The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-10-24
VAST FLIRTING.

no Stranger eNeI saw heI MAULOuV "a
pressing admiration, and did not weary
with the face after years of familiarity
with it. She was well bread, accom-
plished and a great heiress. l hadrea
son to believe that she was very fond
of me. No man could be more content
than / was, as / leaned back in the
st-class carriage, which took me
from Glasgow into the country to the
Vale of Cruix, where / was to preach a
few Sabbaths. The pulpit was vacant,
and I was going to try my wings. With
my pecuniary prospects I scarcely
thought 1 should care to accept o call
to the Vale of Cruix, but I had no OBJ
lection to'flling its pulpit for a few
weeks, especially as Angelina had gone
to the west coast, and Glasgow was
warm and stuffy and stupid.
Casual remembrances of elegant par
sonages built in Queen Anne's style, of
a study where the footballs were soft
ened by Persian rugs, and the doors
draped in portieres of ~velvets; chairs
and a desk. carved richly as some old
confessional, fitted through my mind.
And 1 thought also of a table spread
with silver and rare china, with a lady
at its head who resembled q queen.
And l breathed a luxurious sigh as l
awakened from my day dream to a
knowledge that the words vale of
Cruix" we're being shouted on the plat
form, and that the train was coming to
q standstill.
i siezed my travelling bag from the
rack overhead and hurried out OF the
carriage. The porters had just pulled
four or five trunks on the platform.
Two old wagons stood in the road, n
driven by an old woman, in a sun bon
net, the other by a red haired boy
with bare feet, and a queer knock-kneed
horse. attached to a queerer old gig, was
standing at a little distance. A young
man In o light summer suit and a city
family bent on rural happiness were my
companions on the platform. The
former put his trunks on the first wag-
on, kissed the cid m in the sun
bonet, took the reins and drove away.
He was evidently the son of the family,
come home to spend his vacation. The
rest of the trunks and the city family
mother, father, little boy, nursemaid
and baby-were put in the wagon and
driven off by the boy.
When the train moved away / was
left alone on the platform-alone but for
the stationmaster, who sat upon abench
smoking a clay pipe. In a moment
more the official, without looking at
me, made the remark: Deacon Ste
venson, has come for the new minister.
Hes over in the hotel, and will be back
in q minute"
"Thank you, !" said /.
The stationmaster took no notice of
but having climbed up ON q stool
and made some changes in q timeregis-
ter on the wall of the station, locked
the door, put the key in his pocket and
sauntered away down the railroad. /
took his place upon the bench and
waited. In a few minutes q pIim lit
Gle old gentleman appeared upon the
Top of the hill, carrying in one hand q
tin can, in the other a tin pail, and un-
der either arm q brown paper parcel. /
knew at a glance that it was Stevenson.
Are you MI. Mactaggert?" he in
quired mildly, as he approached. II
want to know. I hadn't any expecta-
tion of being kept SO long; but, you see,
4 saves the women folks trouble to fetch
things when / drive to town. Step in,
won't you? I'll just hang this paraffine
lie on behind. Some dislike the smell
maybe you do. The sugar loaf tea
and coffee can go under the seat as well
- not. How's your health, sir, and
aow do you like Vale Of Cruix?n
/ answered that my health was good,
and that I had not, as jet, seer much of
he Vale Of Cruix.
mo, yon haven't = said the old gen
leman. well, well drive through it
aow.
And he shook the reins and the old
sorse began TO stumble along. And on
drove past certain rows Of brick
houses very much like each other, and
with the same flowers in their front gar
lens, until, having passed the church,
we came TO one happily set about by old
SAX trees, before the gate Of which we
irew up.
A girl stood at the gate-a fair girl
- . h1uo nnuuIsu droou and xUhsfa