OLD HILLACRE HOME.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2110, 16 January 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

OLD HILLACRE HOME.

'It's rediklis,' declared Aunt Melzena Mollen. 'Perfectly awdacious,' agreed Uncle Simeon. * t Does the gal expect to live on grass an' yarbs like tho cow-brutes?' grumbled Cousin Gideon. ' She better of took the 500 dollars that Squire Stafford offered her,' said Uncle Simeon, nagely. 'It's more'n tho ole place is wuth, half rocks, an' the rest growe&with mullein stalks an' hoar-houn an' wild ohamomilo.' Au' 500 dollars would of sot her an' Stove Kirablo up real nice,' pursued Aunt Melzena, briskly stirring away at a huge kettle of soft soap. And to tho chorus went on among' the Mollen and Hillacro i*clntion«, far and near, and all because Mollie Hillacre, pelf■willed girl, refused to part with the old hpmestoad and its twenty acres of sterile soil, whih had become hers on the death of Grandpa Hillacro somo months previous to our writing. Among all tho clan there was no one to take Mollies side of the question but old Uncle D.ibney Mcllen who, occupied tho adjoining farm. ' Mollie ain't nobody's fool, I kin tell ye,' he would say, nodding his head wisely, ' An' of she hangs onter tho old homestead she'll make it pay, one way or unuther, or my name aiu't Dabney Mcllcti.' But tho othor relatives only shook their heads forebodingly, and declnred that • a \>ilful woman must have her own way,' and that they washed their hands of her entirely. ' As hhe makes her bed, so she must lay on it,' declared Uncle Simeon, tritely. ' An' if she comes to grief she needn't spect us to help her out.' ' Of course not,' cohood tho rest. But still Mollie por&i&ted in ' taking her own head ' in spite of their predictions and prognostications. Even Steve Kimblo, Mollio's affianced lover, sided against her. He was a distant cousin on the Mcllen side. • What could we ever do here, Mollie ?' ho argued. ' I couldn't mako a livin' on tho old worc-out grdund. 'Taint fit fur nothiu' but black-eyed peas. Why it wouldn't grow a bushel o' wheat to tho ar-re. An' look at the ole sheep pastur'. Ther' ain't skcersely a blade o' glass on it all summer. But if wo had 500 dollars I could sot up a store at the cro-'s-roads, an 1 we'd soon be a gittin' rich.' ' But I love tho old place, Steve,' persisted Mollie. ' I was born here, you know, and ' 'Shucks! what if you was, 1 interrupted Steve impatiently. ' Well, you kin have your ch'ice, Mollie. If you think more o* the old place than you do of me, why you can keep it. But you can't have both, that's all.' ' Steve,' cried Mollie, ' do you mean it ?' 'Yep,' returned Steve, sullenly, 'I do mean it.' 'There's your ring, then,' said Mollie, quietly, 'and good evening.' And she walked proudly up the grassgrown walk to the house, while Steve slung himself angrily away. Here was fresh food for the gossips, for the news of Mollies broken engagement . soon spread abroad, and tongues wagged and heads were shaken more vigorously than ever. But Mollie paid no heed to their faultfinding. 'I must contrive some way to make a living,' she told hprself;' and why not try . keeping boarders ? If the place is worth 500 dollars to Squire Stafford, it's worth that much to me. The old house has rooms enough to quarter a. regiment, and if the furniture is old-fashioned, it's wellpreserved, and I must make it do. I think I can get grandpapa's old housekeeper, Mrs Hull, to stay and help me, as she has not made any engagement yet. And now for ways and means. The place is rocky and worn out, to be sure, but I'll have the old stable torn away — it's ready to tumble down anyway — and take that place for my garden, and a shed will do for the cow. I can raise vegetables enough, with a little outside help, to pay for most of my groceries, and the old orchard and the berry-patch, trimmed up a little, will bring quite a crop of fruit. And having laid her plans, like a skilful general, Mollie went to work with a will. Mrs Hull's services wore soon secured, and the old house put into ' apple-pie ' order. Tho windows were scoured, curtains taken down, washed and ironed, and put up again. Carpets were taken np, cleaned, and put down again. The old-fashioned ponderous furniture was rubbed with turpentine till you could see yourself in the tall bedjosts and chairbacks, and the mirrors and brass fireirons were polished till they shone again. Uncle Pabney Mellcn, with his hired hand, came and pulled down the rickety stable, chopped up the old logs into firewood, and ploughed and harrowed the garden, besides helping Mollie to plant it. And when all was ready a few judicious advertisements brought Mollie the requisite number of boarders. There were Mr and Mrs Sraythr, a very wealthy elderly couple, who were charmed with the big rooms, the oldfashioned, claw-legged tables and chairs, the vino hung porches and verandas and the wholesome country fare. There was Mrs Fenshawe, a gushing widow, who went into raptures over the beautiful view of crested hilltops and shadowy valleys, bounded by tho far, blue tinted horizon. And there was Miss Tuf ton, a good-natured, placid faced maiden lady, who was quietly content with everything about her. Besides those already mentioned Mollio's boarders numbored a sallow-faced young gentleman, who had sought the country in quost of health, and a brisk, wideawake geologist, Professor Tallman, whose chief delight and occupation was' in gathering specimens. The garden throve luxuriantly, and once a week Mollie took her early peas and cucumbers, mountain sweefc-corn and cauliflowers to the neighbouring village of Sweet Briar, where she readily disposed of them, bringing back their value in coffee, tea, sugar, and other necessary commodities* Uncle Dabney's horse and waggon was always at Mollies service on Saturdays to convey herself and ' truck ' to market, which proved quite a convenience to the young householder. The old orchard, too, which had been well trimmed and cared for, showed its gratitude by producing quite a crop of Harvest Sweetings and Northern Spies, affording Mrs Hull ample means for the exercise of her culinary skill in the construction of luxurious 'pan-dowdies,' apple cobblers, and the like, while the milk from ' Buttercup, 1 the little Jersey cow, furnished butter for the table and cream for the tea and for the big bowl of raspberries or blackberries which figured daily at tho evening meal. But while affairs continued to go on swimmingly for Mollie, the croakera found fresh canse for gossip in that very fact. ' They live mighty fine, an' keep a tiptop table,' admitted Aunt Melzeua, who had been ' spending the day ' at the old homestead. 'But I dunno how Mollie works it. I'm feared she goes in debt fur all them nick nax.' But Mollie was too smart a girl to go in debt, and if she did not lay up much, she paid her way as &ho went,

• Miss Mollie,' said the professor, one flay, taking a seat on the porch beside Mollie, who was scraping carrots for dinner, ' what do you think these are ?' Mollie gave a cursory glance at the rough-looking bits held out to her. The professor was always exhibiting 4 specinients' of one kind or another. 'I should say they were rocks,' said Mollie, in true western dialect. •Exactly,' said the professor. 'But what kind of rocks? 1 1 1 don't know,' was the answer. • I don't know one kind of rock from another.' ISo I thought,' returned the professor, gravely. 'If you did you would not be keeping boarders for a living.' Mollie looked up in surprise. • Why ?' sho asked, with some curioO3ity. ' What have rocks to do with my keeping boarders r' •Just this,' was the answer, 'This bit of white rock here I chipped off of a ledge in the old sheep pasture on the hill side. And to the best of my knowledge and belief that ledge is matznesian limestone, a superior kind of building stone, which is in great demand. This other bit is of a different kind of rock, but quite valuable also, and is used for door and window sills. It is worth forty cents a square foot, and there is no doubt but that it exists in abundance on your farm. But if the other proves to bo really magnesian limestone, you could sell out to-morrow for 10,000 dollars, Miss Mollie.' ' Oh, Professor Tallmin ! But how — should I go to work to find out ?" nsked Mollie, claspiug her hands with excitement. ' Leave it to me,' said the professor, kindly, ' I am going to the city to-morrow on business, and I will take thpse bits of reck and exhibit them to the proper parties. Then, Mi"3 Mollii?, you can cither lea>-o or your property to the best advantage.' ' I shall not sell,' declared Mollie, ' if I can help it.' In due time the professor returned. The specimen ho had exhibited proved to be magncsian limestone, and two business mon accompanied him to inspect the led^o of rook. Before th^y left Mollie was offered a trood price for her farm, or 1000 dollars a year and a certain share in the profits of the quarry. She accepted the latter offer, and soon the pound of hammer and drill was heard in the once-despised sheep pasture. The news was a nino days' wonder with the neighbours. 'As rocky aq the Hillacre farm,' hud been a bye-word in that locility for years, and now to think those self-same rocks were to be coined into money before their very eyes ! The astonished relatives flocked to the old homestead to congratulate Mollie oa her good fortune. Steve Kimble was one of tho first to put in appearance. ' You was right in holdin' onterthe old place, Mollio, after all,' he declared, radiantly. ' And — and, of course, you didn't think I meant to break off with you fur g.md and nil, Mollie?" 'Indeed!' answered Mollie, with a smile. 'Of course not ! I only wanted to try you, en' see if you wouldn't give in to my way o1o 1 thinkin." But it's Incky you didn't after what's happened. And — say Mollie, when shall the weddin' be ?' But Mollie drew herself up with a show of spirit, as she retorted coolly — ' I don't know when your wedding will be, Mr Kimble, but mine is to be on the fhsfc of September. I've been engaged to Professor Tallman for two months.' And there was nothing for the much disappointed Steve to do but to take himself off. Before Mollies boarders left in September, there was a merry wedding at the old homestead, to which all her relatives were invited, but the most honoured among the guests was Unole Dabney Mellen, with his genial face all aglow with goodnatured triumph. 1 1 said our Mollie wasn't nobody's fool,' he asserted, proudly. ' An' I reckon she's proved it.' And nobody felt disposed to dispute the assertion.