Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-02-04

...fnere IS rarmer Buggs now, a-sett1n on wonder chicken coop"
 Rebecca turned quickly, eagerly, it may be, and shot swift glance at the man "a-settin on wonder chicken coop" It was an old man, with sunburned face and iron gray hair. A fringe of white, bristling beard circled under his chin, and he was dressed in the rough habiliments of the farm.
 He sat with his shoulders rounded and one leg half suspended in brace made by his clasped hands. In this position he was when Rebecca stepped from the train, and he never changed it while his eyes followed her up the platform. In- deed, all eyes ill that idling crowd had made the young lady common target, and the old farmer was not an exception to the power of her magnetic presence.
 He saw her ''paralyize'' the station agent; saw the latter stammer a reply; saw the girl turn and look at him; mo- ticed her eyes widen under some un- known emotion; became aware that she was approaching; knew that she stood before him, her eyes roaming over his body from the ten-year-old hat on his head to the three dollar pair of cowhide boots upon his number eight feet.
 "Are you Jacob Buggs?"
 The question came in q voice that was like the music of Bill Geiger's flute.
 q am Jacob Buggs, miss, at your sar- vice." said the old man; and then his under jaw dropped once more in silent adoration of the grand goddess before him.
 What immediately followed laid him out as cold as tenpenny nail, he after ward confessed.
 This lovely stranger dropped her tray cling bag at his feet, threw her arms around his neck, printed kiss upon his forehead, high up near the space where the hair long ago had grown, choosing this spot, probably, because it was the whitest she could find, began to cry softly and sobbed:
 "I am Rebecca! Take me home to mother" not noticing that her act had created a panic among the depot loung- CTS.
 Tho old man arose with precipitation. He was six feet in height, and Rebecca being but five feet one was compelled tQ let go her hold around his neck to pre- vent being suspended by her arms.
 "Great ganders! You don't say sov' sputtered the old man. "You Rebecca Well, what'n mother say?'
 ''Take me to her." sobbed the girl.
 "Come along" was the stolid reply. "Her Rebeccal We'll I'll be dog dasted everlastin! Why, mother'll drop in a fit when she sees the gal. Her Rebecca"
 And by the time the canaille of the station at Morgan's Mills got their sec ond wind, Farmer Buggs' old gray mare was dashing away from the station at 8 four-twenty pace down the Gravel Creek pike hitched to Jacob Buggs' red spring wagon, in which sat Rebecca going home to her mother.
 When the farmer and his strange guest had disappeared around hill in the dis tance, the crowd came out of its trance and the seven days wonder became { source of discussion. Three Saratogs trunks were discovered upon the plat form, and one Saratoga trunk in that out of the way place would have been 2 sensation Three constituted materia fora turmoil.
 They were marked with the initials R. B." and evidently belonged to ont person or party.
 Late in the evening of the same day Farmer Buggs' hand" came to the sta tion with the checks for the three trunks loaded them upon the hay wagon an( drove away in proud, mysterious tri umph Of course he was beset witt questions from the loungers who had no yet learned the name of Jake Buggs visitor. But the hired man professet ignorance upon that point. As near a he could guess, it was Queen Victoria youngest daughter
 Of course everybody knew the hire hand didn't really mean it, but ther was not man in the crowd who woul not have found it easier to believe the had seen one of the royal princesses 0 England ride away in Jake Buggs spring wagon than to have believed was his daughter.
 Somehow the impression prevaile around and about Morgan's Mills tha the Buggses were childless. Jane wa clad in black when she and Jake lande at the Mills some eight years before Mrs. Buggs not only dressed in mourn ing when they first saw her, but wa given to weeping a great deal In tim she dried her tears, but her black hue frocks and bonnets had never been 1ai aside. Few of the gossips at Morgan ) Mills had, however, stopped to thin F that the poor woman had not bought t new article of attire during those eigl years. Necessity continued her constanc 3 to mourning.
 CHAPTER IT