The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-01-29

| inauguratcd between Connie and Fan
and under cover of this messages and ever
| special notes still reached Tom Follaker
and when ut last Fans visit drew near its
end he screwed up his courage to the point
of asking if he might not still hope to heal
from his valued but unknown cores
pondcnt y
Fan was not coming back to New York
at once. She was, so she informed hei
brother, to join party bound for Florida,
and perhaps spend the winter in southern
ATTITUDES. So Toms correspondence came
to an untimely end with the request quoted,
and two weeks passed away. Sad to re-
late, he was beginning to think less fire.
quently than before of this mythical 'Con-
ME, when there came a letter one day
which caused Mr. Toms heart to give a
diminntive little thump. He tore it open
and mechanically threw the envelope into
his waste-basllct. Dear Mr.. Follaker, -
the note read, ''the shooting is very fine
just now in the vicinity of Coster's run,
Brock county, in this state. The nearest
railroad station is Rockville
Tom Owed into his waste basket The
envelope was postmarked Baltimore. y
A search in the postofiice and railway
guides revealed the fact that while there
was no such station as Brockville in Mary
land, there was such one just oyer the
border iii neghboring state. To this
station Tom sent reply at venture, adj
dressed simply &C. 0. NJ and marked
for return if not claimed within ten days.
sDcar Miss Connie, it said "of course |
am sadly mystified by your note; but that
is nothing strange. Men have been SINH
larly perplexed since time began. If pack
up my traps and go shooting in the vicinity
of Coster's run, what then? Vicinity is a
very indefinite term. Give me, pray you,
some more specific directions, and for the
sake of meeting my sisters friend and my
own unknown correspondent will gladly
shoot ruiiled grouse along Coster's run or
anywhere else
In few days there came an answer:
''Take $40 A. NJ. train from Baltimore on
Wednesday next. Stop at Brockville.
Wear your shooting clothes. Watch for a
dark-brown riding habit and red carna-
ton"
"Well,' thought Tom, when he read
the brief epistle, 'this is beginning to look
serious" and he pondcred the situation
with some missivings While the cores
pondence had been conducted through his
sisters letters and from beneath another
sisters roof it had seemed all tight, and
there had actually grown up in his heart
quito a tender sentiment toward Tine I'M
known Connie. Had her visit not been
abruptly terminated, he would have gone
down to West Virginia prcdisposcd to fall
in love at first sight. But this renewal of
the correspondence had an uncanny look.
'IIowover,' he concluded, "I'll see this
thing through anyhow and Tuesday
afternoon found him on his way to Bal
timore, with gun-case and the necessary
paraphcrnala for shooting expedition.
II must be admitted that for a sports
man he took extra pains next morning with
his toilet, and very good-looking fellow
he was i'll his corduroys as he boarded the
$40 train. This was due at Brockvillc at
about . p. NJ, and Tom had plenty of
time to reflect upon the GRAND witch had
thus called him away from his fall engage
ments. The result of lis eogitations was
not rcassuring. He hated to be made a
fool of, and the more he turned the matter
over the more it seemed to him he was in
imminent danger of Just this very thing.
AT station where the train stopped for
ten minutes for wood, water, and refresh
mcnts, Tom was gazing absently from the
window, calling himself some not very
complimentary names and half inclined to
fake the return train before it was too late,
when he became aware of another eortlu-
roy-clad individual walking mp and down
the platform, apparently for the sake OF
exercising a handsome livcr-colored setter,
who, with delicate, sensitive muzzle to the
ground, was ''quartering" the platform
and trying to make believe that he expect
cd to find game scent Some one going
shooting in earnest" thought Tom. Not
partly ON wild-goose chase, like me.
Wonder where he's bound =
There was ticket in tie strangers cap,
and when next he passed the window Tom
looked sharply and made cut 'Brockville. :
'.IIc must be going to Coster's run, too, =
thought Tom. ''I'll scrapc acquaintance
when the train starts.
But ON consideration an idea came into
our hero's head upon which he forthwith
proceeded to act. He had already made
friends with the conductor through the
medium of cigars, and stopping him on his
next round through the train asked him if
he could have the use of some retired
corner of baggage ear for few minutes,
Il want to change my clothes. Tom ex-
planned innocently. Il intended to go ont
shooting at once but I've changed my
plans.
The conductor was quite ready to ohlige,
and in few minutes Tom had changed his
corluroys for dark business suit and n
soft felt hat Finding a seat in the fore
most car he awaited with some little ner-
vousness the approach to Brockville, now
not far distant. AT this station, as the