The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-03-20
A STORY OF MISTAKES.

This will be hard story to follow,
and, unless you pay close attention, you
will forget which is Evelyn and which
is the other girl, and why it was that
Mrs. Stimpcett thought her boy Moses
had broken his leg. Imean. of course,
Mrs. Stimpcett, of the village of Gilead
Mrs. Stimpcett's summer boarder,
Mr.. st. Clair, was forgetful. He liked
well to gaze at a brook, a pond, the
clouds, the blue sky, the 1owery fields,
and often he forgot to stop doing so,
and kept on gazing when it was meal
time, or bedtime, or some other time.
Mrs. Stimpcett took also another
summer boarder. a rich lady of the
name of Odell. Mrs. Odell was tall,
and slim, and pale, and in her cap,
just above her forehead, was set in a
row three pink muslin roses. Mrs.
Odell was silly enough to be proud of
being rich, and stingy enough to like to
save her own money at other people,
expense.
Mrs. Odell had six-year-old niece
named Evelyn, pale, delicate little
girl, who lived in the city, and this
Evelyn was coming to Gilead to visit
her Aunt Odell. She was coming in
the cars to Mill Village in care of the
conductor, and her Aunt Odell was to
send carriage to the station to fetch
her to Gilead. If the carriage was not
there when the cars arrived, she was to
stay with the station-man till it should
arrive. l trust my story is plain thus
| far.
1t happened that Mr.. Stimpcett was
going to Mill Village that same day, to
get some corn ground, and Mrs. Odell,
though itwould not take him very far out
of his way, asked him to go round by
the station and get Evelyn. This would
save hiring a carriage.
! Now Mr.. St. Clair thought it would
be a pleasant thing to go to mill, and
asked if he might 60 in the place of
Mr.. Stimpcett. Mr.. Stimpcett said.
go yes, if you will be sure to bring
back the meal" So Mr.. st. Clair
went to mill, and Moses Stimpcett, a
boy about nine years old, went with
him, for the sake of the ride, and to see
his Aunt Debby, who lived not far from
the mill. r ..
They set off soon after the hour of
noon. Moses wore his Zouave cap and
| his secCnd-best summer clothes, and
Mr.. st. Clair wore black alpaca coat,
blue neck-tie tied in bow, broad
brimmed straw hat, white vest and
white trousers. Moses drove the horse
and they reached the mill without acct
dent. While the miller was taking in
the corn Moses bought roll of loz-
enges at store near by, and as he
came out with them man passed that
way, leading small but valuable dog.
Said this man to Moses: 81 wish YOU
would hold my dog while l step into
the MILL" and Moses took the string.
Mr.. st. Clair hitched his horse little
way from the mill, and then said to
Moses: "When the man takes his dog
you can 60 to your Aunt Debby's. I
will call for you there after have been
to the station and got the little girl"
Mr.. st. Clair then walked up the bank
Of the stream to see the waters flow.
Moses led the dog along to the mill
and leaned against the building awhile;
then sat down on a barrel. Soon the
barrel began to move. The reason of
this was that it stood on an elevator.
Moses had not noticed that the barrel
stood on an elevator. First he Won
dered what the matter was, and second,
he thought he would jump; but by that
time the barrel was quite a way off the
ground, and, besides, he was troubled
by holding the string of the dog and
the lozenges. The barrel rose higher
and higher, and when the little dog
found himself swinging in the air he
kicked and yelped, and jerked the
string so that Moses was obliged to let
it go, and also to drop the lozenges, for
he had to grasp the barrel with both
hands. The dog fell and broke one of
his legs. Please remember that it was
the dog, and not Moses. Moses and
the barrel were taken in at the third
story. A traveller passing through the
place heard of this elevator accident,
and told of it that afternoon at house
in Gilead. But this person understood
| that IL was the bOu who hroka hia lao