Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-07-09

dust of the city and gave ourselves I'D SC
thoroughly to the pleasant anticipations
OF soon being home, that we scarcely
heard the stations called.
I'VE must be near Dexter" said Ara
bella at last, rousing from a state of semi
Inconsistencies, and picking up her hand
bag.
BEG pardon, ma'am," said a voice be
hind us, ''but we have just left Dexter"
cit can't be possibe!" cried I, rushing
frantically to the rear of the car and men
tally wondering why in the world we had
not taken the opposite side where we
might have seen the name, even if we had
failed to hear it called; but regrets were
unavailing, for surely enough there was
Dexter receding in the dim distance like
a dream of the past.
why, we shan't get home tonight!
| We must stop the train! We must do
something's I calculated, turning to Ara
bella, who, after properly thanking our
| informant, had followed me at her usual
dignified pace; but her undisturbed air
exasperated me- and without waiting for
an answer, | hurried to the other end of
the car in search of the conductor.
There's no help for it, MISS" said that
polite official. "Ill put you off at the
next station that's only three miles on,
and you can easily find some one to bring
you back"
Small consolation it was, but as the last
| uptown train had already passed us, there
was no alternative; and presently we were
standing forlorH ard desolate on the plat
form of the Bedford station, three miles
from home, and the Shades of night"
| gathering about us with unwelcome ra-
pidity. Two unkempt boys, with their
hands in their pockets, stood staring stu
! pldly at us. "Dun know, num-" said one
| ofthem in answer to our anxious inquiries,
sthere amt nobody round here as keeps
| llosses, 'cept farmer HILL" and having
pointed out farmer Hills house, they
| staggered away and left us to our own
devices. A tiresome tramp across
| plOwed field brought us at last to the
farmers door, and here it was that we
were told to walk in and make ourselves
ito hum" till "Ralph" could come to our
rescue. Five minutes later the old man
reappeared, tanning himself vigorously
with his broad brimmed hat
Here's Ralph Strong, he'll take you
over" And this was our introduction, for,
as he spoke, a spring wagon drew up at
the gate, and the bronzed-faced driver
with gallant bow informed us that he
was at our service. Evidently farmer
Hills nephew, whatever might be the
state of his "narves,' was man of intel
| Hgence and refnement-we made that
discovery before we were mile on the
way-and SO entertaining did he prove
| that tired and hungry as we were, we
were half sorry when the ride came to an
end. Frank and Grace, alarmed at our
long absence, were watching for us at the
a vol nl1 81
| ity, introduced the stranger, explaining in
an aside who he was. Of course, we
invited him in, and though, in consid-
Grafton of the lateness of the hour he po-
litely declined, he promised to do himself
the pleasure of calling in few days.
HE is very gentlemanly and agreea-
ble," said Arabella, with emphasis, as
seated at the tea-table we narrated the
events of the day; and it must be con
fessed that we were all rather elated at
the prospect of having our solitude in
vaded now and then by this same gentle
manly and agreeable person.
Beyond the simple fact that he was
farmer Hills nephew from college we
knew nothing whatever about him, but his
face and voice were of themselves suffi-
cient to inspire confidence, and before
| many weeks went by we had come to re-
gard him as our right-hand man. Ara
bella consulted him on all matters of
business, and Grace and were constantly
asking his advice about gardening, while
| Frank, who had set her heart on rails
ing brood of chickens, held animated
conferences with him as to the best ways
Of promoting the health and happiness Of
her fea5hered pets; at least when the two
! sat for half an hour at a time on the back
porch in the twilight watching the little
creatures nesting under the mothers
wings, it was naturally to be supposed
that they formed the chief subject of lis
| custom
ct is hardly polite to trouble Mr..
| Strong so much about those chickens,
| Frances" Arabella would say GA college
man like him is not supposed to be very
familiar with the raising of poultry"
''Then it's high time he turned his at
! tention to it," said Frank, with mischief
lurking in her eyes.
| Another cause of annoyance to our elder
sister was the simplicity Of Franks
toilets.
81 do wish, my dear Frances, that you
would make yourself look little more
| stylish. These young collegians are not
accustomed to seeing ladies dressed like
| kitchen girls.''
But Frank declared that half the pleas
ure of living in the country was the priv
lege of dispensing with style, and per-
sisted in wearing calico dresses and white
aprons.
[ don't think Arabella had the least in
| clination to try matchmaking, or any
thing of the Sort she was simply anxious
to have her three girls make good i'm
| preston; but her anxiety was oppressive,
and [, as we'll as Frank, occasionally re-
| belled. Mr.. Strong, I was sure, was too
sensible to like us any better in silk dresses
and paniers than in plain calico. So |
followed Franks example, and certainly
the sight of the calico did not seem to
disturb him in the least I don't know
what we should have done without him
that summer. 1t was lonely enough at
times as it was, for our new neighbors
were so scattered that we saw but little of
them, and even our city friends seldom
came for more than days stay, so the
young mans visits were doubly welcome
In addition to being an entertaining talker
he was fine singer, and was always
ready to join us in song; he brought the
newest books and revived our love of
botany by constant contributions Of wild
. f1ouaJC and rar,,1orIry o,, C,,,J,x, or,o,,