The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-12-14

Clinton Dexter would come to the barn
at midnight, and,
Philip was arrested In his cogitations
by his fathers saying
have so many cares, SO many
things to think of that l can hardly
keep track of my children's ages.
believe, Philip, your birthday comes the
thirtieth day of September, doesn't It ?"
Yes, SIR"
"And so you will be fifteen years old
tomorrow. Well, well, It does beat all
how the time flies. Fifteen years 1t
doesn't seem more than half that time
since you were baby. Let me see, l
believe / promised to let you go to
Hartford this fall, didn'tIY We shall
be halfway there when we get to Skid
more's, seeing tomorrow is your birth
day, perhaps we had better keep on, 1
don't know as we shall have any better
time to leave. We can start-have
breakfast at half.p past FIVE, and get off by
six, and by nine, If we have good luck,
we shall be there. We can stay there
till three o'clock in the afternoon and
then you wouldn't be late home. 1t
will be light tomorrow evening-there
is good moon now. Well, you may as
we'll go to bed and get all the sleep that
you can. shall call you up at four
o'clock.''
Philip started the second time to go,
but just as he got his hand on the door
latch, his father said:
wait minute, Philip. If you had
some one to keep your company from
Skidmore's and help you drive the
heifer, 1 wouldn't mind staying till
night before we left the city. Perhaps
Clinton Dexter would be willing to walk
up from there with you and help drive
her, If he could go with us to Hartford
and spend the day. If you think that
he would, and you would like to have
him go, you may run over to Mr.. Dex-
ter's and tell him If it is convenient for
him to spare Clinton, would like to
have him go to Hartford with us to-
morrow, and walk home from Skid
more's with you in the evening. And
be sure to tell Clinton, if his father
consents to his going, that we will call
for him as early as six o'clock"
Philip said: Yes, SIR" and took up
his hat and went into the hall but
before he got to the outside door, his
father called out:
lone thing more, Philip. L left my
bride hanging on bar-post down by
the sheep-barn this afternoon. If you'll
come back across lots and bring it up,
it'll save going for it in the morning. L
intended to get it myself, when L came
home from Mr.. Dexter's, but it slipped
my mind"
Lucky thing it did," Philip said to
himself, as he stepped out of the door.
F" If he had come around that way and
heard Clint and me talking in that
barn, 1 guess he wouldn't be in 80 gentle
mood tonight. He would have given
me Hail Columbia right and left, and
Clint would have Jared worse than L;
for when his fathers back is up, he's
as savage as tiger. Strange what has
come over father tonight. L noticed
that mother was surprised to see him so
much more social and gentle than COM
mon."
On his way over to Mr.. Dexter's,
Philip had great variety of feelings
and as great a conflict with them as his
father had while standing behind the
barn door; but before he got there, the
summing up was, that he was an un-
grateful scamp and that his father was
all right, only he had so many cares and
anxieties that it sometimes made him a
little stern and Grabbed.
Mr.. Dexter was always ready to oblige
his neighbor Raymond and he cheerfully
gave his consent to Clinton's going.
Clinton didn't know what to make of
this sudden turn of affairs. AS he went
with Philip to the door, he whispered
What's up, Phil? What has hap
penedS ? Has your father found out
anythingp"
" Not thing-not a thing" Philip
hurriedly whispered back. "You don't
suppose, Clint, he'd be taking us to
Hartford tomorrow if he had9 It's all
right, but it's the strangest thing that
ever happened-I'll tell you all about it
tomorrow - can't stay long enough
now."
Mr.. Raymond took up newspaper
and bowed his head over it as soon as
his son started for Mr.. Dexter's, but if
his wife had observed him closely she