The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-02-25

walk as they passed John Folsom's door.
and he was glad they did 80, for it gave
him q chance to take such q look at good
horsefesh as he delighted to take. In
stead Of going by, one Of the gentlemen
turned bis horse toward the forge and
then dismounted.
6" think my horse needs new set of
shoes, the gentleman said.
"Not badly John answered, as he
looked at the iron.
III I have him re-shod now, I shall
have no occasion to feel anxious about
him for some time.''
'sf you insist, will shoe him as we'll
as / know how.
They tell me on the highway 'twixt
here and New York, that no man shoes
horse quicker, better, or more honestly
than you
Il believe they tell you the truth"
I'll walk about a bit, for my limbs are
cramped because of long riding
The other man, evidently a servant,
kept his seat, but the gentleman, who had
dismoGnted, walked up and down the
highway. At last he stopped, and seemed
to be looking over the fence into the gar
den that John Folsom s house was flank
ed by.
Presently Miss Abby Folsom came out
| OF the house and stood by the gate that
opened to the highway that leads to
New Haven. The sun was less than halt
an hour high, and its rays came across
meadows, unbroken by house or hill, 50
that she was completely enveloped in
them, and when the gentleman first saw
her, he thought that it was well worth
coming many miles for such picture as
that.
When he stood before her, with uncov-
cred head, as he did presently, and saw
| her beautiful face, that the mellow rays
| touched gently while frightening the
hair that fell carelessly over her forehead,
he did not conceal his admiration, and
he said at once:
"Surely have the honor to be speak
ing to Miss Abby Folsom2" and when
she replied with courtesy that was as
graceful as his obeisance, and looked at
him almost smiling, and yet with an ex-
pressoin of surprise, he said to himself
eHere is lady, if ever there was one,
and none more beautiful"
Then he introduced himself as Mr..
Sterling. and said that he tad heard of
her kindly through Judge Jones.
'"Ihen you have acquaintance with
Judge JONES' said Miss Abby, smiling.
'Does he feel hardly to any of us? For I
doubt not he told you how he was made
prisoner
'Let me assure you he entertains
nothing but, kind feelings and the great
est admiration for the young woman who
suggested the expedition that made him
an unwilling guest of Gen. Sullivan s
consOrt, and he has been so warm in his
| praises of that young woman that he has
perforcc made his friends share his feel
ings."
Here Miss Abby smiled, and then ask
ed Mr.. Sterling whether he would have
done differently had he been one of the
Strattord young men.
He assured her that he did not see how
the young men of that place, when inspir-
ed as they must have been by her coun-
sci, could have done otherwise =
They stood there until the sun had set.
and Miss Abby urged the gentleman,
with no undue show of pressing hospital
ity, to come into the house and Join her
father and mother and herself at the sup
per table. He declined, but said that,
with her permission, he would walk that
way next day, for he purposed staying
some days in Stratford.
1t SO happened that when he went
back to the forge he met there Ezekiel
Dickerman and John Ruggles, and saw
Ezekiel start, and then look closely at
him.
| my prisoner, I'll venture my lif
said Ezekiel to John Ruggles.
| "Ask him." said John.
"You were on Long Island, I'll ven
ture, p" said Ezekiel to the stranger.
81 have been there.
'Mayhap you remem Der that had my
hands on you for five minutes one even
ing in Judge Jones' garden. -.
"1ndeed, remember that we'll, and no
small pluck of you. Are you the man?
Surely you had no beard then?"
II had not, and I ceased not tie repro
bate myself that I suffered you to give me
the slip" =,
Mr.. Stirling laughed heartily at this.
and assured Ezekiel that he should not
have the slip now, and with that urged
him to get together all the young
men who were in that party, whom he
could, and bring them around to the
| tavern.
"And be sure you come, John Folsom. :"
he said. !The war is ended; let us be
| friends"
John Folsom was so greatly pleased
| with that sentiment that he went with
the others to the grand dinner Mr.. Stir
ling gave his would-be captors at the tav-
ern, and Of all the men who drank heavi-
| ~ and showed it, none drank deeper nor
showed it less than John Folsom; and
when Mr.. Stirling rose and proposed the
health of Miss Abby Folsom after the
manner Of Judge Jones, as he lntimated,
John Folsom felt that his cup of Joy was
full. The toast, however, led to little
conversation in an undertone between
Ezekiel Dickerman and another youth,
that John Folsom did not hear, but which
Mr.. Stirling did.
"Young silliman was there Sunday
| night, Ezekiel" :
$50 hear"
"But she seems aveIse to him.
"Only the way of pretty girl.''