The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-03-22

often near enough to the hedge to be &C
| coated, pleasant acquaintance began
which WAS not restricted by anything tn.
young lady said or did. .s
Young Grentham had apparently no.
been a. communicative - his admirer. fol
his father, mother and sister entirely ignored
| the Royshams. Still, - Roysham said, il
was not intended that Eunice should MARY
the whole family. One evening. as Plat
Grentham passed the Roysham place, JUS
at sunset, he said to Miss Eunice, who had
evidently been watc' ling for his appearance
''The moon will rise in an hour. Iwould
greatly like to invite you to drive. It seem.
shame to. neglect such glorious weather
but my father, is 80 careful of his horse.
that he never allows them to leave the stable
at night except in cases Of absolute neces
sity." -: >~' :f..
How odd!" said Eu~ice, with . pretty
laugh. my pa does not care when on,
horses are out or how late" Then she
dropped her eye moment, and finally said
IF you really are very anxious tc
drive, am sure papa would he glad to have
you use his team, for he complains thai
the horses do not gea enough of exercise. .
II should only be too grateful for such q
favor" said Grentham, III could hop<
for inst one more"
"What is that2" asked Eunice as innocent
]y as if she did not know.
1T is that you will accompany me-"
Miss EuniCe acceeded with alacrity, and
when Grentham called an hour later, thu
horses were at the door, and the entire fam
ily in the parlor. Mrs. Roysham received
the young man effasively, Mr.. Roysham
was placidly courteous, the young ladies
adored mutely, and their brothers regarded
their prospective brother-in-taw criticall
so Grentham was glad when finally he wa.
on the road. He drove carefully, talket
leasantly, and although he did not max.
love, he quoted some poetry, which the fa=-
lily agreed was good sign. A little gall
was poured into Eunice's cup OF happiness
by the family servant who had heard that
Plat Grcntham, besides being hard drink
er, was gambler, and had recently been
put on . very short allowance of money by
his father but the young woman told her.
self that was all the more reason why he
should spend an evening in her society and
out of temptations way.
Miss Eunice and the family horses kept
Grentham from bad company several times
afterward, the only fault the lady could
find being, that Grentham, who always
stopped few moments at q "road house" to
rest the horses, would return smelling of
liquor, although his manner never became
offensive. She noticed, toe, that he seemed
to know many "fast" looking men who
drove up that way from the city. One even
ing he reioined her in the parlor of the
hosiery, and looking somewhat troubled
said:
zone of the horses has famed himself in
some way. I must ask you to let me take
you home by train, and will come down
tomorrow for the team"
Eunice acqniesced; she would willingly
have walked home by the side of Plat Gren-
than, although the road was dusty and
the weather very hot. The railway station
was easily reached; Grentham bought two
tickets for Ridgeton, which was only half a
dozen miles way, found good seats, stuck the
ickets in the casing of the carriage window,
and, as the train started, asked Miss Eu.
nice to excuse him for a moment that he
might speak to an acquaintance, whom he
hal seen enter another car.
Grentham had not returned when the
train reached Ridgeton, SO Eunice hurried
out alone to meet him on the platform.
But he was not there, and finally she walked
home alone, to explain what had happened
aud to say that her escort had probably
been carried past the station.
Neither Grentham nor the horses were
seen again in week, so Roysham finally
went to the place indicated by his
daughter to look after his team. He found
the animals looking remarkably we'll, but
they were at the pole of q carriage he had
not seen before, and when he attempted to
take them stont man With large diamond
and thick cigar objected, on the ground that
be had paid Plat Grentham $500 for them
a week before, and made them more valua-
BILE since.
Then there was indignation and tears
in the Roysham family. Old Grentham
paid the full value Of the horses, on the
one condition that the truth about their loss
should never be divnlged. In dealing with
the old banker, Roysham found his own long
lost spirits in such good condition that he
again assumed control of the family. He
did not buy another pair of horses, and he
allowed his children to associate with their
old friends. And Eunice married the
young rector, and has not yet had occasion
f.>rr