The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1873-08-07

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"He is farmer Hills hired
man." repeated Frank.
"The impudent puppy!" ex-
claimed Arabolla, completely
thrown off her dignity by this
rather startling announcement.
"Wouldn't base impostor be a
moro appropriate term9" sugges-
ted Frank tormentingly.
"You certainly can not expect
us to receive him any longer as
guest" Arabella went on, ignor-
ing the amendment.
1--WE might possibly receive him
as one Of the family, l thought"
said Frank, turning to the window
to hide her bushes.
A dim perception Of the truth
began to dawn on Arabella.
"It is not possible that he had
the assurance to ask you to marry
himG" she said treezlingly.
Why not? He loves me and l
love him." said Frank bravely.
This was a little too much.
No words could adequately ex.
press our Consideration, and we
all three sat and gazed at her in
silence.
lit is just too bad!' sighed
Grace at last, with .tears in her
eyes, "I.'s going to spoil all our
nice times"
at is very pleasant mistake
from beginning TO end" said Ara.
bella, with an effort to compose
herself, "but it proves conclusivoly
that Ralph Strong, whatever else
he may be, is no gentleman"
"You are wrong there!' cried
Frank, with flashing eyes; and
then like the true woman she is,
she bravely took up the absent
ones defense. 1t seems that tho
nephew, Ralph Hill, whom the
farmer went to call on that mem
orable evening, was absent at the
time. Ralph Strong was sent
in his place. Accepting onr
cordial invitation to visit us,
without the least suspicion that
we were taking ,hip for other
than he was, he had como and
gono week after week, in blissful
ignorance, until one evening,
while contiding to Frank some
bits Of personal history, he chanc-
ed to discover the mistake we
making and was eager at onco to
explain; but Frank, partly from
a love of mischief and party for
fear the explanation would put
an end to his coming, had begged
him to keep quiet for a while.
$50 the fault is all mine," she
said. "And now you may call him
what you like-farmer Hills
nephew or farmer Hil's hired
man to me he is, and has been
from the first, simply Ralph
Strong, the truest and beet man l
have ever known. And all
Arabella's arguments failed to
convince her that ploughing and
reapiug for farmer Hill had in
any way lessencd his manhood, or
that in marrying q farmer she
would be booming herself to o
life a daily drudgery. So there
was nothing more to be said. She
was of age, and had a perfect
right to do as she pleased but
it seems so odd that Frank, who
had refused more offers than she
could we'll remember, was after
all, going to marry farmer Hills
hired man. 1t comes to light a
little later that he was himself
the owner of q handsome tarm,
and had hired himself to farmer
Hill chiefly for the purpose Of
learning how to manage it, having
discovered, on leaving College,
that he knew tar more of astron-
omy than Of agriculture; but even
this modifying fact could not res
torelArbeila's composure.
Father AM mother came home
in the Fall, and We went back to
town-and at Christmas there
was wedding. Arabclla declared
that it was wedding. to tho
family: but father, who is
quick at reading ,ren, said Ralph
Strong wac worthy OF any woman,
and that Frank had shown her
good sense.
They have been married three
years now, and Grace and l 90
every Summer to visit them.
Their home is a little Eden, and
Frank is as happy as a queen.
To be sure, che has some care, rs
every wife and mother must
have; but 1 can't see that she is