The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-04-07
An Unexpected Meeting.


1t was small, one-story frame struc-
ture, presenting some of the character
istics of a cabin and cottage, built only
little way in from the road, and ap-
preached from 1t by narrow wooden
bridge, under which meandered, in
temperate seasons, gentle stream, but
which, in the fervid vigof of the sum-
mer and the rigor of the winter, was
dry and silent.
Away down in n meadow behind this
little sentry box was large farmhouse,
with colony OF smaller buildings
springing up about it, and lack of those
wasa wood, rising precipitouslyl to the
brow of a protecting hill.
In summertime this homestead of
Farmer Gilman was a smiling, shady
place to look upon, rs was, indeed, all
the country in which nestled the ham
|. let of Fairbank, distant a couple of
miles away; but now that the iron fet-
ters of winter were on everything, it
looked cold, cheerless and uninviting.
1t had been showing all day--snow
was everywhere. 1t was on the rich
pasture lands, on the closely-shaven
meadows, on last years tillage; it
crowned fences, and maintained a pre-
carious existence ON the roofs of houses !;
il rendered sightless gaps in broken
roads, and lent a treacherous expansion
TO highways; it, in short, blotted ou
the ordinary landmarks, and was on
great, white, Staring eyesore on the face
of the landscape.
Night had come on, and with it in
creased activity on the part of the storm.
1t was bitterly cold, too, and there was
an edge on the air like knife.
II was night TO enjoy a grateful
meal and comfortable fireside, and
this was what May Seton was prepar-
ing for her fathers return in the little
cottage by the roadside.
The ample stove was aglow with the
cracking wood-ire; the bright lamp
light illumined the neat, decorous little
kitchen; the old easy-chair wore look
of expectation as it stood by the table
that awaited the burden of the substan-
tial supplf, and the blue-eyed rose-b bud
herself was blithely singing snatches oi
ditty, as if in defiance of the gloom
and storm without.
Folea dozen years and upward May
SeftoA had occupied this same abode
with her father, and had been his sole
companion and housekeeper.
About that time George Sefton haC
made his first appearannR in Fairbank
bringing with him little else than fair
sweet cnlld Oh TOUR OF 1--WE years Olu
and carrying about him an air of sup
pressed suffering that silenced in
> quiries, albeit that it somewhat excited
curiosity. But this curiosity was sat
isfied and turned to sympathy when j
was learned that the stranger had re
Gently buried his partner, and that tn
golden-haired child he so tenderly cher
ished was mOtherless.
george Seton had not furnished Fair
bank with this information in so man
words. From the day of his arriva
to the tine whereof we write, he ha
never opened his lips on the subject {
his antecedents.
Abraham Gilman, or old Abe, as !
was more universally called, 10 distiT
guish him frOIN younger Abe, ha
once asked George, when they wei
working in the fields together, if he W,
not a widpwer like himself, where's
Abe's new employee had bent his hea
and then maintained a silence so impre
sive that the tact was taken for granite
AZ a never after discussed.
AS for May, if questioned on the su
iect, she could only tell OF a big tow