The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-11-01


came; DR.. Blair made a professional
examination Of the case, and the
stranger was carefully placed in a
wagon and sent to a hotel in town,
to be treated for congestive fever.
Of course, there was much talk, at
the somewhat delayed lunch, about
The stranger, and conjectures as to
his history; and Miss HALEY listen
ed with well-asumed indifference to
the comments of the masculine half
OF the party, most of whom assumed
that there must be something wrong
about the antecedents of a man
found lying under maazanita- bush,
two miles or more from town-''gam-
bier, 'highwayman," fugitive from
justice" "dead-broke," and similar
opprobrious epithets being smiling
ly brought forward to account for
the circumstance.
Notwithstanding the cool-looking
blue muslin and white straW-hat,
Miss Haley found herself growing
very warm and uncomfortable dur
ing this conversation. She felt it to
be sort Of imputation upon her
self, that she had rescued from per-
il, perhaps from death, a person of
so little worth; inasmuch, too, as she
felt herself guilty of having adopted
this unworthy creature into her
most pitying regard, not to say af-
feetion, with so little question. Of
all the surmises uttered by these IN
sympathizing people, the one of
'dead broke" was the only one she
could tolerate; and she thanked,
from the bottom of her heart, blunt
old Mr.. Hodgkiss, when he spoke
up, at last, after listening to all the
gossip going on about the adventure
of the day:
"Young man-tall-light com-
plected-long, ight-brown beard
handsome features-good clothes
waal, yes, that's the young feIler that
yesterday, wanting a situation.
Said he was out Of money, and
would take most anything to do
that he could g1t. Told him 1 was
sorry; but 1 hadn't anything for him
to take hold On-not jest yit. Hop
ed he'd find somethin'; call around
agin. I never thought nothin' more
about the feller, cause, you know,
we have so many calls O. this kind
one every day Of the week. Might
have let him done somethin', if I'd
known his case W9s so pressin'; but
We can't discriminate"
This, then, was the explanation.
He was not criminal, nor q Vaga-
bond; only unfortunate, and i'll.
She hated those men for being so
suspicious. She would get old Mr..
Hodgkiss to be kind to him. And,
the burden off her mind, Miss Hal
ley danced and swung, laughed and
sung, as gay as the gayest, all the
bright May afternoon; albeit there
was smothered sense of anxiety IN
derlying her gayety, which was az
new to her as it was secretly oppres-
siVe. She could not say the day haC
not been pleasant one; yet never
had a pleasant day in the woods
left her feeling so weary and defect
ed as this one had done. Never haC
she so nearly owned that she wa
nervous"
Gopherton was rather glad Of th,
strangers illness, because it furnish
ed topic of talk. And Gopherton
feeling that it had no right to pur
chase its sensations" at so serious
cost to a felloW-creature, was dispos
ed to make accounts even by be
stOWlng many kind attentions upol
the sufferer. Accordingly it fell on
that, when Mr.. Waiter Mason hat
convaleseed sufficiently to realizl
his position he found himself SUI
rounded with every comfort posi-
bic, and by a large circle OF self-con
stituted friends and nurses, all ca
ger to promote, not only his recoV
cry, but his future prosperity. L
this light, therefore, his illness nigh
be considered a stroke of fortun
and a piece Of diplomacy equally.
Among the eatables and drinka
bles, the flowers and books, furnish
ed for the invalid's nutrition, delec
tation, and amusement, perhsp
those contributed by Miss Marion
HALEY were most seldom; but a
they were also the most choice, anC
as the story of his rescue by tina
young lady had been often jestingll
repeated to him, it was but natura
that Mr.. Mason should strongly de
sire to make her acquaintance at a
early a day as he felt himself present
able.
Miss Haley was cutting a nOsegal
of the rarest flowers in her garden
one lovely June morning, when tn
light wagon Of old Mr.. Hodgekis'
stopped at the gate, and his heart,
voice was heard calling out to her
"Come and look at your boy, Mis-
Marion, and see what you think Q
him now. Don't look as he di
when you found him under a naa1sa
anita bush; does he? Miss HALEY
Mr.. Mason, Miss Haley" And 5
they were acquainted.
| Now Marion had never quite los
her sense of ownership; but she haC
of late, striven Womanfully againi
it, because she saw the romantic 70
| ly of caring for that man just bt
cause it has CHANGED that you hav
done him a service; and althoug
she would not be left out from tn
number of his friends, she had nc
allowed herself to his notice, as sh
might so easily have done. There
fore, when Mr.. Hodgekiss reminde'
her, never so innocently, of the frs
feeling she had had about him, tn
color rose strong in her cheeks, an
| her eyes avoided those Of "her boy,
in way that made her indignaI
with herself, and rather formal wit
: him.
"Mr. Mason and 1 have just bee
round to see your father; and he ha
promised to take him in the bank,
said Mr.. Hodgekiss, after the intro
: ducti IN, in tone and with manne
as if he were comforting a favor upo
Marion by giving her such news
but he only looked surprised, Will
Mr.. Mason answered smiling:
ssNIr Hndrekiss has nlannd m