When old Doctor Ludington was imprisoned as a spy several months during the war, all the family, root and branch, denounced Gran’ther Groves as the man who had caused his arrest. Innocent or guilty, his broad shoulders had borne the opprobrious charge ever since.
One of the worst features of the case, too, was that their farms adjoined each other, and now, in their old age and dotage, they squabbled over the merest trifles, such as transgressions of stock, boundary lines, and even over the possession of some crab apples, the tree growing on Ludington’s side, the fruit falling on Groves’ land.
“Them two old fools!” said Miss Tabitha severely, “actilly quarreled an’ fit, an’ had to be parted from scratching one another’s eyes out, all on account o’ some pesky crab apples nyther one o’ them cared a rap about, an’ wa’n’t no airthly use except to make jelly; and enough then to supply the hull neighborhood, jest ’cause they was sp’ilin’ for another fuss.”
As Eva drew rein at the gate she saw the immense hay wagon drawn by six strong horses lumbering heavily away with its load of youths and maidens, and argus-eyed chaperones, to the music of tinkling bells and merry laughter, and her heart sank as heavily as a stone in her breast.
“Perhaps my mysterious lover may be among them!” she thought tearfully. “If he is, how his heart must be aching because I am left behind! And how cruel and unfeeling of Patty and Lydia to laugh when they saw me coming on Firefly, and knew I must stay at home like poor Cinderella in the fairy tale.”
The twins had indeed laughed aloud as they left her behind, in malicious enjoyment of a cunning plot they had schemed for her humiliation.
Upstairs, while they were putting on their finery, one had said to the other:
“Did you notice that Eva did not eat any supper? Nor a single chocolate, either! You may depend on it, she is fasting to try her fortune to-night!”
“To try her fortune? How?”
“Why, Patty, don’t you remember what Cousin Tab was saying only yesterday? That if a young girl will fast all day on Hallowe’en, and spread a table of dainties by her bed when she retires, her future husband will appear at midnight and sup with her in love and joy!”