The Republican journal., 1869-06-03

missed from his customary haunts; but it was
supposed he had gone on the usual ''sprce,"
and 50 nothing was thought OF his absence.
No inquiries were made, for all were glad
that he was missing, and cared not for his re-
| turn
| He had been gone somewhat more than Il
wear, when the Quaker was in the store of
IIoskins, and wished to hire a pasture for the
coming season. IL have one | will let YOU
have free, if YOU will put up the fences on the
place. said Hoskins
"Where is it9" asked the Quaker.
ITS on the Akin farm was the reply.
IF thee will let it at that rate thee must
I. have let it oct sadly out of repair
1T is indeed; | cannot leave the store to
look after it, The house is poor and the
family that lived in ii last We're too shittless
to buy wood so they burnt up all the fences
in fact would rather sell it than rent it,
4 "What will thee take for it p inquired the
Quaker.
:. 1t cost me sixteen hundred dollars"
"Ycs, but thee paid in goods, and charged
thine own price for them.'
ITO be sure l did. Akin could not get
trusted anywhere else, and felt that l was
running a great risk in letting him have
goods; so / charged accordingly, just as any
| body else olld have do..e ymder the circum-
stances.'
but thee has not told me what thee will
take for the place. will give thee eight
hundred dollars for it, if that is an object to
thee.n
Hoskins thought long enough over the mat
ter to conclude that the interest of eight hun
dred dollars was far better for him than a farm,
for the use of which he realized scarcely any
thing, and at last said, 9 You can have it,
Every WE'LL Hoskins: thee can make out
the deeds tomorrow, and thee shall have thy
money. By-the-by, does thee know what has
become Of daniel Akin ?"
''No; he has not been in the village for
more than year; at any rate, have not
seen him."
We may here tell the reader something that
Hoskins did not know The Quaker had that
day received letter from Daniel Akin, stat
ing that he was at the mines, hard al work.
and sticking to his motto, ''Not drop more
Daniel y that he had laid up Il few hundred
dollars, and desired him to inquire what the
place he once owned could be bought for.
Mr.. Edgerton had taken the method above
mentioned to find out the views Of IIoskins
respecting Che place; so confident was he that
Daniel Akin would come home sober man,
with money in his pocket that he had ventrr-
ed to purchase the place, to keep for him till
his return.
had done, and about three months after he
received a letter from him stating that he had
sent by express five hundred dollars in gold
| to a banker in New York, with orders to sell
it, and remit the proceeds to him to 90 toward
the money for the farm.
Gold commanded u high premium and the
five hundred dollars became eight hundred
before they reached the hands of friend Edg-
erton. Akin requested him to draw upa deed
giving the whole property to his wife, Mary.
and to have it duly recorded, and left with
the register of deeds.
In his letter, he said: If, perchance,
should ever break my resolution. | shall have
secured q home for my wife and children. |
prefer, however, that they should not know
anything of this for the present If | live to
come home, will give Mary the deed, with
my own hands; if not, you can do it. Now
that the farm is bought, YOU had better stock
it, for | still stick to my motto Not a drop
more, Daniel,''
ly, AnqthsE year passed away by this time
young cattle and sheep, the fences We're put
in repair, and everything but the house Wore
a tidy appearance. Another remittance came,
which paid for all the stock, aud left an over
plus with which to repair the house. Car
penters were busy. and villagers who hap
pened to pass that way found that extensive
repairs We're going on; still no one presumed
to question the Quaker with respect to his
plans. These repairs completed, furniture
found its way into the house. \ yoke Of OK
en- were seen on the farm. The villagers
We're astonished to see the Quaker driving an
elegant horse, and riding in new buggy.
He received this note one day: Il have ar
rived all safe and sound Please go and get
Mary and the children
Friend Edgerton rode over to the next town
and called on Mary's father, and invited her
and the children to 90 home with him and
make a visit. The invitation was accepted,
and they returned with the Quaker to his
house. On the afternoon of the next day, he
said: "Mary, | want to 90 to the railway
station. Thee and the children can stay with
Amy"
He went down to the station and fetched
Daniel, and left him at his own house, where
he had previously conveyed some provisions
and where he was to pass the night. 1t was
dark when friend Edgerton reached his home.
Next morning friend Edgerton said to Ma
ry; 'Mary, | suppose thee has heard that
have bought thy old place? | have got it
fitted up, and thee and the children shall ride
over after breakfast and see it, think thee
will like it,
They rode over; ana Mary was surprised
4 10 see Ine changes winch Iau taken pace.
They looked over the lower rooms first; and
over the mantle-piece, in the stting-room,
was q frame, and under the glass, in large
gold letters, were these words:
mot A DROP MORE, DANIEL
Mary, on reading these words, said, "Oh,
friend Edgcrton if Daniel could have said
these words, and stuck to them, this beauti-
full place might have still been his
.Then, thee don't know where Daniel is ?"
asked the Quaker.
"No. | have not heard anything Of him
for more than three years
Thee would like to see him would thee
not?n
''Oh, yes indeed | should"
'Let us walk up stairs.
AS they went up the front stairs Daniel
slipped down the back ones, and took his
stand in the front room. When they return
ed Mrs. Akin noticed a stalwart man stand
ing in the room with his back to the door
and started back for an instant. The Qual-
er said: 1T is friend, Mary" Daniel turn
ed round; but in the man with the heavy
beard and moustache Mary did not recognize
her husband. Daniel advanced to the spot
where Mary was standing, and, in q voice
tremulous with emotion, exclaimed: Don't
you know me, Mary?' We leave the reader
to imagine what the meeting was Friend