Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-04-26

she was even up" la Ruskin. and sh,
expressed herself with grace and spirit
which set Mr.. Payne to wondering il al
the Maine girls were equally cultivated
and beautiful.
And then Ine codnsh tumbled dow
again and had to De frightened anew
and by that time they had come to ,
house in the midst of lonely belt o
woods, which the driver said was ''Cat
ley's Dam" upon which the pretty CIR
disappeared into the purple twilight
and Mr., Payne and the codish went on
sorrowful, much iolted and alone.
A glimpse of the beautiful Ma2allo
way River by moonlight; the cry of s
wild bird In the woods; the noise of the
hidden cascades: q blur of lighted win
dows, which the driver said was the
factory: down blind lane, and check.
ing the tired horses at a one stored stone
house behind wall of cedar trees, and
then the Jehu cried out:
Now, then! HIRE we be, Widow
Buck'sr'
Mr.. Payne got stiffiy out and helped
to unload the various paraphernalia OF
travel which belonged to him-all oi
them by tins time considerably favored
with Goldfish.
Perhaps you had better wait, said
be, as the driver turned around and
chirruped to his horse.
"What for?" demanded the man.
SIN case Mrs. Buck should not be
able to accommodate me, Or"
''Oh, it's all right" said the driver.
She'll take you in. Naomi would have
told you else"
And away he drove, leaving our hero
alone in the spectral moonlight, with
a pile of luggage at his feet, and gaunt
dog smelling at the skirts Of his coat.
Who's Naomi?" said Mr.. Payne, ad-
dressing the moon. "And what would
she have told me?"
BE raised an old-fashioned brass KNOX
er that hung at the door, and ratified il
briskly. The gaunt dog aroused to q
sense of his duty, left off snuffing; and
began to bark. Presently, tail, thin
woman, with a red pocket handkerchief
tied On her head, with kerosene lamp.
In her hand, opened the door.
'Oh," said she, peering sharply at
him, you're the young man from the
city, are yOu?"
With the initiative thus taken out OF
his hands. Mr.. Payne could only incline
his head.
''All them traps your'n?" demanded
the Widow Buck, abruptly.
s.Xau ,,oa..ar, NJ Eo,-po ,lp,,ttaJ
''Humph," said the widow, Pears
to me it's purity tolerable cheeky of you
mister, to take it for granted you'd be
asked to stayr"
81 thought, madam"
I'm a-talkin' now," said the widow,
sharply. TO begin right straight ct
the beginning, We don't know anything
about you. You may be bank burg
lar or a counterfeiter for all we know!'
MY references, madam"
"Yes, / know" said the widow.
''And them very references is most like
ly forged, But I'm willin' to be reason
able. How old are youf'
And Mr.. Payne secretly wondering if
this was the way they managed thing Ii
Maine, answered meekly.
1.-Two and thirty?"
Ever been married before?" sharply
questioned the widow.
Certainly not, madami am single
mani answered Mr.. Payne, with a very
iustifable spark of Indignation in his
manner.
ANY business?" went Cd his cate
chist.
None madam"
"Well, like thatl' said the widow
with scornful sniff. Lake your i'm
pudence, to come here and own to such
q disgrace as that. Expect to live on
me, hey?"
'Madaml" gasped poor Mr.. Payne.
"Bow dye suppose you're ever going
to keep my Naomi, even if allowed
you to marry her?" sharply went on the
woman. (which [ shant do, and don't
YOU think it, Sae don't care for you
anyway When she heard you was
coming, she made up her mind to stop
off at Catley's Dam, just to get rid Of
the sight of you. There! So just pick
up your traps and go back again the
son-in-law OF minei'
But while Widow Buck was volubly
uttering these last glib sentences, o faint
light began to dawn on Mr.. Payne's semi
obscured brain.
81 think, Mrs. Buck" said he, "that
Won must be laboring under little mis-
My name is Percival
Payne, an from Boston was re-
here, as an eligible board
ing place. by Mr.. Warren, of 15 Pep
permint Place"
Mrs. Buck nearly dropped her lamp
in her CONSERVATION.
We'll, 1 never!" s id she, instantly
hinging the door wide open. please
to walk In, sir. I'll serd the boy ont
after your trunks and things in half O
minute. / beg your pardon, I'm sure,
for mistaking you for Peleg Driggs, from
Lowell, rs WAS comm here after my
daughter Naomi! She works in the
Lowell mills, Naomi does. To think
however / could have made such blum
derl Do walk In, sir.
And Mr. Payne was promptly intro
uuCSQ W hsshO AheoAAoA ~
red carpet, round table spread for tea,
shaded lamplight and fire of logs,
burning on Al open hearth, to keep out
the damp of the summer evening,
After ten o'clock, when the weary
traveller was in bed, in pretty little
room. where there was an eight day
clock in a cherrywood case. and a carpet
made of woven rags, he heard the open
ing and shutting of the doors below, the
clear sound of q familiar voice-the
voice of his black-eyed travelling COM
panion.
"well, mother, did he Gomez" she
asked.
"Peleg didn't come" said the Widow
Buck. But young gentleman from
tlre city came. And don't you blieve:
Naomi, / took him for Peleg, and L
peppered away at him welll
.Oh. mother, what will he think.
cried the softer young voice. -,
81 asked his pardon, of course, said
the old lady. 'And he took 1t all as a
Joke"