The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-05-23


wonder lie didn't set fire to the house and
burn You all III your BEDS
But little Alice cried bitterly, and treas
ured more Iendcrly than ever a goggle-eyed
doll, with arms out of all proportion and
feet several degrees larger than its head,
which was the last wooden exploit JuIluS
had presented to her.
''I'n never have another bound boy,
asserted Mrs. Farley.
! s.Well. WE'LL" sighed the farmer, ''how
! time does slip away from us, to be sure
Alice is nineteen to-day, and it don't seem
right she should be away from us ON her
birthday She's been three months i'll the
city now, wife"
Yes" said Mrs. Farley, nodding her
head sagely, land don't believe she'll
come home alone, neither"
EEh ~ exclaimed the farmer, opening
wide his big blue eyes ''you don't s'pose
she's engaged to that Mr.. Clinton ?''
"You men are SO slow to put two and
two together" said Mrs. Farley with a
conscious smile. ''I've suspicioned it this
long while and Mrs. Carter writes that it
will be Il splendid match, and that half the
young ladies in Boston are envying our lit
tie country girl. Only think, won't it be
nice to have our Alice a rich lady, living in
big house i'll Boston?'
Mr. Farley stared stcadfastly at the fire.
"Who is he, any way? ?'' he asked i'll a
troubled tone. 'She's all the child we've
got, wife, and we can't give her to a man
without knowing who and what he is.''
''You needn't worry" said his wife, with
the superior calmncss of one who is posted.
Hes as steady going as you be yourself
at least so Mrs. Carter writes-and he's
| an inventor, whatever they may be. Any
way, he made great fortune out of pat
ent he sold to the government. Alice won't
have to work all her days rs hard as l have
done, and that's one comfort
And when Alicc's Shy letter. which i'm
piled far more than it told, intimated that
she was coming home under Mr.. Clinton's
escort, the old farm house was duly swept
and garnished for the reception of the hon
ored guest. Mrs. Parley put on her best
black silk, and the farmer dOnEed his but
tcrnut suit, which seemed to him us gor-
gcoUs as on the day he bought it, twenty
good years before.
q wonder which train thcy'n come in, :"
said Mrs. Farley, reliectively. Il should
hate the worst kind to have that turkey
spoiled
But such a catastrophe was happily avert
cd, for the travellers arrived as the stormy
twilight made the glory of the great wood
fire doubly gratcful-there was the crunch
| of wheels III the deep snow without, the
opening of the door, and then Alice was in
! her mothers arms. In the back ground a
! tall figure stood stately, digniied, and
! self-cortaincd, with jet black hair and
grave violent gray eyes, and the farmer
made his best bow as Alice introduced ..Mr.
Clinton" with deep red flush upon her
check.
You must like him very much, father,
for my sake" she said, because l have
promised to be his wife,
When the hosPitable meal was over, and
Mrs. Farley came in from the kitchen,
rolled up above her elbow, and tying on
a clean checked apron, Alice sprang to her
feet.
Mother" said she, with her face all
smiles and dimples Mr.. Clinton has bro't
you a present"
"a present - cried Mrs Farley.
''And father must get hammer and
screw-driycr, and open it very carefully,
for it's china
"China?''
eyes, real china, imported from Canton
so transparent that you can look through il
in colors of life. Oh, it is beautiful
She stood by, gleefulIy clapped her hand.
as the treasures were unpacked, and ell
joyed her mothers delight as the beautiful
pearance from countless wrappings of silver
paper.
Glow kind it is of you, Mr.. Clinton y
said Mrs. Farley, looking up with beam
ing eyes. 81 always did set store by Chi
ma"
''Not kind at ALL said the young maj
. quietly; lit is simply the settlement of
: very old debt
f "a debt"' repeated the farmers wife
with puzzled eyes. Il don't think I f,irl
,, understand you, Mr.. Clinton
He smiled.
+ 'Tc is to replace the set broke, tryin
n experiments, twelve years ago.
q Mrs. Farley started, beginning to hav
. uncomfortable doubts as to the entire sal
! ity of her daughters lover. And then, ;
. he smiled again, sudden light broke
, upon her brain.
90 ''It amt, never''-she began and the
stopped short.
bt Yes, it is, mother ~ cried Alice, rad
k. antly. Its Julius-you, Julius ~
st "Nhosc ears you have boxed deserved
ed so many times, laughed the young ma
nm ''And he has made his fortune, mothe
cd and he is great man now, and 1 alwa
In. l.