The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-02-23
CHARMING STRANGER

upon the kitchen table t.;S pad Of vatcr he
had brought from the spring.
Was he at your party, MyrtleF' cont'n'
ufd the mother.
The fair girl 0sschted.
What's his nameE
Reginald CiayerinR'
What j. her
lies Wall street banker, IN some way
rouuettcd with the RotGschiid Brothers Of
London lie dresses like prince au3 wears
such damonAsl All the gris are crazy
about him
The morn fools lh,y." returned Mrs.
Payne severely. Harp, wi. you bring me
another armiul Of wood -
Harry looked troubled. aud Mrs. Payne
followed him out into the shed, laying her
hand upon his shoulder
I'D say nothing to her nov, abe aIyiscd.
"ihs elegant stranger has ,urn,i hsr head
completely
Harry Vanished accordingly. and Mrs
payn, returned &c bet hak.rf. while Myrtle
Poole continued 10 chat ahaut Reginald
tEygr,Dg uutti the good mairou icit ike
boxing her pretty pink ears.
She Dad not lie the man, nor did she Ike
the vFoc. his presence VAS having ON the
SRI hfr son wanted 10 marry, aud 90 whom
sAc was promised She was old enough %
know that It was nos sale 90 trust cvrry
.uuglh lou1ued stranger whom one came
aurpss and she believed the grl would hna
tals oul o. her cost. She hoped u would be
hgin.s II uas too late, and before IN,
stranger hai -po,,ri i,uth the g,ri's and ngr
vrg'r ltic Ivy the effect ct his pretty
tpccrhys.
That same afternoon Harry aw Myrtle
riding out with the distinguished stranger,
and he gloom deoVeued
Myrtle" he faid 30 her the following
day. no bc me, her near the old mail boz the
Fuluri'. Il am guIHg 10 drive 10 Mil Greek
!a.- ;:as=.aS y s;:!d@'! y=s; ...s =, p; -,tih
a,s'
Not today Harry Ihavos previou. en-.
Elsgmgut.
With Mr. C,ayerIrg'"
Yes Wrarr going 10 the woods 10 gather
autumn Icsyy,
Myrtle, IRE the friendship and devotion
Of years 90 be forgotten because such a
chap az that happen. 90 applar here
Miss Poodle tossgd her head and turned
away.
Il an tired Of being called to account"
an said pctuautly 4 shall do a. please
about receiving the attentions OF Reginald
or ANYONE rIsr. and think % piece Of I'M
p,rtinencc Tor sou TO seek to interfere with
me. 81 there Leave met
Harm had not been gone ten minutes when
Reginald CiAvcrUg came VhistlinE down the
bank at The crt,A
Here already my queen Of bunsttes"
he crlct, cay'y How runciusl you arC'"
And sou ore ba'i iu hour behind time"
routed Myrtle. with a smile Of welcome.
impossible lmt ilt me have that bas.
Eet. Not even sD Oh hi a weight as that
should burden the i0ycicst hand 20 chra.
truiaw
Myrtle glanced o., the little Flovea hand
Il was Pretty, but Harry bed never told her
su. How uig, 90 De- iu the society Of such
q discriminating man OF The world
"\Hi ulw Tor 40 answer So ms question
uf YESTERDAY" continued the stranger as
they entered the woods Am 60 call you
mlust'
DO you really love mef demanded SIyr.
llc her eyes fu.l yitrmuloas light.
i adrr, you, dcarr,t!'
Then, ycs-,l yuu insist upon an an
aver"
WI NlaNfIuk hNtHk ~ uti ltFk-
What Joyl" he cried MY queen Ny
empress No tuusHe ,aH t,li how proud
thll' hr 81 this lrtl. haudl'
Myr,lc's checks burned as she looked
down updn her kneg,ug swain Harry Payne
had never w0oci her ia such dramatic style
cs tins. She almost tel, ashamed q hcrscE
- she remembered how pleased she had
been With his commonplace attentions.
And uowl" cried her new sutton, arisinE.
"now for the grand sequel the dcnoucmeuti
Would you like 70 know, fair village maid,
the real name OF the man you've won. Who
am T."
Mr.. Reginald Claycring, Of New York, 4"
answered Myrtle, iRnoceutly
Better than that. dearest We SPOKE e
brief while ego Of Baron Ro'hFghlld. am
Baraa N1ih0hldl"
You, Reginald
And not only Baron R0ta-a .i. hat Sir
Frances Barring and John Jacob Assor, all
rolled into onei"
Myrtle could only stare At him .H speech
less horror
And now to be- OF for Europe o, tclc
graph. resumed the stranger, his esra roll
irg hdtu1dy as he seized her h7L4 -Eau
hy railway. but wei noun, the wires.
Come"
But Myrtle drew back, her req, situation
dlwuug upon her She was a.0u. IN these
solitary woods with rry.rr m1uar'
Help heip!' she shueacd
And almost the same ln,taa, there Was
a crash ,i breaking hranohys aua a rush II
many footsteps. Sense and hearing were
leaving poor Myrtle, yet strong, loving
Frasp sustained her, and she realized that
the eyes OF Harry Payne we're looking ten.
icrly INTO her own. And then a., became a
blank to her,
When she recovered her senses Harry was
bathing her forehead with ,hc clear water
oil the creek.
Where where ia that-that terrible
mani" she iaitered
His keepers have him"
And then she beheld Reginald Clavcriug
IN the very uubccomirg costume Of strait
jacket aud mauacles, sitting on the bank at
no great distance, in charge Of two burly
WgD
Don't be in a hurry. my lord, said one
oi them, addressing the whlom Bsr0n
Rothsohlld" with offensive familiarity
The wagon will be along ~ the tvs inkliug
Of an eye, and you'll be back 10 your old
quarters before you know 1t. No occasion
for any further scene, miss" he added,
turning aiiaby to Myrtle. Hes as mad as
a March hare, aud has been these Elk years,
ever since he gamblcd hims1'f 90, Of his
senses in New York hut he's cunning a.
fox, or be never would have ssospsd from
the asylum as be did, or lodged Us all go
long aud 20 eleverly. lie bas such lucid
spells that you might think bim chief JUS
tice Of the United States, and then he'll
break OF. all Of a sudden madden than q
mes, Of hornets! lls lucky We came across
this young gentleman, who knew where he
was, OF be might have killed you"
Myrtle elosed her eyes, realizing once
r1ore the horrors Of her recent situation.
Take me home, Harry" she ALTERED.
Harry complied, And long before hons
Was reached she bad given hm e promise
that she would never lool twice at any
charming stranger who might crosa her
rnth IA tho fnturAt-.-N " Nnrid