The Penn's Grove record., 1884-03-08

nv llIlltli VI AbiaNACNoN' ~ fN'
But it was useless. John Ford's keen
ewes were too well used to woodcraft
and all pertaining to it, to overlook
her. lie stopped short at the en-
trance to tie glade.
.'Miriam Greenln he exclaimed.
Eyes" said the girl, laughing a lit
tie Historically. "Zaccheus he"
"And | am Zaccheus, and now |
can't get down"
"Ohr' said Mr.. Ford The ladder
fell, did it?'
',Y-yes," SAID Miriam, turning very
red. "The ladder fell down"
IN put it up for you" said Ford.
"D1!o SAID Miriam, laughing to
herself, as she thought of Aunt Jane.
He swung the ladder promptly up
against the trunk of the tree.
Now, it's all right" said he. I'm
lust 90 over to see that the dogs
haven t frightened Mrs. Morey's young
turkeys, and wait for you outside the
woods "
In five minutes Miriam Green wa
by his side, rosy and breathless, still
clinging to her apronful of mistletoe.
ooh, | am so much obliged to yout'
said she, earnestly.
at was rather an awkward predica-
ment wasn't it2" smiled he.
"What will Aunt Jane sayr'' said
| Miriam, i%nyoluntarily.
She'll be very much alarmed,
won't she?"
No" confessed Miriam. ''She-
that is-Oh, MI. Ford, l can't deceive
you about itl'
And she told him all.
"Of course, it was very wrong to
disobey her." she added, ''but-"
"My poor little Miriaml My sweet
frightened darlingl" cried John Ford,
passing his strong arm aound her
waist. "She was a perfect dragoness
to torment you soF'
"But | belong to her." said the girl,
innocently. 81 have no other home
but her house,
''Then belong to me, henceforward, :"
he said, tenderly looking down into
her blue, limpid eyes. "SureIy, you
cannot have elailed to discover how
deeply | love you'll Hereafter you are
minel"
Miriam Green, young as she was,
had often dreamed OF the pathway in
which love should come to her, but it
had never seemed like thIsl
But" she %stammered, "what will
your uncle say?"
What should he say?" calmly re-
toleed her lover. "Ford Court is
mine. My uncle is my only beloved
and honored guest. Besides, he loves
me so genuinely that my happiness
cannot but be his. And-But what
is this?"
They had by this time reached the
solid stone wall which divided the
grounds of Ford Court from the woods,
and there perched up OF its height-a
feminine Stylites-was Aunt Jane,
with a basket in her hand, half full of
the bakeries which she had gathered
from the huge bushes that made a
scarlet-dotted screen inside, while
stretched prone on the grass at the
foot of the wall lay old Major Ford's
monster bloodhound, Gelert. He
looked around and wagged his tail
slowly at the sight of John, but did
not stir otherwise.
Aunt Jane" said Miriam, ''what
are you doing on top of the wall,
therep"
81 only wanted a few barberries to
put in my cucumber pickles." STAN
mered Aunt Jane, ready to burst into
tears. "And-and | didn't suppose
there was any harm in gathering them
here. I've picked pecks and pecks of
barberries off them very bushes and
nobody said a word. And l was just
reaching up for the finest, when up
comes a cross old savage and asks me
what | meal by stealing fruit, and
leaves me here with this horrid,
snariing brute to watch me-just as if
| was IL tramp while he goes for a
constablel | never was so treated in
my lifel And, the more r try to jump
OFF, the more the dog shows his teeth
at me, and growls. He'd tear me in
pieces if stirred a foot in any direc-
ton, | do b~elievei''
MY Uncle Ford" whispered John
to Miriam. "Ile IS a positive monoman
lac on the subject of fruit thieYesI The
park bristles with man-traps, and there
ls a dog chained under every apple-tree
on h premises. But it's too bad that
he should have taken your aunt for one
OF the village purloinersl Gelert2 come
here this instant, sirl l assure you,
Miss Green" Ito Aunt Jane, who be,
tween her fatigue was on the verge of
fainting(, my uncle will be the most
grieved of any one, when he learns what
1t mlSappfehenslen he has been lab0ring
under. Allow mt to help you down
Take care-don't spill the barberriesn
Dear Aunt janet" soothed Miriam,
receiving the old lady in her arms, show
frightened you must have beenl'
"Oh, Miriam, forgive mel' sobbed
he old lady behind her sunbonnet 81
i didn't know how dreadful it was,
or never, would have pulled
the ladder down and left you therel
It's a righteous retribution on me,
that's what it isl"
"Oh, aunty, don't fret about i'll"
said Miriam, r~adiantly. ats all right
now. MI. Ford came along and put up
h ladderagain, and-and Pm engaged
TO be married to himl Don't look so
surprised, Aunt janet | know I've
old 1t In "A ierky sort of a but it all
happened as naturally as possible.
Didn't it, John?"
And then followed congratulations