. and that he saw dust rising
down the road. The more he thought
OF II the surer he was that she was
at that very minute down by the
spring talking to that drafted Har
vey."
Listen! That was their laugh. They
had been laughing over getting ahead
Of him. But just walt.
| Then Ebenezer would 70 trotthng
back TO the house. gathering anger
and heat, and when he found Elvina
singing sweetly as she went about her
sweeping and busting. he said all the
abusive things he had intended to say
had he caught her In the supreme act
OF MISUNDERSTANDING to Harvey
He always closed With the threat:
And II you ever do speak to that
drafted Harvey as long as you live Ill
wallop you within an inch of your life.
| don't keer II you are grown
No sooner was he fairly comfort.
| able on the porch where he could be
sure the premises were free from that
drafted Harvey" than he began 10
worry about his melons. He could
see. in his imagination. three, some
times five young "galloots" slipping In
from the east side.
There was that "whelp Of q Dal.
ton." and the Riley boy. and maybe
Tobe Stevens. They are In the patch
now. traEping on the vines. humping
here and there. plugging the big ones,
and then. plucking q big one apiece.
making on through the timber.
Then he would 60 trotting back 70
the melon patch. with bis shotgun In
his right hand. mopping the sweat
from Ms Horid race and bald head
with the left. vowing he would I'LL
their "dadgasted hides a. full Of holes
| as the top OF a pepper box"
About that time O bright idea struck
him. Blucher. the bulldog. was use
less as guard for Elvina. for he was
her slave. and therefore on friendly
terms with Harvey. But why not the
melon patch? just the thing. Bluch-
er should guard the melon patch. and
he would guard the house.
The old man drove q stake I'm the
center Of the patch and tied Blucher
with a slip knot. To this knot he tied
a long cord. which reached to the edge
of the corn. By pulling the cord he
could release the dog.
The old man experienced a feeling
akin to satisfaction as he sat on the
porch that evening tanning himself
with a palm-leaf fan. and mopping
his bald head with q big blue handker.
chief Blucher's growl could be easily
heard at the house. and the dog would
most certainly growl II anything went
wrong with the melon patch.
That evening Elvina sat by the west
window looking out across the mead
ows beyond the valley. and as the
wind lightly blew the soft curls around
her face her eyes grew large and
wistful. She was thinking of him. The
old man neither knew nor cared what
she thought. She was In the house.
where she belonged. That was suf
ficient.
That George Harvey stopped his
his face grew tender and thoughtful
as he was thinking OF her, the old
man knew not. Neither did he care.
Twice he had ordered Harvey on
the premises. the last time positively
swearing he would shoot him on sight
II he ever set foot on the place again.
Ebenezer had no objection to Har-
vey except that Elv.na seemed too
fond of his company. and he had no
notion of letting Elvina get married
She was entirely too useful on the
farm. and nothing except giving up
money hurt Ebenezer SO much as Civ
Ing cup something that saved him
work
The plan worked as smooth as a
sewing machine in the hands Of an
agent Elvina went about, obedient
and uncomplainingly. Harvey stayed
away like the sensible young man he
was. and avoided the buckshot-
Solita-y and alone the bulldog
re. .nci supreme Ia the melon patch.
Ebcae1er slept with his head by an
open window. anxiously waiting the
warning growL He named over In
his mind the various young men and
boys that were likely TO steal melons.
and hoped fervently that he would live
to see all Of them chewed up.
To- several days he debated xheth-
er. when the time came, he ought 20
call the dog on before It killed the
thief, or whether he should leave him
to his chances. finally deciding on The
later
About one O'Clock Sunday morring
an ominous growl swoke the old man.
he jumped up and. without waiting 70
dress. took 70 the corn on a run.
By the light Of late moon he saw
a man skulking along the edge Of the
patch. humping o melon here and
there.
With q gulp Of fierce anticipation
Ebenezer pulled the string that united
the dog and hissed. sic EN-"
But the brute did not make for the
thief; instead. he turned toward the
old man.
"Sic EN-. Blucher: sic 'em!" fierce
ly commanded Efvina'6 father. step
ping out into the moonlight and point
Ing to the thief.
The dog showed his teeth. gave Q
vicious growl and started for Eben-