Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-10-17

Clinton's escort, the old farm house
was duly swept and garnished for the
honored guest. Mrs. Farley put on
her best black silk, and the farmer
donned his butternut suit, which seemed
to him as gorgeous as it had been on
the day he bought it, twenty good years
ago. : naoHjtul. 53EW .rsr4 ..
"Wonder which train they will come
in% said Mrs. Farley, reAectively. "I
should hate the worst way to have that
turkey spoiled"
But such a catastrophe was hap
ply averted, for the travellers arrived as
the stormy twilight made the glow of
the great wood fire doubly grateful.
There was the crunch of wheels in the
deep snow without, the opening of the
door, and then Alice was in her moth
er's arms. ,..
In the background a tall figure stood
stately and dignifed and self-contained,
with jet black hair and grave violet gray
eyes, and the farmer made his best bow
as Alice introduced "Mr. Clinton" with
q deep red flush upon her cheek.
you must like him very much. fa-
ther, 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, pulling down the sleeves that
had been rolling up above her elbow,
and trying on clean checked apron,
Alice sprang to her feet.
"Mother," she said, her face all smiles
and dimples. "Mr. Clinton has brought
you present"
GA present." cried Mrs. Farley.
"And father must get hammer and
screw-driver and open it very carefully,
for it's china"
"China
Yes, real china, imported from Can
ton; SO transparent that you can look
through it in the colors of life. Oh, it
is so beautiful
She stood by, gleefully clapped her
hands as the treasures were unpacked,
and enjoying her mothers delight as the
beautiful fragile things one by one made
their appearance from countless wrap
pings of silver paper.
How kind it is of you, Mr.. Clinton, I"
said Mrs. Farley, looking up with beam
ing eyes; "I always did set store by
china"
"Not kind at all" said the young
man quietly, "it simply the settlement
of very old debt"
"A debt!'' repeated the farmers wife,
with puzzled eyes, "I don't think I fair
ly understand you, Mr.. Clinton"
He smiled. It's to replace set
which broke trying experiments twelve
years ago."
Mrs. Farley started, beginning to
have uncomfortable doubts as to the
entire sanity of her daughters lover.
And then, as he smiled again, sudden
light broke in upon her brain.
cit amt never"-she began, and
then stopped short. >..
"Yes, it is mother" cried Alice, ra-
dainty. Z" It's Julius-your Julius!'
Whose ears you have boxed deserv-
edly SO many times. laughed the young
man. -..
"And he has made his fortune,
mother; and he's a great man now;
and I always knew it would be so, d"
Alice went on, flushed and excited.
"And it all came from the expert
ments he was always trying"
Well, neverY' cried Mrs. Farley,
while the farmer rubbed his spectacles,
aud laughed low chuckling laugh,
which expressed his perfect content
ment better than all the adjectives in
Webster's Dictionary could have done.
And the chill December moon shin
ing through the far-off window, beyond
the orbit of the frs, beamed upon no
happier household in oil the land than
gathered that night around Farmer
Parley's hearthstone.
p@- An "old folks" excursion by
steamboat cana off at PhilRdelnhia