The Irish standard., 1899-04-08

The next morning John left for Flor
ida. after a tender parting from Flora.
somewhat fearful on her part. it must
be confesSed
John being absent, it was necessary
for Justin to hire an extra man to as
sist him. and. through Flora's aid. he
secured the services of Il young good
looking German. The new hands
name. curious 10 relate, was John
Smith, fact which seemed strange to
Justin and was unwclcome to him..
'lIow is it that you. who are a Ger
man. should be named John Smith 2"
inquired the old farmer. "You oughtto
call yourself Johann Schmidt. OF some
such name"
SIT is easily explained" replied John.
with twinkle in his eye. 81 was left
an orphan when but a little child. and
the American farmer that brought me
up could not find out my real name and
so he named me after himself. John
Smith,"
"Well. 7 suppose it's al! right. But I
don, exactly like it that my hired man
has the same name as that OF my SON.
You'll remind me of him too much, I'm
afraid"
"But I don't look like your son nor
act like him. do I?'
eff only you'll show yourself to be a
smart fellow. I'll forgive you for hav-
ing an undesirable name.'
1t was not long before Justin Smith
observed 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 demonstrate with her.
She would not give up such a fine, re-
spectacle 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-loolling German. who, in his rude
way, could make himself quite agree
able.
The suspicious of Justin had finally
become well aroused, and Flora no.
ticed that he was keeping a close watch
over her. But, as luck would have it,
thieves had of late twice visited Jnstin's
garden at the rear of his house and
succeeded in securing 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 thief if he should
enter the garden or were already in it,.
One evening Justin sought the gar
den, as usual, and to his delight saw
man standing near the middle of it.
Justin had stout club in his hand, and.
with the stealth of 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 he pinched the loose coat sleeve he
could hear the cracking of straw with
in it. The seeming man was scare
crow, which John Smith had placed in
the garden just after supper that day,
for the purpose of diverting the atten-
ton of Justin while the young man
and Flora drove away from the house.
Mortified and disguised. Justin re-
turned to his abode only to search for
Flora in vain. He next walked toward
the barn and 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 harressed his carriage
horses and drove 10 the nearest village
at furious rate. But when he reached
the village he was told that the couple
had left the horse at a livery stable and
had departed on a train for Albany is
minutes before his arrival.