The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-09-28
'~" BLOOMSBURY, PA, FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER %. 1883.

"a,
Bucks y
Mr.. Payne got stify out, and helped
TO unload the various paraphernalia of
travel which belonged TO him--all of
them by this time considerably flavor
ed with salt Goldfish.
perhaps you had better watt" said
he as the driver turned round and
chirruped to his horse.
What for?" demanded the man.
"In case Mrs. Buck should not be
able to accommodate me Or
ooh, 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 pile of luggage at his feet and
a gaunt dog smelling at the skirts of
his coat.
"Wbo's Naomi7" said Mr. Payne,
addressing the moon. "And what
would she have told me ?"
He raised an fashioned brass
knocker that hung at the door and
ratified it briskly. The gaunt dog,
aroused to sense of his duty, left off
snufling and began to bark. Presently
a tall, thin woman, with a red pocket
handkerchief tied over 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 your
With the initiative thus taken out
of his hands Mr.. Payne could only in
cline his head
| "All them traps your'n ?" demanded
the Widow Buck, abruptly.
eyes, madam" Mr. Payne admit
ted.
"Humph y said the widow /" Pears
to me it's purity tol'ble cheeky of you,
mister, to take it for granted you'd be
asked to stay"
Il thought, madam"
'I'm talkin' now,' said the widow,
sharply. ''To begin right straight a,
the beginning, we don't know nothing
about you. You may be bank bur
glar or counterfeiter, for all We
know
'Niy references, madam"
"Yes, ] know" said the widow
"And them very references is mos
likely forged. But I'm willin' to b,
reasonable. How old be you?'
| And Mr.. Payne, secretly wondering
if that was the way they managed
things in Maine, answered meekly:
"Two and thirty"
Ever been married before? p sharp
| ly questioned the widow.
! "Certainly not, madam! am
single mani! answered Mr.. Payne
| with iustiiable spark of indignation
in his manner.
| "Any ousiness?' went on his cate
chist.
| "None, madam"
! We'll, | like that said the widow
with scornful sniff. 'Like yonr i'm
lpudence to come here and own to sucl
a disgrace as that! Expect to live OIL
me, hey?'
! MADAM !" gasped poor Mr.. Payne
| "How dye suppose you're ever goin,
| TO keep my Naomi, even if / allowe
| You to marry herr sharply went o
the woman, "what l shan't do, and don
| you think it, She don't care for yor
anyway! When she heard you wa
coming she made up her mind to sto
off at Catley's Dam, just to get rid @
the sight of you. There! So just pic
up your traps and go back again i
the way you come! You won't neve
be son-in-law of mine"
| But while widow Buck was volubl
uttering these last glib sentences
faint light began to dawn on NJ
Payne's semi-obscured brain.
81 think, Mrs. Buck" said he, ''th;
you must be laboring under littl
misapprehension. My name is Pc
cival Payne. l am from Boston.
} was recommended here, as eligibl
boarding place, by Mr.. Warden, Of
Peppermint place.
| Mrs. Buck nearly dropped her lam
in CONSERVATION.
"Well, l never!' said she, Instant
tlinging the door wide open. ''Pleal
. to walk in, sir. I'll send the boy OF
after the trunks and things in half
: minute. / beg your pardon, I'm sur
: Tor mlstaking you for Peleg Drigg
| from Lowell, as was comm here aft
. Naomi She works in the Lowell mill
? Naomi does, To think how ev
i. could make such blunder! Do wa
}, in, sir"
And Mr.. Payne was promptly j
troduced to a delightful little "inte
or of red carpet, round table spre
: for tea, shaded lamplight, and
2 OF logs on an open hearth, to keep G
the damp of the summer evening.
After 10 o'clock, when the weari
traveller was in bed, in a pretty lit
7 room, where there was an eight d
n clock in cherry wood case, anC
carpet made of woven rags, he hea
!, the opening and shutting of doc
below, the clear sound of famili
3 volce-y-the voice of his black-ey
+ travelling companion.
Well, mother, did he come ~ $
G asked,
l "Peleg didn't come, said the w
o ow Buck. but young gentlem
-. from the city came And don't y
20 bleYe Naomi, ! took him for Pei
and ! peppered away at him well !"
l. 80, mother, what will he think
" cried the softer young voice.
Il asked his pardon, of oours
'e sad the old lady Sand he tool
all as joke
le And when Peleg himself, the m
n day put IN an appearance, he was 81
d marily dismissed, while Mr.. PEREZ
Payne and the fair Naomi were sitt
VI by trout pool in the cool wo
ut below; for Naomi knew all about
g. hants and hooks of the neighborho
IN and handled fishing pole most 81
lie fully,
is Mr., Payne liked Maizle Ford,
u stayed there all summer, and as ,t
were several boarders in the st
m house, Miss Naomi concluded no
W. return to factory life in the Lo,
a m''ls, but to stay and help her mot
oil with the housework; and when
as tumn came she was engaged--to