Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-06-15
Written for the URBANA UNIoN.
TIE FORTUNES OF
FLORA ST. JOHN,
A TALE OF VICISSITUDES.
BY MRS. ANNA WILLS PRICE.
CHAPTER v.-COntinued
CHAPTER v.-Continued

| in.
With a quiet dignity. She advanced
and laying his hat aside, took both his
rough numbed hands in her own, press
ed a kiss on his forehead.
He blushed like a girl, but bIurted out
why you aint so proud after all.
didn't expecta kiss. How proud mann
will be when she sees you
"Wen never mind that now, said
Flora. You are almost frozen, come to
the fire.
''YOu do draw the starch out Of a fel-
low fast enough cried the boy, as he
warmed his cold hands. La! my heart
was as big as a wheel when I opened
that door. I was awful feared to come
inn
''This," said Flora, is my nanny and
nurse, Katrine. Isuppose my Aunt will
be glad to see her too"
"GIad cried Reel, why cousin, yes
will say cousin you look so friendly,
you don't know the meanin' of the word.
Why mann had the hystrikes, when your
note come she was so glad. guess she's
IN fits now.
"What a lOoney You be Reel'' said
the landIady.
Reel suddenly moved to the window,
looking intently at the sun which was
scarcely discernable through the heavy
sky.
"Whats the matter Reel?" asked the
Iandlady.
'I was just looking at my big watch
thar, it says we must be a moving"
They were soon seated in the wagon,
and Flora wrapped a heavy shawl around
Reels form, andtied a comforter around
his neck.
"WeIl that's clever ~ said the boy
Who's up thar! I aint used to bein'
cuddled up that way, but it feels mighty
good. Now we're off"
A dreary landscape and rough hiIly road
lay before them but Reel soon proved
himself an experienced driver. As they
progressed Flora asked him many ques-
tions the answers to which we will try
to condense, as if deficient in other
accomplishments Reel possessed the
gift of the gab'
"WeH cousin, Pap he's been dead
nigh onto two year. He died Of the
milk sick. Did you never hear tell Of
that. It's a disease in new countries
whar the land amt cleared. It comes
from the milk of course and butter, but
it's a saying in our parts that nobody
ever seed another die of it, and Pap
went out in the wild region ten miles
from Penway, to chop clearing, with a
lot of others and he died out thar, sure
as blixen; when mann went arter him,
nobody could be found that seen him
die.
'Some body must have seen him die,
said Flora. he could not die alone"
az tell it to you jest as mann told it to
me! Believe 1t or not. I missed pap
awful. He was the best cOmrade q boy
ever had, and with all the rough work
he had to do, looked the gentleman to
the last. wish you could a seen him
Jump before he got kinder crippled. LOr,
he made lots of money before he marri-
ed mann, when he was a gymnast. AZ
ter that he never had much luck mann
says it was her sin and his in running
off.
"Aye Aye it was" grunted Katrine.
GLOW many children has my aunt =
Asked Flora.
"Wen pIl begin with the ,oJort,mit
ones, that's me and Meg. Meg, poor
gal is the Oldest and fell outer a cherry
tree when slip of a gal. She's been
dazed ever since. Next coined Madame
Green, Sister Fannie most as pretty as
you cousin. She's a grand lady, marri-
ed a gentleman and lives in Cincinnati.
Before I proceed I'll say that don't
like him! Our Kate is the prettiest gal
in Penway and that's ALL"
As the spires of a considerable village
come in view Reel cried out. You'll
soon see the Pettibones in all their fall
en- glory cousin. When I git an eddi-
cation I mean to write off the history Of
our family. Do yousee that tall steeple!
That's the Presbyterian Church and
when was a squallin youngun' mann
took me there and had me christened
Aurelins st. John, after your pap OF
course but the natives shortened it to
Reel. Cousin you think Pm a rough
| fellow, but thar's heaps in me you can't
see. PH come out a gentleman some
day if I get turn of luck. You see
am mam's main chance now, and work
ing round among hoosiers of the rough
sort, rubs the 'stOcracy Outen a fellow
CHAPTER VI.
They were entering the village in the
dim twilight. Flora was pleased with
the cheerful compactness Of the place
The rumbling wheels sped on and they
had occasional gIimpses into handsome
houses whose CHEEKY fires and mellow
lights gave signs of happy household
Here and there some humber home
with door half opened, revealed well
spread board, with the sunny faces Of
children around it. The lights of the
village were finally passed, and theil
way lay beside lonely fields. Out Oh
what seemed a desolate common, a sin
gle light showed the outline of a few
skeleton trees and near them, a dilapi
dated house. It looked SO gloomy a
theyapproached it that Katrine involun
tarily cried out. "a weel! the place is
d haunted sure! Its a dismal lookout enou!
at is haunted sure enough, said Rec
by rats come we are here at last"
He assisted them out of the wogon. t.
, an haIftorn down porch. At the same
moment n door opened and the fire ligh
within disclosed the figure of an old wo
man with the weird look of a witch.-
. Her voice was shrin and piercing and s