The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-08-11

Throw lntO nigh IcIlcl lIit 'iai hi'
of my genuine home when they all got it. Ant
| was proud of my box, tell you.
Well, to be brief we Matched our wickcdnes'
there at night on our vcrandah, Scott swinging
in the hammock, and Martin, with his grim
made green and ghostly by the moonlight
smiling like the arch ticnd himself among tho
roses.
1t was all Deliberately planned to the small
est detail, Scott now and then going down t.
the lawn to roll and laugh.
What is more, it was all carried out to let
ter Only instead Of two, the invited guests
grew to four
One bright morning in August there might
Ihaye been sccn-to put il additionally
ting off the Hudson River train, four pIIncely
looking fellows, uncXCcptionally attlrcd. One
lof them wore mus,on-chOp whiskers, and car.
lrcd shot gun and II rod in silvcr-mounled
lease 1t was Ty. Two or three OF The freight
linen around the depot got the notion that IT
was the Duke Alexis. As soon rs | heard 1t
encouraged the idea Glover who, as you
know, is valctudinarian asked the first man
The met if there was any miaSmata in the vlcin-
Iity, and heard the man say that it might be
cot up on the hill, but the stores on the river
didn't keep much of anything but hardware
land fish Fred Granger looked rs II he'd been
taken softly ont Of IN open box or band-boN,
and Liston gave the heather around the door
a few dimes to propiiatc the town. Then they
all lit cigarettes, and we're presently met by
| Scott and Martin
Now, il isn't more than mile from the de
pot % the rustic retreat, but believe they
| drove those fellows about five mics, through
| all the most inaccessible places in the town
ship, before they pulled up at the rookcry,
| According to agreement, | rushed out Of the
place in fcz crying: welcome, welcome to
| Nymsclovc"
| / shall never forget Tvs expression of coun
ltrnancc as he stood up in the vehicle, and sur
ycycd the scene through his glass. We had
written them the most glowing accounts Of
well, of the other place. There sat Angelina
| in calico dress, rocking herself by the ash
heap, and darning wooden stocking OF most
Iprcpostorors size, that Scott had evidently i'm
ported f. he occasion.
Bit the t.o conspirators gave them little
time to think They hustled them out with
many additional welcomes tothcsylyan haunt
"EvCrything." cried Martin, ''you will per
ccivc is purely rustic, and nature out Of her
mapniticrncc furnishes sufficient light"
Seems to me-" said Glover, Sotio rocG 4" it's
dirty"
"iook at the color, the prismatic hucs of
that little lake" exclaimed Martin, pointing
to the hog wash; "by George, sir we'll have
YOU whip some trout out for lis, we will, and
no mistake Gentlemen, Mrs Crinklc.
"Wclcomc to Nymscloye,' said Mrs. Grin
klc, modcstly 81 trust You will find the de
lights Of the country ample
"Stcp inside, step inside, " cried Scott; come
inside the cottage"
Upon nv word, when recall that fastidious
group crowding into that carpetless room,
where there was nothing but pine table and
two or three pine chairs, when | remember
Scots bringing ont gingcr-bccr bottle with
whiskcy, and green tumblcr and rccOllect
the polite pcrifCaion that would bctray itself
on the faces Of M quests, ! have 70 smile
yet
But, alas, did not know to what depths
my companions had gone in their wickcdness.
In the first place they arranged to keep the
guests without mOuthfu to cat rs long as
possible, with the promise Of a hearty dinner,
which was to be ruined by a family disturb
ancc at the last moment. They had even pulled
out some Of the rear frame work OF the house
50 that it would fall down at the proper mo-
meht Make yourself at home | said.
"Thcrr is no tormalily here We call this
Liberty Hall dinner will he served at six. In
the meantime everybody do rs he prases.'
Come and see the grounds cried Scott,
"we'll take ramblc through the mead and
haunted glen; it will frcshcn rs up
When they had gone asked Martin 10 cX.
plain his idiotic conduct He had Il bottle of
ammonia that he whipped out Of his pocket
and applied il to his nosirii5 every five min
utes, accompanying the act with howIs and
tears
"IIcaycn,," he answered II must do some
thing or I'd suiIocatc. They think I'm suffer.
ing with the hay fever and that it attacks me
in spasms and parONysms.'
Half an hour later he said he'd 60 ont and
see what had become of the sylvan hunters.
He wasn't gone ten minutes whc he cam" tear
ng back, painting and CONFUSED,
Here, in the name OF all that's slupcndOuS.
come quick
We ran out and followed him To q bit Of
marsh lying in the rear OF the place, There
was II common stone fence running through
| the bog, and crawling upon its prccarous
summit every man on his hands and knees,
were our guests, led by Scott. He had taken
them by II roundabout path into the mcshc~ of
the moraSs, and then offered them no means of
cxtrcation but this. He shouted when he saw
us and pointing backward at Ty, grew red in
the face, and dropped fiat upon his stomach a.
| if seized with CONFUSION. II was the lunni.
est sight | ever saw. To crawl upon the top
| of an old CObblC-stOnc fence l. not an easy task
at any time. When there are two feet of muck
danger you wear pcarlgray trousers and
II white vest, there is a dash Of romance in it.
Mady Well, they were all Disguised. But
the splendid enthusiasm ot Scott and Martin
lcil them but little opportunity to dcmur.
When they got back to the house Ty. looked
at his watch and said he believed he'd catch
the one o'clock train. II had been his intcn-
ton all along To merely make q flying visit,
He would come MP again and stay week
when the fishing was good.
Yes" they all chorussud, we've got 10 get
back on The carly train. lts hard To tcaruway
from thiSrctrcat, hut duty compcl- Us 10 I've in
the city
The conspinIurs wouldn't hear ur H. Scott
HELD up The rod and gun Martin vowed that
they shouldn't 90 back till the next day. II
was an insult Ia Liberty Hall a Nijhcring
slight Ia NymNclOvc
i remarked tha, they must stay ia dinner, at
least, and then, If they insisted, why | would
drive Them down in my own conveyance.
why YOU haven't seen half the feature, o