DEC 2 
a 
824 
tion it might be made known, and so avert 
the dreaded marriage, which the friends of 
Patience Bartlett considered as a catastrophe 
to be avoided if possible. And bo Jabez wrote 
his brother giving an account of the situation 
and leaving him to use his discretion as to the 
best course to pursue under such circum¬ 
stances as might have happened. 
About the Rime time the condition of Bar¬ 
ley Merritt was reported by Mr. Bates and 
Dr. Noble, who were interested in the furnace 
and mines at Ironbnrg, to their partners 
there, and it was desired to secure his services 
at once in his old situation, which Sa u Pratt 
had not filled satisfactorily. Pratt was noti 
fled that he could vacate it at once, so that 
his predecessor might be reinstated. This fell 
like a thunderclap upon Pratt, and he wrote 
at once to Jonas relating the unexpected 
occurrences of Barley’s recovery and his own 
discharge from Barley’s old situation. At the 
same time a messenger was sent, to the camp 
at Wild Goose Lake to ask Barley to return 
to bis former piace. This made a crisis in 
Josiah Jonkins’ camp, and rendered it neces¬ 
sary that the explanation—deferred for a 
time—of Barley's situation should be no 
longer put off. No man could be more aston¬ 
ished than Barley Merritt at this disclosure, 
which he refused to believe until he had re¬ 
turned to his old quarters, where he was 
received as one returned from the grave. 
In a few days the letter of Jabez reached its 
destination, on the very same day upon which 
Sam Pratt’s letter reached his brother Jonas. 
carried the letter out to Josiah 
“ To morrow afternoon, Bartletr, wju ao; 
it may as well be done, and over with. ” 
« Let it be so, then,” coolv replied Bartlett. 
“ I’ll tell Patience, and I’ll bring her over to 
your place at four o’clock. You hev the par¬ 
son there.” 
And so the dread impending fste was an¬ 
nounced to Patience Bartlett, who merely 
said: “Oh ! father, must it be 1” 
“ Now, Patience, don’t yon be a fool, and 
you stop this foolery. What's 
the matter with you ? Won’t 
you hev a good home, and can’t 
vou twist Jonas round your 
little finger, ef you had the 
spunk of a rabbit ? You be 
jSSSjl ready at four o’clock to-mor- 
yM row; that’s all!” “There’s 
nothing to get ready, father.” 
HUPg j “ Just ns you please ?” 
And the girls placid features 
changed to a marble hardness. 
Her pale lips ware drawn till 
every gleam of color left them, 
0 | Her nostrils became rigid and 
"J ff/i every muscle of the face was 
' fixed as stone. Her hands 
||, were clenched and her arms 
i mP were drawn back, and as her 
father left the room, she 
whispered, hoarsely, “they 
fit: j- may marry me to that man; 
puy but I will never be his wife— 
3 5 never, never, never. They 
may make me a bondswoman; 
I’ . -1 a slave; but his wife; oh, no ! 
• never, never!” It was the 
r»'*-VT3?S- hour of the sacrifice. Patience 
had made no preparations. 
She wore her usual afternoon 
•4Summer-dress, a white muslin, 
aa d busied herself about her 
household duties all the day, 
until now her usual hour of 
leisure had come. She passed 
the time in her mother’s room, 
Barley at once 
Jonkins who opened it and gave it to Barley 
to read. Barley gasped for breath; a sudden 
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of cattle. 
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DtCVintJ. 
THE STORY OF STORY BROOK FARM. 
HENRY STEWART. 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
(Continued from page 804 ) 
All this time Jabez Jonkins was upon 
thorns. He had many consultations with 
Emily and her mother, but'no news had been 
received of the results of Dr. Noble’soperatiou. 
It was commonly reported that Jonas Pratt 
was to marry Patience Bartlett very soon, 
but no ono could say precisely when very soon 
would be. Emily Bates dared not mention 
what she was eager to impart to Patience, for 
fear of awakening hopes which might only be 
raised to be dashed to the ground, with the 
result of adding to the misery of the suffering 
girl. When, by some of those cross purposes 
which so often seem to spoil the best laid 
plans, the climax so dreaded by the poor girl 
and her friends, was precipitated with disas¬ 
trous consequences. 
It was thought best that Jabez should write 
to his brother ami tell him of the report of the 
impending marriage, before it might be too 
late, so that if success had attended the opera- 
shaip pain darted through his head and he 
staggered to a seat, “I must go home” said 
he “ at once, I may be yet in time.” 
“Yes, go; you will be in time; four days will 
bring you home. Here is your wallet which 
I picked up when you and I were at that tree, 
but you would not take it; you remembered 
then nothing about it. It is as I picked it up 
and I should have given it to you when I 
dared to tell the story to you. I was afraid 
it would be too much for you.” 
“ You have been very kiad. I owe my 
life to yon. You have had your own troubles, 
but mine you see are worse than yours, for the 
poor girl will be lost as well as I; while you 
suffered alone. How can I ever repay you ?” 
I shall be well paid if you can get there in 
time to stop this villany my boy; so be off 
bright and early in the morning.” 
“No, I will go to night, and lose not a mo¬ 
ment, until I am aboard the steamer. An 
hours delay might spoil it all.” 
“ Go on, I will see you through all right.” 
And the men set out with lanterns and the 
dogs, who woul 1 follow the trail without mis¬ 
take, and although the sun was low in the 
west and night was approaching. Before 
morning they reached the village in time for 
the first train down to the larding at the lake 
shore. Barley went on alone and Josiah 
sought Dr. Noble and explained the condition 
of things to him. 
“All right Mr. Jonkins,” said he. “And 
now wo want your help for a few days in the 
woods. When do you return ?” “ At once. 
I will wait for you.” “We will go with you 
in an hour.” 
The old man was forced to flee from the 
village to avoid the crowds which flocked to 
hear the story from his lips. Men threw down 
their tools and left their work; women left 
their pots and pans, snatched up their babies 
him. A sailing vessel appeared in sight, and 
with a favorable wind, approached rapidly, 
seeming to be making directly for the pro¬ 
peller When within hail, she answered the 
signals of the steamer by changiug her course, 
but very unsteadily, as though badly bandied. 
When close to the steamer she suddenly veered | 
as though to cross the latter’s path. The 
steamer’s bell rang to reverse the eugines 
while she was steered to avoid the ship. But 
it was too late. The mutual blunder could 
not be remedied, and the steamer was struck 
amidships, the ship’s bow crashing through 
her side and tearing a great hole through it. 
The ship rebounded and her masts fell with a 
crash over the steamer’s deck. Barley, alert, 
sprang to reach the receding vessel and grasp¬ 
ed a rope which trailed over her bow. The 
heavy laden propeller gave a sudden pitch 
forward; berstern leaped into the sir andsle 
disappeared in a hug© swirl of water, as a fish 
which has leaped for its prey. With the 
steamer all went down. The ship laid by 
and lowered boats while the wreck was being 
cleared away, but not a soul of the propeller s 
crew came to the surface. The waves rolled 
on as before: the ship rose and fell upon 
the swell as she helplessly lay with her beam 
to it; but never a sight of the doomed propel¬ 
ler and her crew was ever seen again. 
“ What propeller was th it !” asked the cap¬ 
tain, as Barley was drawn from the water and 
stood upon the wre kid deck. 
“The Mystic, from Lake Superior, bound 
for Chicago,” replie l .be hapless man. 
“ God help the crew,” exclaimed the captain. 
What did they reverse the engines fori I 
would have passed under their stem, if they 
had gone on. I was rick in bed and only came 
on deck when it was too late. You are a lucky- 
fellow, my man.” 
“ Ah, if I had only gone down with the ship 
pacing the floor, with clenched hands and 
heaving bosom. She heard her father’s voice 
calling her. “ Now, Patience, I am ready.” 
“ Let us go, then. It will soon be all over. 
I want no bat; my shawl will be enough.” 
But she never moved from her rigid posi¬ 
tion. Not a word was exchanged between 
the pair. 
At Pratt’s door she dismounted, waved away 
with a sudden gesture both Pratt and her fa¬ 
ther, and entered the open door, where Pratt’s 
mother stood smiling, bedecked with gaudy 
rihbons. She seized the old lady by the arm 
and held her tightly in her grasp and with her 
entered the room, where the parson and Miss 
Sally Pratt sat chattering together. They 
rose and looked at each other, as Patience en¬ 
tered the room, erect, defiant, still pale and 
rigid, and with tightly set lips. They both 
evidently realized that there was to be a sac¬ 
rifice, but said not a word; until the minister 
hastening to terminate a scene which he 
would gladly avoid, said; “Are you all ready?” 
“Ready and waiting,” replied Defiance 
Bartlett. “Here, Jonas!" and he caught Jonas 
by the arm and pushed him np to the side of 
Patience while he stood on the other side. 
“ Be as short as you can,” whispered Bart¬ 
lett to the minister. 
The ceremony proceeded. When the usual 
question was propounded to Patience her lips 
moved in response, but not a tone was heard. 
The minister looked at her and waited. She 
never lifted her eyes; no word of dissent came 
from her. Still the minister waited, until at 
a frown and a nod from Defiance he pro¬ 
nounced the usual form, a hurried benedic¬ 
tion, and hastened away from the place as 
though he had done some evil work. 
Patience took the arm of the old lady. 
“ Come, mother.” she said; “ let ns go;” and 
without taking the least notice of the persons 
