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he says he does not know anything about it and is not going. We are going to hire this summer, not rent our land as Father thinks he can do better to hire. Mother seems low spirited. I think because we do not get along better, she worries half the time. we owe for her doctor bill, and that debt of George's to Sister C we have got to pay. we have paid in fact fifty dollars of it, and I expect will have to pay the rest and it worries her very much. you knew when you were here that Alfred and Areli had played "quits" did you not? but did not know the reason. I will tell you if you will not tell her. she never has told one of us one word about it, and the way we found it out, Sister C asked Mr. Marshall about it and he told the whole. There was a girl went to school to Mr. [Averill?] last winter named Rebecca Palmer, she boarded at Mr. M's, and took a fancy for Alfred, or rather she knew there was something between Areli and Alfred, and she took it into her head to break it up, and she tried every possible way to attract Alfred's attention (and that she could well do) till Alfred got so that he was not easy one minute out of her sight, and finally they were engaged to be married, the day was set if you believe! Well there were some dozen folks, with the band, were going to Cincinnati on a pleasure trip, I believe they (the band) went without paying and each one took a lady. well, Alfred could not go. [Bitha?] went with Will, and I believe Captain Cox took his Miss Palmer, so Alfred told [Bitha?] to watch Miss Palmer, and she did. And Captain Cox was very attentive to her, and finally asked her if she was engaged, to which she replied that she was not. So they were engaged and [Bitha?] went home and told Alfred and then "terrible times". Beck would not go to school.