Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-08-20

ing her forward, and now be careful
and return before dark"
g 1 will take care of her, madam,
replied the boy, looking admiringly a
the wealth of amber curls which were
only half concealed by the sun-bonnet ;
q come Lima, we are going to be very
good friends mayn't L carry your bas-
kct for you"
Isabel Hammonds' eyes flashed, as
she noticed the attentions paid by hcl
handsome cousin to the = little pauper;
and the other girls were bursting with
envy.
But Ernest was independent, and So
unhecding wry looks he walked ON by
Lina's side, striving, with but little sue
cess, to draw her into conversation
By -and-by they came to brook, Ern-
est gallantly assisted all the girls over
leaving Lima till the last.
"You are so light, L can lift you
over, if you will only let me- he said
half timidly, for him ; and Lima, blush
ing and hcsitating, allowed herself to be
taken in the boys arms, and lifted tc
the other side of the stream. There
were a great many fences to climb, too
and Ernest always helped Lima over
these very carefully and when thcy
arrived at the Hill, most of the berries
he picked found their way to Lima s
| basket
That was pleasant afternoon to
little Lima, and she remembered it for
many day afterward And long after
Ernest Warrington had gone back to
the university, he thought, sometimes,
of the soft hazel eye WHICH hc once saw
hidden under blue gingham sun-bon-
net.
Tn ERE was n cold haze over the sky.
\ November twilight, gray and dismal.
was coming on. The passengers on
board the great steamer Girardin were
looking westward with anxious eyes, in
search of the horizon, which had been
deserted by the lockout, rs making The
situation Of land - the land they so
wished to see.
a raw night coming on, captain
about what time will we get in port p,
inquired tall, elegant looking man,
some twenty y-four or five years OF age,
pausing in his wall, before the weather
beaten old skipper
About midnight-nothing unusual
accurrjng, sir returned chat worthy,
consulting his watch.
''iIa what is that p cxclaim9l tho
gentlomln who had been loo<ing out to
windward, . Il boat, as | live ! and Il
single wDmnu in it! Heavens! who
can be aboard at this timo?'
" Shouldn't wonder if it was the fish
ernlln's daughter, OF Stranlmoor, going
out to the fishing to meet her adopted
that-mayhe you'1 heard of it :!
. No, no!' the young man replied,
impationhy, Il have not set foot on
American soil for four years =
Well, it's a little bit Of romance,
and having steamed into Portsmouth
on an average, three times 4 year for
the past nine years, I've heard the Cos
sip. Eight years ago widow lady and
her little daughter came to Stran1moor,
for the health Of the lady, and took vi
their lodgings in the house CT Ben
Ward, Il fisherman. The wrrc poor,
very poor, people said, and il ii hadn't
been for the Kindness Of B.n, the lady
would have died (!or the sea air Father
hurried her oml in destitution. Vol,
after she died, Ben a.loPtcl littlo Caro-
line, the child, and she's lived with him
ever since. Ben is strange fellow, and
out ofl:is hard earned money, he had Car
olina EDUCATED at a young lady sschool, il
Portsmouth. We'll, you sec, the girl
naturally feels grateful for his kind
ness, and every little while, so people
say around here, she goes out to meet
him in her boat, for Bcn's learned hen
so she manages it with the skill of al
! old seaman, to meet him and sail homo
in his schooner. Ben is rich now, thai
is, rich for one Of his calling, and Caro-
line is princess at Strandmoor."
And this CaroIine-is she hand
some p asked the gentleman, feeling
interested in the captain brief story.
The old mariners face lighted up
:: Handsome? ! am an old man, sir
but all the youth hasn gone out OF mt
yet, and 1 would as soon dream Of call
ing a rainbow, or the skies Of an Octo
Der sunset handsome, as Caroline Ward
Why, my friend, there is not so mngni
fccat woman in the whole shire.
The captain turned away as he
finished speaking, and Ernest Warning
ton Gor the inquisitive gentleman wa
our boy acquaintance leaned over The
railing, and fell into a fit of musing.
The following morning, Ernest awok'
in Portsmouth. OF course he receive,
a hearty welcome from his mother an,
: his numerous friends, for he had beol
absent four years, during which tim
he had travelled over the principal part
of Europe \ week after his arrival 4
home, with his mother he went on
visit to The Oaks. Isabel was now
beautiful young lady of nineteen; tn
admiration of the JcuUr for miles around
and the bitter envy OF bellies.
She was delighted to see ''Cousi
Ernest" and they took all the old walks
: over desolate autumn hills and drear
moors, together.
Once they went past the little dwell
ing which had been Mrs. Grey's. Th
l noisy family of railway laborer in
! habited it now, and the great inde
! trees had been laid low.
( {" By the way" said Ernest, pausin
. to look at the changed aspect of tn