The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-06-18
out nav two girls together and come in here

|. lput nay two girls together and come in here
with you"
"Why not let 1t be as it u.s." said Temple, in
his most insinuating tone. II shall take great
pleasure In having your daughter under my
charge and we reach Marselles in very few
hours" :.
"S,nce you are SO very kind dare say ii
would be as we'll ;" was the reply molly
. you'll be good and quiet eh"
|. Miss Molly laughed and promised. And
her papa ana Temple walked up and down the
platform, chatting in the most friendly way
Imaginable. They had exchanged cards, and
Temple had discovered that the old gentle
mans name was CrOfton.
! He ielt in very good spirits as he took his
seat again by Miss Molly, for he saw by her
smiling face, as she made room for him, that
her shyness was gone, and even that she was
pleased with the novelty of her situation.
!. They found plenty TO talk about Molly
proved TO be very communicative, and told all
abou. their plans for the winter; and asked
his with charming little feminine curiosity.
And 10! they were the same! So they planned
rides on the Campagna, moonlight visits to
4 the Coliseum, and days loltered away IN the
Il Vatican. And the time passed pleasantly
enough; and Molly and Temple became capt.
tai friends
4 When they reached Marseilles, Mr.. Crofton
proposed that Temple should lunch with them,
and that they should all go on board the Mes.
\ senger together, which was done; and about
four o'clock they were grouped on deck watch.
ing-as they steamed rapidly out into the blue
Medlterranean--the city with its white build.
Ings, the pretty church on top of the hill, and
the many relocated, widetrousered French
soldiers who were lazily wandering about the
quay.
That night there was q full moon. And It
shone and gimmered on the water, and made
the white deck and the people look quite
ghostly. The passengers were mostly upon
deck, for the sea was calm. Mr. Crotton and
Temple meandered up and down smoking;
the latter stopping occasionally to pull the
wrappings and travelling blankets more close
ly about the young ladies, and taking especial
care that Miss Molly should not take cold.
have no notion of giving you detailed
account of the journey from Paris to Rome
Bradshaw would do it much better. And, OF
course, YOU have all taken the same old route,
and know it by heart So you can easily inn
aglne what rapid strides in friendship our little
party of four made in the twenty four hours
on the Mediterranean, IN the rush through
Leghorn, and in the three charming weeks
passed in Florence. They were constantly to-
gether, and Temple felt that he was falling
! little in love with Miss Molly. As for Blanche
such an icicle? She was tritle dignltied too,
and sometimes administering II little snubbing
| to Temple when he seemed on the high road
to being spoiled by the Difference paid him by
Molly. Showing that she did not entirely ap.
prove of the fourth IN their party SO matters
were when they started for Rome.
When they reached Nunzlatela where they
were to take the diligence, there was the usual
rush made for seats; and Temple found, much
TO his satisfaction that Molly was again to be
his companion. Only they were to be bored
by the additional company OF the ladys maid,
who, fortunately, however, did not understand
one word of English.
Molly had vowed that she would sit IN the
banquette and as Blanche vowed that she
would sit in the coupe, and as both of the
Young ladies were in the habit Of having their
own way, there had to be division. So Tenn
pie was Entrusted with Molly and the maid.
There were tour dligences, and they all
started at once, in line; the one in which
were our party taking the lead; Molly giving
little shrieks of delight at beng so high up"
and declaring that it had always been her am
btion to drive on top of an omnibus but that
the banquette Of diligence was thousand
times better. Three hours passed quickly
enough, although there was not much to see
except WIDE bare country, and the one or
two little villages at which they stopped to
change horses.
i AS it began to grow dark there were the
usual forebodings of bandltti, and the same
dreadful talk of how only month previous
diligence had been attacked, the passengers all
robbed, and ladys finger CIT off for the sake
of valuable ring. All this was very real and
very horrible to Molly, who began heartily to
wish they were at their journeys end Tenn
pie only laughed at her. of course, but she
| ,nI L,l;a hat Of nr finn rs
or ears would be cut off before they reached
Civlta Vecchia.
ave are stopping now for the last time, y
SAID Temple, as the horses were pulled up.
ave will be IN Civitia VecChla in about two
hours"
would you mind asking if they know OF
any banditti being in the neighborhood ?" be-
gan Molly.
), 81 will, certainly if 1t will be of any comfort
4 to YOU" as he climbed down from his elevated
position and went into the wretched looking
hotel.
i There was some delay in putting in fresh
horses, and Temple was glad of the chance to
walk about. By this time 1t was nearly dark,
, He was thinking very buslly as he walked up
; and down with his hands IN his pockets
| thinking that he was getting very fond OF Mol
!; Ilv, and that it would be extremely pleasant to
!, have jolly little wife to travel about with
him. And they could be married in Rome,
and 90 to Lorento for wedding tour, loiter
in the orange grove, and ride on donkeys until
the honey moon was over. What better time
, to propose than now9 Such a pretty, soft
q light from the million of stars, and the tiny
!, little crescent of moon And the hood OF
the banquette sheltered them so nicely from
, the wind, which, perhaps otherwise would
have been too keen. If it was not for that un
=, lucky maid, 1t would have been quite the pref
tiest place imaginable for the purpose. But
3 of course, one couldn't be fervid or anything
: of that sort within ear.shot Of u brisk, sharp
f little ladys maid-even if she did not under
' stand a word of English.
al 10 bad u, ha olled tvica baf,ra ho com prp