Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-02-08


Gus tone. Then he seemed to struggl,
with desire to laugh. "The saints
have you in kaiping, miss" he went on
relapsing rapidly into Irish; "but nivil
mind the bit nor sup. It's nothing I'm
naiding the morn, but just to thank yC
for your favors, and be AFT" He shoul.
dered his wheel and set off at rapid
rate while Molly was fumbling with
her purse.
"Stopr' she cried after him; "stop
a minute, please. / haven't paid you. "
But the man only lifted his hat and
passed through the gate. 1t was grace
fully done" like gentleman" Molly
thought, and she wondered more and
more.
"Such droll manr she said after
ward, at breakfast; "he wouldn't wait
for his money, and took his hat off to
me like a young prince. l wish you
had seen him, aunty.n
HIM" replied Miss Gale, medita-
lively; ait would have been more to the
purpose had he put good edge on my
carver. don't like the looks of it at
all, Molly"
In effect it proved hopelessly dull. rs
did also everything else submitted to
the gentlemanly grinder. OF course
Molly had to endure some teasing upon
the subject.
She bore it with good grace; and
as weeks passed by the subject was for
gotten, or, if remembered at all, only
by herself.
The spring was advancing. Itproved
an early one. Violets starred garden
beds by the first of April; hawthorn
hedges blossomed into smiles to greet
incoming May; the early roses crowded
on their buttoned-up buds and flushed
with bloom. 1t was impossible to re-
! sist the sudden summer-tide of all
things. Nobody prated of rheumatism
or preached prudence. Old and young
alike flung caution TO the winds, and,
as if intoxicated by the fragrant air,
! ignored dews, sat on fresh grass, and
committed all other imprudences. BY
the middle of June a picnic had been
proposed and organized. Such parties
were not unusual even in quiet Wood
bury, but the oldest inhabitant could
not recollect one so early in the season.
Of course Molly was to go. What
could a picnic in Woodbury. be without
her? Her sweet temper, pretty, merry
face and deft fingers made her uni
versal favorite. No one knew the wild,
beautiful forest hooks so well, no one
comprehended so perfectly the due adj
mixture of salad and lemonade, or had
such a trick of decking an impromptu
table tastefully with ferns and flowers.
Of course Molly must go. And it was
while in the very midst of some dainty
outdoor housewifery that stranger
was brought up for introduction, and
"Miss Gale had to look up from her
oak wreaths and frosted cakes to court
esy to "Mr. Conrad" A pair of dark
eyes met hers with sudden, amused,
glad recognition, which perplexed and
mystified her.
Where have seen him before?"
she thought again and again, as the day
wore on with its lively alterations of
luncheon, laughter, and Irritation. But
no answer occurred, and the new
arrival followed her movements with a
devotion which caused some teasing
from the other girls, and not few
jealous pangs among the young men.
at is case of see and conquer"
whispered her friends among them
selves, but neither with surprise nor
envy; for Molly was belle in her little
set, and none disputed her pretty su-
premacy.
Mr.. Conrad had come to Woodbury.
"on business" it seemed. He did not
specify its nature, and no one could
guess it; it evidently absorbed little of
his time; but week after week he lin
gered in the village, and, as business"
was by no means the specially of the
place, his errand was subject of great
speculation among the gossips. Young,
good-looking, and much of gentle
man, he was universally accepted and
liked Molly met him here, there, and
everywhere, and their intimacy grew
with great strides. Before a month
was over she felt that she had known
him always-a fact which puzzled her
not little whenever she took time to
think about it.
Still the resemblance which had
struck her at first pursued and haunted
her. 1t was not his face only-voice
and form were also familiar; all sug-
gested somebody, for her life she could
not tell who. Twenty times she was
on the point of speaking of it, and
twenty times refrained. at is so
ridiculous" she said to herself. At last
explanation came.
1t chanccd on picnic. Woodbury.
was famous for its picnics. This was
held in the same beautiful grove where
she and Mr.. Conrad had first met in
early June. The day was hot and brill
liant. Golden rod and purple aster
fringed the paths the August sky
blazed through the tree-tops; summer,
gathering her last blossoms in her lap,
seemed Fastening to be gone. Dinner
was over; people were living under
trees, or wandering about in groups;
Molly and Mr.. Conrad found them
selves alone in q secluded nook.
"Do you know" she said, breaking
a long pause, "Fve been so puzzled all
this time to find out who it is you re-
mind me of? l saw it the moment you
were introduced to me; and, if it hadn't
been impossible, should certainly have
declared that we had met before. Isn't
it funnyP"
"Well, replied Mr. Conrad, slow
ly, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES you
think. l should like-may 1? Molly,
will you listen while tell you long
story? l have longed to utter it for
days past, but till now | never dared"
Certainly" said Molly, coloring.
He never called her " Molly before.
:" 1t is about young man." contin-
ued Mr.. Conrad" a wild young fellow,
full of fun and frolic, who never stopped
at anything that promised good joke.
"There was young lady, too, as it
happened--a sort of cousin of his-as
wild as himself. She was sent, for her
sins, to boarding-school-a very strict
school. 1t was at P, not far from
here"
"The convent" asked Molly, won
dering.
Exactly. Well, my young lady
wrote home all sorts of droll accounts
of her prison-house. She told all her
trials and adventures, and made pen
and-ink caricatures of the Lady Su-
perior, whom she dubbed The Dragon; I;
in short, so eomical that her brothers
and cousins and two or three young