The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-15

Of the Stranger. Then, suddenly, he
realized that the man was still there
and said: HE does not belong U
them, you see; [ must give him a MN
to BECOME"
II fear. friend. that your wife has
been ill.," said the Stranger. but the
attendant whom my infrmity render
almost Observation-Disclosures he touch
ed his rs-"n having arrived,
fear there must have been some mis-
take. The night is bad. Would o II
kindness allow me to rent a pee
mere? YES, yes" cried Dot eagerly
"~certain1y." "Oh,' said h puzzled
carrier, "of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
tainly. But I'm not quite sure that.
But Dot eagerly breaking IN again, i
was arranged that the Stranger shout
remain for the night under the hosp1t'
able roof of the carrier. while Miss
Tilly Slowboy, who had q way OF hoid'
ing mono1ogues addressed to the babJ
in the third person, began grooming az
she tossed the ~"preciOuS' to and fro:
'And it's mother want it to stay, then
and did it make its hair grow brown
and curly by lifting its cap off. and
did it scare it's mother, a precious pet
sitting by the fire?'
From all of which, If John a beer
paying attention.. he might have sus-
pected that it had been some action or
the part Of the deaf Stranger which
had sent Dot into MYSTERIES. And yet
the next day the Stranger did not
leave the house, but arranged some
how to engage board there for a time
until his attendant should call for him
SO the Cricket sang upon the hearth
at night and the carrier smoked his
pipe and unused beside it while his
thoughtful wife, now SO silent and
thoughtful, saw not an aged wanderer
unknown, sitting with them, but in his
place the figure Of a young man un-
disguised by wig or spectacles and
heard again the words which had SC
agitated her at first: married and no,
to me?" Thus the time came for the
visit Of John and Dot to the house OF
Caleb Plummer and his blind daugh-
ter. There was first, Of course, con
siderable connection in the house OF
the carrier; for little Mrs. Perrybingle
could not possibly think of going any
where without the baby. and to get
the baby under way took time. Not
that there was much OF the baby, but
there was much to do about and about
it; and it had to be done slowly and
by easy stages.
For instance, when the baby was
got, by hook or crook, to a certain
point Of dressing where you might
reasonably suppose another touch or
two might finish him off and turn him
out a top-to-bay, challenging the
world, he was suddenly extinguished
to a red flannel nightcap and laid
away to simmer for an hour, as it
were, between the blankets whence it
was recalled to indulge in-well, in
general terms permit me to speak Of It
as a "slight repast," after which he
was put away again and went to sleep.
And there was Miss lilly Slowboy
~inSinuating herself into a ponsO of a
fashion so surprising and ingenious
that 1t had nothing to do with her or
with anything else in the uni
verse; but was q shrunken, dogs-eared,
independent fact pursuing its lonely
course without reference to anybody.
But at last they were aIl started safely
in the carriers cart, the baby. Miss
Slowboy, Dot ard John, a veal and
ham pie, and things" and the bottled
beer. Always when one OF these state
visits was made to Caleb's mansion
Dot mad it a condition Of her coming
that she should be allowed to furnish
the veal and ham pie and "things."
"Ry the bye said John in a pause In
the merry talk that old gentleman"
tagain so yisibly and instantly en-
6di iGSSett lie , if Clu lStl- fuL i
don't believe there is any harm in
him "None at all. [ am sure" said
Dot eagerly. Yes" replied John, his
eyes attracted to her face by the great
earnestness Of her manner IT am
glad YOU feel so certain about it."
And thus the convoy arrived at the
house of the toymaker, where blind
Bertha received Dot with many cares
ses and kisses, and Caleb lie the
honors in a hearty n merry way
peculiar to his cheerful disposition. 1t
was a little foggy, to be sure, for it
was anuary weather and was raw
and cold. But who cared? 1t was
cheerful enough in the home of Caleb
Plummer. May Fielding was already
there when they arrived. So was her
mother-a little, q~uerulous chip of an
old lady with a peevish face who, in
right of having a waist like a bedpost,
was supposed to have q most trans
cendent figure, and in OF
nnliro Op,co 6onn hett0 ~ -