The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-12-13

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to console himself with the thought that tho
car would soon be too dark for coiors to be
annoying, and that Haynton was but an hour
distant. Then the brilliant thought came to
him that he might change the scene. He
acted upon it, went into the noxt car, and
| took seat The rustic in front of him turned
his head. stared, and drawled:
"Gret GOSH Ef Ii amt Phil Hayn, then I'm
a clam she'll Well, I'd never have knowed ye
eff twa'nt for your fathers mouth an chin"
Then the rustic deliberately gathered his feet
and knees into his seat, and twisted his body
until his shoulders were almost squared to the
rear Of the car, his whole air being that of
man who had suddenly found a job greatly to
his liking, and one to which he intended at
once to address himself with all his might.
"Been down to York, ehr' the rustic con-
tinued, after getting his frame satisfactorily
| bracsd.
yes"
| NE rustic looked 30 steadily, earnestly,
hungrily into tho face before him that Phil
hastily looked through the window. Some men
have boon impressed by the historic ''stony
| British stare" others have admired the pene-
trating glance of tho typical detective, or the
frontiersman "sizing up" a new arrival bat
the Briton, the detective and the frontiers
the oountryman whose tastes tend toward tho
affairs Of his neighbors.
"Yorks good deal of a town, I s'poee,"
the oountryman remarked, after some ear
nest scrutiny.
eyes"
"Find anythin' to pay the expenses of the
tripr This after another soulful gaze.
shouldn't wonder"
"Carpet bag seems poorly well stuffed"
said tho tormentor, after having transferred
his glance for a moment to the old satchel
that occupied half of Pills seat.
"Mothor wanted few things that she
couldn't find at any of our stores" said Phil.
$3.50 anybody ye knowedf was tho next
| question, after the stare had returned to it's
principal duty.
"Not much" Phil replied, with shudder,
well knowing to whom the man alluded.
''How did your turnips average on that now
ground, Mr.. Bloksr'
"Only 80 So Yeput up at old-what the
somethin' was his namei-oh, Trammeriy-
ye stopped with him, Is'posei"
"Of course not. Mr.. Tramlay doesn't take
! boardors"
''Ort to how been willin' to take 70 in for
| few days, though, should think, considerin'.
| Didn't he even offer tor
1
ming to lose his temper. "He paid his way
| while he was here; paid mine in New
York"
"Oh!" drawled the rustic; then he put on a
| judicial air and devoted two or three
minutes to analyzng Phil's statement and
logic. Either accepting both or mentally
noting an exception for future use he con-
| tinued:
"His gals as pooty as ever, s'pose3"
(which oner'
The quostioner's gaze changed somewhat;
| by various complicated twitches he slowly
| worked tho blanknees out Of his face and re-
placed 1t by an attempt at a smile; then he
| slowly extended long arm over the back Of
the seat, and unfolded a massive forefnger,
which he thrust violently into the region Of
Pills vest pocket as with leer he ex-
claimed:
"Keer'
"Don't be a jackassI" exclaimed Phil,
frowning angrily at the fellow. Instead of
being abashed the boor seemed highly do
lighted, and exclaimed, in somewhat the &C
cent Of the animal Phil had named:
"Haw, haw, hawl Give ye the mitten, did
sheY'
eth be time for any girl to give me the
mitten when l give her the chance, Mr..
Bloke," said Phil, picking up his bag and
starting toward another seat.
"Oh, set down; didn't think ye was the
kind o. Teller to go an git mad at an old
neighbor that's only showin' a friendly in
terest in ye," said the man, in tones of re-
preach. "Set down. Why, l hain't asked
We half what 1 want to; you've gone an put
q lot of it out Of my head, too by flynn off of
the handle in that way"
CHI al f,a fhn
train stopped with crash. Phil hastily rose;
so did his tormentor, whose face was on alb
solute agony Of appeal as he said:
'Lemme help We up to the house with yer
bag. l jist remembered that Naomi has been
at me for q week to ask your mother some
thin when l druv by. Might ez well do it
tonight as any time; then 1 can give ye a
friendly lift"
"I'm not going to walk out home," said
Phil, hastily, ''if cam
"Well, I'd jest as lieve ride" said the man.
1.-TWO men and driver and a big bag
aren't going to squeeze into buggy with
seats for only two, if can help it," said Phil
"Say," whispered the native, confldentially,
as the two reached the platform, 81 b'lievo
know where can borry team as easy as
fallin off of log Jest you stand here q
minute or two-all the boys is dyin' to see
you-an' I'll hook up an be back"
The man disappeared with great rapidity
for being of his structural psculiarities.
Phil looked quickly about, dashed across the
track and under some sheltering trees in a
small unlighted street, then he made detour
through the outskirts of tho little village to
reach, without being observed, the road to
his fathers farm. The sound Of an approach
ing wagon caused him to hide quickly behind
clump of wild blackberries; but when he
saw the driver was not his prosecutor he
again took the road, muttering, as he plod-
ded along:
"Bloke isn't half through with me yet, he
said to himself. And he Is only one Of fifty
or sixty men a good deal like him-to say
nothing of womenl My punishment is
greater than can BEAR"
Thanks to the charity Of deep twilight,
there was nothing unhShtly about the famil-
lar road, and as Phil neared the mass, Of
shadow from which two lights cleaned lust
as they had done nightly ever since he had
first approached his home after dark, his
heart gave a mighty bound. Then his heart
reproached him that he had thought so little
about his mother during his absence that he
had not brought her even the simplest pres
emit. He would write back to- his father to get
him something which he knew would please
4