The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-06-10
started for the far northern wilderness
of Mailzie Ford.

found himself perched up in an oper
box wagon behind two trunks, pack
age of salt Goldfish, mail bag, and s
pretty girl, with eyes as soft as black
pools of water, and one of those odd
fringy hats of black straw, all covered
with loops and ribbon lat make peo.
pie look so picturesque. N@
where do we meet the stage ?"
said Mr.. Payne, as he settled himself
so as to Inconvenience his pretty
neighbor as little as possible.
The driver stared at him.
"Phis 'ere's the stage ~ said he
"Git up Sorrell'
Mr.. Payne stared.
"But stages have tops" said he.
"This ERE Stage don't,n said che
driver.
1t was rather trying situation
stee2 uphill part of the way, end steep
down hill the rest, with the Goldfish
and the mail bag alternately tumbling
into Mr.. Payne's lap, and the pretty
girl laughing in her sleeve at his EN-
barrasment.
Ppm rude know" said She "but
If you'd jus. tie that Goldfish to the back
of the wagon, with Your fishing line,
it would not trouble you so much"
"a good ideal" said Payne, briskly.
Thanks, very much for suggesting
itW HI4as*
"Tve Travelled over this road before, y
said the pretty girl, laughing.
Are you going to MAilzie Ford ?''
said Mr.. Pay ne, with a sudden CLEAN
of animation. 8F
NO" said the pretty girl, ito
Catley's Dam" Tn@ ff
"Perhaps you know something
about Mailzie Ford ?n hazarded our
hero.
"Oh,y esl" said the nymph with the
dark e, es. "It's a lovely place! I used
to live there before l went into the
factory at Galley 81
"Do you know the Widow Buck ?r
asked Payne, with interest.
VERY WELL" nodded the pretty
girl.
And then they began to talk alb, nj
the tall, blue crested mountains. which
were beginning to close in around
them.
The dewy-ei cd damsel had read
Lengfellow she knew all about
Thore u; she was even "up" in Rus
kin, and she expressed herself with
grace and spirit, which set Mr.. Payne
to wondering If all the Maine girls
were equally cultivated and beautiful
And then the Goldfish tn mbled down
again and had to be frightened anew,
and by that time they had come to a
house in the midst of lonely belt OF
woods, which the driver said wa.
"Catley's DAM" upon which the
pretty girl, disappeared in the purple
twilight, Mr.. Payne and the Goldfish
went on, sorrowful, much jolted and
alone.
A glimI Sc of the beautiful Magallo.
way river by moonlight; the cry OF
the wild bird in the woods the noise
of hidden cascades; blur of Lighted
windows, which the driver said was
the factory, down blind lane, and
checking the tired horses, at a one
stored stone house behind a wall o.
cedar trees, and then the Jehu crieo
out:
NOW then, here we be. Widow
Buck'sW
Mr.. Payne got stiff1y out, and help.
ed to unload the various parapherna-
lia of travel which belonged to him
all of them by this time considerably
Favored with salt Goldfish.
''Perhaps you had better wait, "
said he, as the driver turned around
and chirruped to his horses.
"What'for p asked the man. a1
"In 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." an @oE
And away he drove, leaving our
hero alone in the spectral moonlight
with pile OF luggage at his feet and
gaunt dog smelling at the skirts OF
his coat.
who's Naomi ?" said Mr.. Pavne.
addressing the moon. "And what
would she have told me?n
He raised an old fashioned brass
knocker that hung at the door, and
ratified it briskly. The gaunt dog left
off smelling and began to bark. Pres
entity, tall, thin woman, with red
pocket handkerchief tied on her head.
with a kerosene lamp in her hand.
opened the door.
"Oh," she said, pesring sharply at
him, ''you're the young man from the
city are your"
With the initiative thus taken ont