Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-12-18

through all these years was sufficiently
accounted for, and they all awaited he
coming with an impatience which none o
them could conceal and which finally LEI
old Tom into the preposterous absurditJ
Of oursing the clock.
Presently the train on which oul
travellers had t ken passage drew up a
their station ard Margaret was somswhs
startled as the conductor yelled out
"Landstreet |" She had never been In
formed that there was a station Of thai
name. Young Tom wac, however, de
lighted with the name As an evidence o.
his grsndfather's importance. None o.
the family had cared to trust themselves
20 60 to the station but old Billy WAS on
hand with the family carriage and showed
his ivories finely as he doffed his hal
and made his bow aud sorape
to "Miss Maggie" as she would
ever be, no matter how often married, "a
the negroes. Maggie went forward quickly
to shake hands with old Billy, but Tom,
northern by birth, and by education
thus far, hung back from that and even
felt q little humiliated as he took his
place beside the old dArkey on the front
seat. A short drive took them home,
where the whole family stood on the
porch to receive them and in q moment
Maggie was lifted from the carriage and
we'll nigh crushed in old Toms arms, and
passed over in succession 70 Mrs. Land
his grandfsther's bear-like hug but was
warmly embraced by his grandmother
and Katie, and Barlow to his surprise
found himself destined to 60 to bliss by
the same route. That was no time for
the little reserves Of lovers.
As soon AS young Tom had escaped
from Katie's embrace he was seized by
the shoulder by his grandfather and held
of at arms length, and the man and by
gazed at each other.
"Well I'll be d." was old TOMS
utterly irrelevant exclamation. The
younRster looked steadily at him and
said nothing.
''How dare ye, ys young scamp look
80 much like me Z" demanded the old
man aeroely.
~ can't help IT," answered the saucy
yOungster. "I'd rather be handsome
instead, II l could"
Old Tom thsreupon made another
prophecy OF warm future for himself
and rosred with laughter.
Maggie here interrupted, saying
"Father, you will spoil my boy"
"It there's any danger Of that" re.
torted old Tom, cit seems to me you begun
1t, Maggie, by havin' hoy SO much like
yer wicked old daddy, but, /" he continued,
"there's no danger Of spoilin' him"
"Boy," he said turning to his grandson,
"Cau ye ride hoss ?"
Yes," answered young Tom. 'tI took
the prize in my GLASS at the riding school
in New York"
Billy, Oh | Billy" shouted old Tom
with the effect Of promptly producing
that individual.
"Bring that Chinooteague around here
with saddle on him." commanded old
Tom.
Mrs. Landstreet had by this time taken
Margaret up stairs and Barlow had taken
Katie into the parlor to explain by word
Of mouth probably matters untrAns.
mittible by mail, and Mr.. Landstreet
had his grandson 10 himself.
In short time Billy appeared leading
q beautiful black Chinooteague pony
somewhat large for the breed. z.-..-.
"Billy," said old Tom, "this Is young
Tom Landstreet."
eyes, boss" answered Billy, 81 spOse
he's the youug boss"
''Yss that's IT," said the old man
laughing at Billy's psrsisteut avoidenoe
Of the older title Of master.
snow, on with you." Mr.. Lspdstreet
said to the boy and young Tom was on
the popy's back in moment, and on his
way down to the gate. The old men aud
Billy both watched the boy critically as
he rode up AMI down the lane.
"Appsars to have good sest," said
old Tom, thinking aloud.
Powerful good, boss" responded
Billy, 'stonishin' fur town-boy." Just
then tbs pony shied and then reared, and
young Toms behavior satisfied his
critics that he was master Of the horse.
Mr.. Landstreet thereupon ordered Billy
to open the gate and advised ycung Tom
not to 90 further than the sohoolhouse.
In little while the ladiss returned to
the porch aud just as they did 80 young
Tom came gslioping mp the lane on his
pony the picture OF health and Joy and
calamity doifed his has to the group as
he drew up in front OF the house,
How dye like himY" asked Mr..
LSndstreet.
'First rate" answered young Tom,
cit was the incest ri 10 | ever had In my
life -"
"Glsi ye like him." said the old man,
"be's your'n."
Ths yOunSter did not stop to ciitioiss
his grAndfather's Kngli,h bat Jump d
from the pons and graspsd his hand as
he volubly expressed his delight while
Margaret sliIpsd up behind her father
and kissed him.
The old man was touched by these ex
pressions of gratitude but would net own
to any emotion. "What's the matter,
Peggy 7" he ass cd, Dye want hoss
too :" bat peggy" kDew that her father
Understood and accepted her gratitude
by the pressure OF the arm he threw about
her as they went 10 the supper table,
where also after very bristtime devoted to
soap and water "the young b,ss" mae.l
his appearance. For suIh was hereafter
young Toms official station. There
was but little ceremony about his adop
tion aud elevation, but the old mans
declaration to Billy that "this is youn
Tom Landstreet" settled both the " g
name and station on the farm and the
name naturally extended throughout the
neighborhood, 80 that oompar atively few
people knew that young Tom even had
such name as Grsntley.
"Katie," asked Mr.. Landstrset at
supper, shave ye got that letter Of Bar
lows tellin' about the q fiadin' Of Maggie I"
"Certainly," she replied.
swell sdvise ys to keep that 'uu,"
said her father.
"oi course, shall keep them all. I"
she declared.
"Mebbs-mebbs," replied her father,
"but whatever ye do with the rest, ad
wise ye to keep that 'un."
Notwithstanding the faut that Margaret
had told the story Of her life in New York
in her long letter to her mother there
were many questions to be ssksd aud
answered and long after young Tom had
been put TO bad the family Eat on the
porch and talked over the wonderful
events oonaeoted with Margaret's restora.
tion. Margaret explained TO them in the
o)urse Of the evening the nature Of her
formed her that that sort of thing was
done forever with her and told her she
need bother her Lead no more about her
own future or young Toms. "Yer boys
my boy" declared LAndstreet. "All
you've got 10 do is to look at him to see
that. God Almighty made him on pur.
pose to come aud take the old place, and
he shall have IT," OF course Margaret
had expected to make her fathers home
her home, but natural feeling Of Inde-
pendence had led her to hold on to her
remunerativa position until the matter
was definitely settled, but she now re-.
solved to resign and recommend Mrs,
Hicks for the place, 3 recommendation