The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1879-11-27


tain Hardy, will dine with us tomorrow
and you certainly will want to appear at
your best"
Thanksgiving morning dawned bright
and clear; and, directly after breakfast,
after little whispered consultation with
Rhoda, Gilbert started down town to find
the officer who had been so kind the night
before. He did not return in time to
accompany his cousins to church, and
Rhoda felt certain qualms of anxiety ov-
er his delay.
II ought to have gone with him." she
kept saying over and over to herself.
"Oh, dear, what bother boys are! it
is all his own fault for insisting upon
running to the fire; and now, perhaps, he
has got lost and I shall be blamed!"
Ralph Bruce wondered what made his
sister so absent-minded and quiet all the
morning; but as he too was feeling an
noyed and anxious over the non-appear-
ance Of his friend Captain Hardy, he did
not question her curiously silent manner.
Walking from church, as the two
turned the corner OF the street on their
way home, what was their aston1shment
to behold both delinquents face to face.
Gilbert merrily laughing and talking
with a handsome young gentleman in
full uniform; the gentleman as interest.
eddy listening to his boyish chatter.
"Why, Harry, my dear fellow, what
who-where, cried Ralph, looking from
the Captain to Gilbert, and from Gilbert
back to the Captain, in the greatest sur
prise.
"Here he is, Rhoda, and he isn't a
policeman at all; he's regular; but
found him there at the place, you know,
and he wouldn't take the money, and he
knows Ralph and I brought him right
along;' and quite out of breath, Gilbert
paused at length in his explanation.
Ralph now included his sister in his
scrutiny.
"Why, really, Hardy" he began.
Rhoda blushed and looked confused.
''Shali explain matters little more
lucidly?" asked the Captain, SMILING
and looking at Rhoda, who NODDED affir-
mativcly. "Things do look implicated.
don't they Bruce?' he said, turning to
| Ralph; but the solution of the mystery
is that last evening I met your sister
and this lad in the crowd near the fire
down town; and they, supposing me a
public officer-I wore a fatigue cap
asked me'a question concerning the cars,
and"-
"And we only had ten cents" inter-
rupted Gilbert; and he loaned me quar-
ter to ride home, and I went down
town to pay him back this morning,
and'-
"Ah, begin to see light dawning at
last" said Ralph. cit is complicated
case, as you say; but thank you, Hardy,
for your kindly personat:on of police
man. doubt if the genuine article
would have dealt so gentlemanly with
such pair of greenhorns. But now let
me introduce you to the damsel toward
whom you have so gallantly played
knight. Rhoda, my friend Captain
Hardy, of the Seventy ninth regiment.
| Hardy, my sister, Miss Rhoda Bruce,
and O, Gil! this is Captain Hardy, a
RegulaE' as you have discovered; Cap
tain, my cousin, Gilbert Gains; and now
that we are at our gate'-the party hav-
ing reached the door by this t1me-s:let
us 60 in and eat our dinner WITH
"With thanksgiving and praise = broke
in Gilbert, who had been giving Rhoda
series of pokes and lunches as he
walked along beside her.
"That is just it, exactly" replied the
captain. ut is a true Thanksgiving day
for me; don't. know when have telt
such desire to return thanks" with a
warm look at Rhodes bright blooming
face.
It was some time before Rhoda could
summon sufficient confidence and cour-
age to address her brothers friend as Cap
tain Hardy.
"Only think, Gilber.,'' she said, ~
called him number 'seventy-nine' that
night, and shall always think of him
as number 'seventy-nine,' and I am SO
afraid I shall address him by that name. u
But with the captains frequent calls
at the house, during the rest of the win
ter, Rhoda gradually overcame her tim
idity, and before spring she had learned
not only to call him 'Captain,' but to
qualify that title in her mind andthoughts
with the tenderest Of adjectives; and in
due time it came to pass that she prom
ised to change her name of Bruce to that
of Hardy.
When she wrote little note to Gilbert
announcing their engagement, he wrote
back, "ycu owe me one for him, anyhow
if it were not for me you would never
have met him SO Economically at least
it was that pretty red hood of yours that
first attracted him; he is my Thanksgiv-
ing present to you, and want to come
to Seventy-nine's wedding.''
A year from the night Rhoda sat in
the dim twilight waiting for lover, she
was married to Captain Hardy of the 10th
regiment: and Gilbert was there!
! An AfectiOnate Bird.
An old gander conceived violent
affection of an English lunatic who was
allowed to go about at will, not being