The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-07-11

picking up her hand bag.
"Beg pardon, ma'am," said voiC
behind US, "but we have just lie
Dexter"
at can't be possiblew cried
rushing frantically to the rear Of th
car, and mentally wondering why i
the world we had not taken the OF
posite side where we might hav
seen the name, even if We had faile
to hear it called; but regrets wer
unavailing, for surely enough ther
was Dexter receding in the din dis
tanee like a dream of the past.
"Why, we shan't get home to
night! We must stop the tram
We must do somethingm 1 eiacula
ted, turning to Arbella, who, afte
properly thanking our informant
had followed me at her usual digni
fed pace; but her undisturbed al
exasperated me, and without waitin!
for an answer, l hurried to the othe
end of the car in search of the con
ductor.
"There's no help for it miss" saiC
that polite official. "I'll put YOU of
at the next station, that's only thre,
miles on, and you can easily fnd
some one to bring you back"
Small consolation it was, but q:
the last uptown train had already
passed US, there was no alternative
and presently we were standing for
lorn and desolate on the platform OF
the Bedford station, three miles
from home, and the.shades of night
gathering about us with unwelcome
rapidity. Two unkempt boys, with
their hands in their pockets, stood
staring stupidity at us. "Dun know,
num-" said one in answer to our
anxious inquiries, 'there amt no
body round here as keeps hosses,
'cept farmer Hill" and having point
ed out farmer Hills house, they
staggered away leaving us to our
own devices. A tiresome tramp
across a plowed field brought us at
last to the farmers door, and here it
was that we were told to walk in and
make ourselves "to hum" till
'Ralph" could come to our rescue.
Five minutes later the old man re-
tanning himselfvigorously
with his broad -brimmed hat.
"Here's Ralph Strong, he'll take
you over" And this was our intro
duction for, as he spoke, a spring
wagon drew up at the gate, and the
Oronzed-faced driver with q gallant
bow informed us that he was at our
service. Evidently farmer Hills
nephew, whatever might be the state
Of his "narves." was a man of intelli-
gence and refinement-We made that
discovery before we were a mile on
5he way-and so entertaining did he
prove that tired and hungry as we
we're, we were half sorry when the
ride came to the end. Frank and
Grace, alarmed at our long absence,
we're watching for us at the gate,
md Arabella, with gracious cordiali-
y, introduced the stranger, explain
ng in an aside who he was. OF
course, we invited him in, and
hough in consideration of the late
less of the hour, he politely declined,
lie promised to do himself the pleas
Ire of calling in a few days.
"He is very gentlemanly and
said Arabella, with en-
,hasis, as seated at the tea-table we
Iarrated the events of the day; and
must be confessed that we were all
ather elated at the prospect of hav-
ng our solitude invaded now and
hen by this same gentlemanly and |
greeable person.
Beyond the simple fact that he
Tas farmer HilPs nephew from col
ege we knew nothing at all about
i'm, but his face and voice were Of
themselves sufficient to inspire con-
dence, and before many weeks went
y we had come to regard him as
ur right-hand man. Arabella con-
ulted him on all matters of busi- |
ess, and Grace and l were constant
= asking his advice about garden
10, while Frank, who had set her
cart on raising a brood of chickens,
eld animated conferences with him
s to the best ways of promoting
he health and happiness Of her
pets; at least when the
wo sat for half an hour at a time
n the back porch in the twilight
the little creatures nest
ng under the mothers wings, it
as naturally to be supposed that
hey formed the chief subject of dis
ussion.
"It is hardly polite to trouble Mr..
trong so much about those chick
MS, Frances" Arabella would say.
A college man like him is not sup
osed to be very familiar with the
lising of poultry"
''Then it's high time he turned
is attention to it, said Frank, with
lischief lurking in her eyes. =
Another cause of annoyance to
ur elder sister was the simplicity L
f Franks toilets.
81 do wish, my dear Frances, that
on would make yourself look q lit
C more stylish. These young col
,gians are not used to see ladies
ressed like kitchen girls"
But Frank declared that half the
leasure of living in the country
as the privilege of dispensing with
lyle, and persisted in wearing cali
D dresses and white aprons.
1 don't think ArabeIla had the
,ast inclination to try match making
T anything of the sort, she was