The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-08-22

who began to admire her evident bus.
iness tact; SIMPLY scand 'lOus, ma'am.
You're right said Miss Stebbins
sand l told tAlmiry, beins I'd never
been to Boston, 1 was going down,
and I'D see II Solomon Greed's got
rich o. cheatin' me.
But now Job was In love with her
that is, he felt that she would make
him q good housekeeper, which stood
for the same thing in his mind as wife.
and he wondered.if he could not man.
age TO secure her. He'd been want
ing q wife tor twenty years. He had
had chances, but, like the foolish man
he was, he had let them all clip. Now
he considered that the curious feeling
he had experienced that morning was
q presentiment of-he didn't exactly
know what. butt il evidently had some
thing to do with Miss Stebbins.
He got out st small station aud
bought some fried chicken and apple
pie, and drought them in as . votive
Offering, sentimentally speaking, TO
the lady Of his bosom's affection. She
accepted them with q smile that made
him happy for week after, every
time he remembered. Once he had
dreamed about that emile, aud thought
it sunrise, and got, up and dressed
himself before he was fairly awake.
When he did como to his senses he
found 1t was half. past l, and he went
back to bed wondering if all men feel
as he did when they're in love.
The train started, and, just as Miss
Stebbins was trying TO swallow .
small chicken bone, and making .
very wry face over it, the cars gave an
awful leap, md ihen-none of them
knew very much about what happen
ed for the next few minutes. When
Job came to himself he was sitting in
shallow puddle Of water, and the
first thought that came to him was
that he had turned into Z bull frog.
But looking about him in bewilder-
ed way, for . solution of the mystery
he saw MISS Stebbins sitting o,>a
floating portion of the wrecked car,
further out in the pond, dripping like
Undine, If not as agreeable 10 look at.
BE you hurt, Mr.. Dusen berry she
asked, as che discovered him.
mo, don't think be-. answered
Job. Had smash up, haint we3
SCENE so.' answered Miss Stebbins.
'Iguess there haint nobody killed,
aud that is lucky. I'm glad you aint
hurt. I was aieared you was. 80
Her solicitude touched Jobs heart
as nothing else ever had,
sYou haint damaged any, be you
he asked, anxiously.
Not any to speak Of answered
Miss Stebbins, but my clothes is jest
completely split. There is my bunnit
sailing about over there. wish you
would git It fer me. sil 81 3a liof aF
Job secured q pole, and, after An.
Cling unsuccessfully for q while. got q
bite and sacceeded in landing this new
kind of fish on the bank, where it lay
in very limp and detected condition,
having but little semblance to the
snowy bonnet Mise Stebbins had
worn. eg
sI'm coming ashore,' announced
Mise Stebbins. l a
Let me come and git you,' propos.
ed Job, not without some trepidation
it must be confessed.
mo, can git along 'thout putting
you to any trouble answered Miss
Stebbins.
What self-reliant woman she is,
Job thought admiringly. Shed take
care of man. now.
She gathered the ruined salpacy
about her, stepped off the extempor
lied raft, and waded ashore without
screaming snakesl or anything Of the
kind. Job concluded that she wal
one woman In . hundred. So she
| was.
| You're all mud and scnm,' said che
after inspecting Job closely. s1'll GEL
q stick and some grass and kinder
clean you up And for the next ter
minutes Job experienced new and
novel bliss in being scleaned up By
the energetic woman, who had now
obtained complete possession Of hil
heart. She's q manager, concluded
Job. sIf she had charge Of my place
now, she'd make things fetch in some
thing. 1 wish she had.
The conductor announced that i
would be two or three hours before
they could proceed.
Don't you feel as ef you'd lik'
suthin' to eat asked Job, I guess
you didn't finish that chicken
Il would like suthin,, answered
Miss Stebbias, and Job proposed tha
they should visit farmhouse near BY
and procure some.
sI'll set ont here on this stone In th,
sun, aud dry myself, till it is ready,
said Miss Stebbins, and took . posi-
ton on . rock by the roadside. Jol
sat down by her.
sI'm thankful we amt killed. saii
che. 'How lucky got acquainted
with you, ain't it? Friends is Away
90 pleasant In sich times The glanc'
which accompanied this sentimen
finished Job.
sOh, Miss Stebbine, let me be you
friend for life! he cried. with an aw
full pallor on his face, the effort h.
made in saying it was 80 intense. 8
know it's sudden, but thenl'-an'
there he stuck fast.
DO you mean = marriageS aske'
Miss Stebbins, with such warmth
heart that her clothes dried fast from
the difiused heat. ~ 59.re shf