Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-03-29


response to the advertisements.
a young lady. II little i'll from over
study. wanted board in a quiet and
pleasant region. and wished to bring
with her maid, pony and dog.
She would frankly state that the dog
was a very large one. and if objected
to she must try some other place. The
note was signed "Mary Fleming"
Johnny after losing himself for
few moments in admiration of the neat
and lowerikc grace of tho writer's
penmanship. and breathing in n faint
delightful fragrance from the creamy
paper. wrote II reply-stating that the
dog could come aud welcome, and that
if Miss Fleming would kindly name the
time of her arrival at the Junction q
wagon would be in waiting for her.
Others might have used the word "con-
veyance," but it was Johnny's way to
use ALWAYS the simplest language.
Miss Fleming's immediate answer
stated that she would arrive on the 6
Z. NJ. train. on the 10th of the month.
1t was then the 9th of the month,
which, by the way, was the perfect one
of June.
Loneliness fled away from Aunt Jane.
A young lady maid. n pony and a
dog! How enlivoning! In the tumult
of putting the two bed rooms in order,
repapering the parlor and stocking the
! provision pantry with all sorts of good
I les likely to be relished by slightly i'll
! young lady, the four days swiftly
passed. johnny meanwhile built ken
mel of goodly size adjoining the wood
shed. swept and garnished II stall for
the pony, moved the grass in the
! front ward, surveyed with satiasfctiOn
his flourishing fields OF wheat and corn
aud was glad that the lilies and roses
and spice pinks that bordered the front
walk were beginning to open.
The day arrived and was one of those
utterly perfect days that give one an
idea of what the weather in Paradise
must be. Johnny, in fresh blue blouse
and his secondbest trousers. drove
TRANQUILITY TO the station. He was very
far from having any personal feeling
| over the approaching meeting For
was there not II great gulf between
young ladies who Travelled about with
! maids and ponies and dogs. and plain
! farmer people who worked from sun
rise to sunset for their living? Still he
would not have been twenty-five years
! old and human if he had not wondered
what she would like. He fancied she
would be tall with eye glasses on her
nose and a great deal OF rustling silk
drapery about her, and that she would
speak in II sharp aud fretful way to her
maid-beiug n little i'll and out of sorts
and also wearied with the journey. Or
maybe she would be thin and pale and
langu.d and angelic. and would be sup
ported by her maid who would be con-
stantly helping her to smelling salts
and fans.
The train was just pulling out of the
station rs he arrived. Htching his
! horses he walked into the waiting
room. 1t was vacant except for Il
pale, middle-aged woman in a gray
mohair buster with basket on her arm,
who leaned back in her chair with
| closed eyes and the generally anguish
ed expression that accompanies u Sc
we're headache.
johnny then walked around the
platform, looking east, west, north and
! south, and seeing no one but the usual
village sightscers who ALWAYS congre-
! gated ut 'train time" very likely sho
|
changed her mind; or had grown too
i'll to take the journey. Suddenly II
| brisk little person in a navy blue
! flannel gown with sailor collar and
Il sailor hat that sat nautically upon her
short reddish gold curls, tripped out Of
the baggage-room followed by an i'm
mense St. Bernard dog who, in huge
Notwithstanding capers was trying TO
express his joy that his railway woes
were ut an end.
THE maid and the dog anyhow"
thought johnny. and stepping forward
announced himself the Individual who
had come to meet Miss Fleming.
"Yes?" with that rising infection
that in some girls can be very charm
ing. II am Mss Fleming. And are
YOU Mr.. LambertonP" No common
farm-hand. Miss Fleming reflected.
could have such a handsome, refined
and intelligent face.
Eyes, my name is Lamberton," said
johnny; and since it was the first time
in all his life that he had been called
"Mr Lamberton' he felt strange
thrill of pleasure and pride.
"The pony will come on the 4:30
freight tomorrow morning. and will
walk i'm and get her if you are not too
far out. Three milesP oh. that will
be Just fine stroll for James and me-
There's some baggage in there-a
trunk and satchel-and in the Ex-
press office box. l will go and sit
with poor Browney until you are ready.
Here, James! Come sir, quiet down
and be sensiblep'
"Never have l seen Just such a girl, :"
was Johnny's thought, rs she vanished
into the waiting-room. 80 business
like. and so pretty, and not at all like
anything expected.
Even Miss Jennings luggage was
something unusual--a little leather
trunk hardly large enough to hold three
gowns. while the express box proved
to be violin case. As for the large
and somewhat shabby satchel. that was
plainly marked Emmeline Brown-and
hence must belong to poor Browney. y
A violin--a girls violin! JOHNNY
could hardly believe his senses. He
carried it to the wagon and placed it on
| i,,t b, -, 81 10 -,