Frostburg mining journal., 1883-02-24
WHOLE NUMBER. ss4.

reasonable. How old be you ?"
And Mr.: Payne, secretly wondering
il this was the way they managed
things in Maine. answered msskly
"TwO-and-thirty."I s.,s..tt-
Ever been married before ?" sharp.
ly questioned the widow. y y ? j g.
Certainly not, madam | am q
single mani" answered Mr.. Payne
with a justifable spark Of indignation
in his manner. Z 'i'pp 'al9al.
ANY business ?" went on his cate.
cbist. 'fia 'oAS eiai 2.
None, madam"
well, l like thst r said the widow
with a scornful sniff. Like your i'm.
pndsnce, to come here and own to
such disgrace as that | Expect to
live on me, hey p 'N' "
Madam i gaspsd poor Mr.. Payne.
How dye suppose you're ever 90.
ing to keep my Naomi. even if I al
lowed you to marry her ?" sharply
went on the woman, what I shan't
DO, and don't you think it'll She
don't ssrs for you. anyway When
she heard you was comipg, she made
up her mind to stop of at Catley's
Dam. Just to get rid Of the sight Of you
There So just pick up your traps
and 60 back again in the way you
come You won't never be . son.in-
law of mine T. .p''ue 8
But while widow Buck was volubly
uttering these last glib sentences .
faint light began to dawn on Mr..
PAynes semi obscursd brain.
u think, Mrs. Buck, said be, "thst
you must be laboring under a little
missPrrehsnsion. Ny name is PEREZ
val Payne. I am from Boston. u, I was
recommended here as an eligible
boarding-placs by Mr.. Warden, of Is
Peppermint Place."
Mrs. Buck nearly dropped her lamp
in her conformation.
"Well, l never !" said she. instant.
ly hinging the door wide open.
PLEASE to walk in, sir. I'll send the
boy out srtsr your trunks and things
in half minute. beg your pardon,
Ina sure, for nistaking you for Pelsg
briggs, from Lowell, as was comm
here after my daughter, Naomi She
works in the Lowell mills, Naomi
does. To think how ever 1 could
have made such q blundsr | Do walk
in, sir"
And Mr.. Payne was promptly in.
trodussd to delightful little "intsri-
or" OF red carpet, round table spread
for tea, shaded lamplight, and a FIRE
of logs burning on an open hearth to
keep out the damp Of the sammsr
sveLing.
Alter ten o'clock, when the weary
traveller was in bed, in a pretty little
room, where there was IN sisht.dsy
oiock in q cherry-wood case, and q
oarpet made of woven rags, hs heard
me opening and shutting Of doors be-
'ow, the clear sound of q familiar
voice-ths voice of his blsck.eysd
travelling companion.
"Wsll, mother, did he come ?" shs
asked.
"Pelsg didn't come" said tn. wild.
wv Buck. But young gentlsmsn
ttom the city came. And don't y,u
1lleve, Naomi, l took him for Psleg,
'nd psppsrsd away at him we'll |"
20, mother, what will he think Z"
cried the softer young voice.
II asked his pardon, of courrs,"
said the old lady. "And he took it
all as joke"
And when Psleg Deiggs himself, the
next day, put in an appearances, he
was summarily dismissed, while Mr..
Percivai Payne and the fair Naomi
we're sitting by trout.rool in the
col woods below; for Naomi knew
all about the haupts and nooks of the
aslghtorhood, and handled fishing.
pole most skillfally. t..
Mr.. Payne liked Mailzis Ford and
ataid there all summer. And as there
we're several boar dsrs in the old stone.
aouss, Miss Naomi concluded not to
return to factory life iI the Lowell
mills, but to stay and help her mother
with the house work; and when the
autumn came she was engsgsd-to
Mr.. Percival Payne. rfsdaW
"The sweetest wild. flower in all the
Northern woods" be wrote, enthuai-
astically, to his friend Warden, '2