Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-12-04

of silence, and as the horses trotted
leisurely along. the man looked
thoughtfully at the bottom of the
buggy while the girl looked out across
the prairie. forming imaginary pic
lures in the darkness. They had al
most reached Jennie's home. when her
companion raised his head. and shak-
ing himself as II he had just awoke
from sleep, asked.
do you know your grandpa's
namep"
Eyes, sir. it is Reuben Thayer."
"What town does he live IMP"
"He lives in Ohio. but l forget the
town."
Cant you remember itp"
"pm afraid not. But / have it on a
slip OF paper here. Do you want itp"
"Yes, do What were you going
to do with it9"
"I-you won't never tell, will youP"
Indeed / won't"
81 was going to write to him and
tell him every thing, but l was afraid
to write, and didn't"
'Look here. I've thought up little
scheme. Can you keep secretP"
Yes, sir; If l ought to can"
"Well, you ought to this time and
you must. Now, we'll go in together
and put up little job on your pa and
ma. Well write to Mr.. Whats-his-
name-your grandpa. / mean--we'll
write to him and tell him all about
this land trouble. and I'll bet you any
thing it turns out all right II 1t don't
why there won't be any harm done,
and nobody but you and l will be dis
appointed. Now, what do you say to
thatp"
81 don't know. Do you think it
would be rightp"
"Why, of course. There couldn't
be any harm in it, could thereP"
mo. sir, and / think it would be a
good idea"
"Then I'll write the letter when
get back and you must keep perfectly
still aboutit."
81 will, and if it all comes around
right pa and ma will be happy" Won
der what the agent would Think"
"Why, he'd be as glad as he could
be-
The buggy rolled back across the
prairie, and after Jennie had waited a
few minutes to listen to the Gathering
of the horses feet she went into the
house.
you were SO late. Jennie" the
mother said, .'that began to feel un-
easy about you. l was afraid that you
had lost the way"
Jennie then told about her export
ence OF the night and her meeting
with the stranger who brought her
home.
What was his namep" the mother
asked.
him. He was good, kind man,
though, and / wish he was the agent
instead OF Mr.. Babcock, odon't you,
motherp"
II wish some one who has more
heart than Mr. Babcock was agent"
"The gentleman said Mr.. Babcock
was not to blame, though, and that the
people judge him wrong"
That's all very we'll to say, but
people whose homes are taken away
don't see it so well. What does Mr..
Babcock care if we are turned out of
doors without dollar in the world ?
People who are not robbed don't
know"
A week passed and, though the doc
tors visits had been regular, Mrs.
Skaggs' condition had not improved,
and the doctor thought 1t likely not to
improve while her mind was so bur-
dened with care and anxiety. Jennie
had been kept close to the house since
the night she met the stranger, and
during all the week she had seen no
more of him.
It was late in the afternoon of Satur-
day and the doctor had made his visit
and departed. Jennie came out to the
fence to watch him as he rode away,
and was still looking after him when
she saw away across the prairie a
moving object so distant as to be al
most indiscernible. After awhile the
object passed out OF sight behind a
"rise," and when it came into view
again, ten minutes later. she could
distinctly see that it was buggy.
1.-THE stranger. coming back" she
thought, "and now shall know about
grandpa. All, If he writes a good let
ter, or says something good for ma,
won't be happyP There's two PEG.
pie in the buggy. Wonder who the
other can be?"
Within half hour the buggy drove
up to the gate, and Jennie, still wait
ing, saw that she was right, and that
the driver was indeed the man with
whom she rode home that night But
there was stranger, too, a tall, pleas
ant-looking man with gray hair and
beard, and the horses had hardly
stopped when he came tumbling out,
and. without waiting for his compan.
ion, tore away towards the house and
entered without a word to any one.
Jennie stood staring after the strange
man and wondering at his actions when
the other approached and taking hel
in his arms kissed her, saying:
"Our little scheme worked out splen-
didly, didn't itp"
els that himp"
That's your grandpa, and he's go
ing to help your ma and pa out, and
"Mr. Babcock can't hurt them, car
hep You're SO good and kind"
Don't you think Mr.. Babcock would
have done as much as have doneP"
"No, sir, I'm sure he wouldn't You
seem to like him, but I'm afraid you
don't know him as we'll as we do. He
hasn't taken your home from youp"
"No, he hasn't. and he hasn't taken
yours OF his own choice. l know him
quite we'll, little girl, and though he
is not as good as he ought to be, he Is
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