The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-04-19

"Change cars for Noxton and Meadville"
ais that the train for Noxton . asked Mar
garet, making her way to the platform.
Yes, IN. There's your train, right across
there. Only stop five minutes"
And she was hurried away in the jostling
thTong. and found herself breathless on board
the other train just rs it began to move. Ii
proved ashorter journey than she had expected.
She had miscaleulated the time by an hour
or more, she said to herself. when later in the
afternoon her destination was announced, and
she found herself standing on the platform of
an unpretending little station, while the Shrek
ing locomotive rushed away on its course. She
was disappointed in her first view of the place.
Ii was extremely quiet and Countrywide, and
she seemed TO be the only passenger who had
stopped there. No sign of any one awaiting
her or of any conveyen e rewarded her anxious
glances, and she apPro he'd boy who perched
in the window of the rude building, was swing
ing pair Of muddy boots and comfortably
whiting.
q This is Noxton, isn't it?"
S'pose So"
"Arent you sure about it?"
/" Used to be; but. We see, brother Jim has
been up TO town tendin' some lectures, an he's
tod me about EN-; an now him an mes an
eggnoggSticism- don't Iniirm nor deny
nothin'."
The reply, though unsatisfactory, might have
been regarded as an evidence that she was APP
preaching the great centers of thought and
culture, but Margaret was in no mood to ap-
preeiate it in that aspect, and she remarked,
with the asperity she was wont 10 assume to-
ward refractory pupils:
- If you ever knew the name of the place,
you know ii now, OF course Can you tell me
where Mr.. Grey lives?"
The boy twisted his torn straw hat, and
wayered between good-naturod desire to
CRAFTY an anxious inquirer after truth and his
compromised.
well, l won't say as there is Mr. Grey, an
] won't say as there amt; but she lives in that
square house up On TO the hill"
Who is she 2"
I" Miss Grey
Margaret reflected moment, looked vainly
for her trunk and considered the smaller arti-
cles of baggage in her possession There ap-
peared no reliable person about the premises TO
whom she could appeal for aid or information.
She turned TO the boy again and prohered q
bit Of silver.
81 viii give you this if you viii carry my
satchel ana shawl-strap mp TO that house"
The eyes under the straw hat sparkled, and
their owner forgot his new mistiness IN absO-
lutte certainty.
"Golly! I'd DO it as quick as wink, marin,
if the man that keeps this ranch hada't left
TO take care OF it while he went mp to the next
station. lie jumped on to that train you come
on, but he'll have to walk back, and he can't
do il for more'n half an hOur yet, nohoW'
Waiting there for half-hour was not TO be
thought OF, and with grim determination Miss
Dean picked up the articles she had mentioned
and marched UP the hill Her disappointment
in the place and all its surroundings increased
momently, and the stiff square house, Ear up
the hillside, was not at al what her fancy
had painted, though, indeed, it scarcely bore a
trace of ever having been painted in any way,
so gray and weather-stained it was.
8 Il looks as if they had buried the baby in
the front yard, commented The lady, discon-
tentedly, as, standing on the steps, she noticed
a narrow oblOng bed stiiiiy set with a few flow
4 ers, on one side of the walk. Then she discov-
cred It's counterpart on the other side, and
murmured, : ." Twins!" as she lifted the brass
knocker of the old door.
A middleaged, faded-haired woman, with d
brass thimble on her finger, answered the sum-
| mons. 1t occurred to Margaret at the first
glance that her face bore strong resemblance
10 the ones she and Tom had long ago carved
| from hickory-nuts.
81 am Miss Dean she announced.
"Are you?" questioned the woman calmly.
" You did not send any one to fetch my bag
gage" Margaret continued. with tone that
suggested remissness in duty.
81 should s'pose not, as 1t isn't mine-thongh
/ for that matter I've had to fetch and carry my
own this many year. don't want to buy
anything either with suspicious glance at
the small satchel.
Margaret looked at her in bewilderment
You do not understand. / am Miss Dean
! your boarder for the summer. You were ex-
pecting me. were you not? Perhaps with a
happy thought that this was probably only an
obtGse rustic servant if you should call Mrs.
/ Grey"
"Fd have TO call long time: she's been
dead this five years." answered the FORTRESS,
/ Ixvifh f1. IL .,,nl
wasn't expectin' yen, because I never heard of
you before, and L don't want any boarders for
the summer"
/ Dusty, tired, "a stranger in strange land, y
/ and the sun sinking low in the west a sudden
dismay seized Margaret.
. 1t is very extraordinary" she murmured.
! "There must be some mistake. j certainly
have corresponded with Mr.. Grey of this
place and engaged room for the summer. A
| boy at the depot directed me here
| We'll, there's no Mr.. Grey here. I'm Susan
Grey neither more nor less" Then, with a
closer scrutiny Of her visitors attire smile
began TO glimner on the hickory-nut face.
"Now l shouldn't be surprised if twas Noxton
where you WAS amin TO 20 toy" she remarked
Certainly it was. Where am I?"
:" IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS different kind
of place. That one is way off ia another di-
rection on the other road. You must have
made mistake when you changed cars"
There was comfort IN the information that
the other was different kind of place. never
theless the situation was embarrassing. Miss
Dean sat down upon the doorstep.
" Then must so back. What is the earliest
train l can take?
Wont be any passenger before two o'clock
tomorrow afternoon. You see, this is only
branch road. Come in and rest spell. You'll
have to stay somewhere all night, and yoI
might as well stay here"
/ doOr 1uav JbroYv- do omar, Of ~
Miss Dean found herself in a room as cool ant
clean as it was plain and hcmely. With hel
entrace the hostess seemed to concede all claims
: TO hospitality. She led the way TO an airy
chamber, brought fresh water, and suggested
the possibility Of an earlier supper than usua
If desired.
:" Do not Inconvenience yourself in any way,
Margaret urged. " / am very glad to stop here
after my stupid blundering, and beg that yoE
Will let me make as little trouble as possible
"Well, can't afford to put myself out much
that's honest" was the prompt reply. 81 keel
, the village post though that don't amoun
TO no great-do dressmakin' and tailorin' be
sides, and what with the care of the house an,
garden, Pve work enough on my hands"
They looked like thrown roughened hand
that had never lacked hard work. They wer
a marked contrast to the delicate ones that ha,
t fallen into Margarets lap, and both wOnel
e noticed it; but the elder only added, littl
/ more curtly, You're welcome to stay until to
morrow, though"
4 A little head, with tangled yellow curls ant
grave dark eyes, appeared for moment a