The Republican journal., 1898-10-20
one else than Flora if you want tor l

will disinherit you.
81 will accept your terms and go to
Florida.''
Justin Smith was quite surprised, but
such was his curious character that he
was rather proud that John should have
taken the course he had
1.-The boys chip of the old block lie
said To himself. Hes got my grit. He'll
make a substantial man, capable of run
ming the farms after L N dead nearly as
we'll as | can run Them
The next morning John left for Florida
after tender parting from Flora, some
what fearful on her part it must be con-
fessed.
John being absent it was necessary for
Justin to hire an extra man to assist him.
and, through Floras aid, he secured the
services of young, good looking German.
The new hands name, curious to relate,
was John Smith, a fact which seemed
strange to Justin and was unwelcome to
him.
GLOW is it that You, who are German,
should be named John Smith?'' inquired
the old farmer. ''You ought to call your
self Johann Schmidt or some such name. "
ut is easily explained replied John,
with twinkle in his eye, Il was left an
orphan when but little child, and the
American farmer that brought me up
could not find ont my real name, and SO
he named me after himself, John Smith. -
''Well, | suppose it all right. But |
don't exactly like it that my hired man
has the same name as that of my son.
You II remind me of him too much j M
afraid
"But don't look like your son, nor act
like him, do 1?''
''If you Il only show yourself to be
smart fellow, FL forgive you for having
an undesirable name
1t was not long before Justin Smith Oh
served that his new hired man and Flora
seemed to be more friendly than is usual
between the mistress of a house and an
employee, and at times the old farmer felt
a little uneasy, but he did not consider it
worth his while to warn Flora or remon-
strate with her. She would net give up
such fine, respectable young man as
John
But Flora, strange to say, soon seemed
to forget the claims of her first lover and
to be infatuated with the good looking
German, who, in his rude wav could make
himself quite agreeable.
The suspicious of Justin had finally be.
come we'll aroused, and Flora noticed that
he was keeping close watch over her.
But, as luck would have it, thieves had of
late twice visited Justin's garden at the
rear of the house and succeeded in secur-
ing a number of his best watermelons,
and the farmer had formed the habit of
hiding for a time each evening in such
places as would enable him to see a thief
if he should enter the garden or were al
ready in it.
One evening Justin sought the garden
as usual, and to his delight saw a man
standing near the middle of it. Justin
had stout club in his hand, and with the
stealth of a cat, he advanced When he
was within two feet OF the back of his
victim he raised his club and cried. ''Ah,
you rascal I've got you now. If you try
to run I'll brain you.'
But the figure did not move Justin
grasped the left arm of the man, and as
lie pinched the loose coat sleeve he could
hear the cracking of straw within it. The
seeming man was a scarecrow, which
John Smith had placed Ill the garden just
aftel supper that day Tor the purpose OF
divertlng the attention OF Justin while the
young man and Flora drove away from the
house.
Mortified and disguised, Justin return
ed to his abode only to search tor Flora
in vain He next walked toward the barn
ana shouted for John, but the hired man
did not appear. Entering the stables
Justin discovered that the swift mare
that Flora was accustomed to drive was
gone.
With an agility surprising in one Of his
years, he harnessed his carriage horses
and drove to the nearest village At a fu-
rious rate. But when he reached the viii
Iage he was told that the couple had lett
the horse at a livery stable and had de-
parted on a train for Albany fifteen
minutes before his arrival
For the first time in his life he ques-
toned whether he was wise man. In
spite OF all his precautions the girl would
be married before she was twenty-one
yeals old, and would obtain possession of
the Edwin Smith farm, which be hoped
to control as long as he might live She
had disgraced herself and had also depIiv-
ed him of the farm, Whereas if he had
only consented TO her marriage to his son
the property would at least have been
kept in his own family. Justin was forced
to acknowledge that he had made la |
mentable botch of the whole business
He learned from an Albany paper that
the marriage had taken place on the day
the couple had fled, and three days later /!
the happy pair returned home.
Justin received them with distant po- |
likeness, refraining from all scolding. He !
himself had acted so unwisely that he !
felt too nuch disconnected to find fault !
with others.
OF course, now that Flora was legally |
married it was useless for Justin to OPP
pose the stipulations in the Edwin Smith |
will, and a deed of the farm was immedi-
ately given 70 Mrs. John Smith Her
husband at once took charge of the farm,
but his wife started on a journey, the
destination and object of which We're I'M
known to Justin Smith.
Three weeks later Flora returned, and
with her was John Smith, the son of jus
tin. The two, accompanied by young
German woman named Anna Schwarz,
whom Flora had hired to be her house
entered the home of the old
farmer. The sight almost paralyzed
Justin with establishment.
''What does this mean?'' he gasped, as
he looked at his son.
$ 1t means that Flora is my wife, and
that have come home to take chrage of
the Edwin Smith farm
But the girl is already married to
another John Smith,
you are wrong. Miss Anna Schwarz
here, | acknowledge, successfully acted
the part of a mythical John Smith in
mems clothes, but it is no longer neces-
SarV for her to DractiSa laudab le dacan