The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-07-03


fore and corresponded regularly. But !
bad been abroad, and this was my first
visit to Owls Corner in ten years. /
remembered Mamie as q romping child,
fond of swinging on the gates, climbing
up grape-arbors, and imperiling her
neck fifty times a day, John always say
ing on each occasion:
"She's little wild, but she'll get over
that"
waited at the station for half an
hour; then, seeing no sign of John,
started to walk home. It was midday
and fearfully hot, and when I had ac-
complished half the distance I turned
off the road and started through grove
hat gave me a longer walk, but thick
shade. was resting there on a broad
stone, completely hidden by the bushes
on every side, when / heard Johns
voice:
"Where have you been p
There was such dismay and astonish-
ment in the voice that I looked up in
surprise, to find that he was not greeting
me, but tall, slender girl coming to-
ward him. Such sight | She was dark
and beautiful, dressed in thin dress of
rose pink, faultless about the face and
throat, but from the waist down, cling
ing to her, one mass of the greenest,
blacklist, thickest mud and water.
''In the duck pond" she answered
with O voice as clear and musical as q
chime of bells. "Don't come near me"
''You are enough to wear a man into
his grave r.
There, don't scold," was the coaxing
reply little Bob Ryan fell in face
'lown. 1t did not make any material
difference in his costume, but 1 was
afraid he would smother, so 1 waded in
after him. The water is not over two
feet deep, but the mud goes clear
through to China, 1 imagine. 1t is
rather pity about my new dress, isn't
tP"
A pity p roared John "youIl
come to an untimely end some day with
your freaks. AS if there was nobody to
pick little brat out of the duck pond
but you r.
"There was actually nobody else
about. There, now, don't be angry.
I'll go up to the house and put on that
bewitching white affair that came from
New York last week, and be all ready to
irive over to the station with you, at
what time p
"About three. Lawrence is coming
on the 2:10 train"
And had come on the 1910. This
accounted for the failure to meet me.
kept snug in my retreat until John and
Mamie were well on their way home
ward, wondering little how many
young ladies in my circle of friends
would have so recklessly sacrificed new
dress to pick up beggar's brat out of
the mud.
When I, in my turn reached the
house, John was on the porch, waiting
for Nannie's reappearance. He gave
me most cordial welcome, or rather a
luncheon, called Mamie, his mother,
and a man to go for my trunk, all in one
breath, and seemed really reioiced to
see me.
Presently a slender girl, with a truly
bewitching" white dress, trimmed
with dashes of scarlet ribbon, and
smoothly braided black hair, tied with
scarlet bows, came demurely into the
ever, in that first hour could the widest
imagination have pict1red Mamie Still
man wading into duck-pond, but the
half-shy, half-dignifed company manner
soon wore away, and Mamie and were
fast friends before dinner. She sang
for me in voice as deliclously fresh as
a birds carroll ; she took me to see her
pets, the new horse that was her last
birthday gift from "papa," the ugly
little Scotch terrier with the beautiful
brown eyes, the rabbits, Guinea hens,
and the superannuated old pony, who
preceded the new horse.
In a week was as much in love as
ever John could have desired. Mamie
was the most bewitching maiden 1 had
ever met, childlikc and yet womanly,
frank, bright and full of girlish freaks
and boyish mischief, and yet we'll edu-
Gated, with really wonderful musical
gifts, and full of noble thoughts. She
was a perfect idol in the village, her
friends and neighbors thinking no party
complete without her, while the poor
fairly worshipped her.
John allowed her an almost unlimited
supply of pocket-money, and she was
lavish in all charity, from blankets for
old women, tobacco for old men, to can
dies for the children, and rides on horse
back for the urchins. And she had a
way of conferring favors that never
wounded the pride of the most sensi-
tive.
We rode together every morning; we
walked in the cool evening hours; we
spent much time at the piano, and dis
oussed our favorite authors, and one
day when I asked Mamie to be my wife,
she said, cody:
"Why, of course; thought that was
all understood long ago."
was rather amazed at such matter
of-fact wooing, but delighted at the re-
suit. How could 1 expect any soft,
blushing speeches suppose ranked
just where John and Nannie's grand
mother did in her affections.
But one morning, when Mrs. Stillman
was shipping her geraniums in the SIT
ting room, and John was reading the