Country Luck

TO Y

e in the vicinity of Hayn Farm had ever been known to spend needlessly without coming to grief. Between cash in hand and its nominal equivalent in time, Phil, like most other prudent young countrymen, had learned to distin

is rural curiosity about any doings out of the ordinary. But{28} when Sol Mantring told his wife that Phil was to go down with him as a “hand,” Mrs. Mantring straight-way put on her best things and went out to tell all her neighbors that Phil Hayn was going down to York, and, being a woman who never did anything by halves, she afterward plodded the dusty road that led to the little village at the railway-station, where she consumed severa

ity. Phil’s parents had prepared what they supposed would be sufficient explanation: the farm and the house needed some things that could better be selected from large stocks and variety than bought nearer home. But they had underrated the persistency of local curiosity: numberless pointed questions were asked,

me trip! Old Mrs. Wholley had been finding her spectacles so young that she didn’t know but she needed stronger glasses, or maybe a Bible with larger print: if Phil would price both and write her, she would try to make up her mind what she ought to do. Samantha Roobles had been telling her husband James for the last five years that their best-room carpet was too shabby for people who might have a funeral in the family at any t

departed would any of them have peace. The day of sailing brought a great throng of visitors,—so many that the minister, who was of the number, extemporized a “neighborhood prayer-meeting,” at which Providence was implored to “save our dear young brother from the perils of

aces indicated that if Phil should care to say anything tender to anybody, just to have something to think about while away, he should have no excuse to leave it unsaid. Sol Mantring cut the parting short by remarking that prayer was all very well in its place, but he didn’t believe in it

stowed principally upon Sol Mantring, who stood at the wheel, and they had no more relation to Phil than to the Khan of Khiva. In like manner Phil seemed less interested in his father than in the maze of cordage at the foot of the mast. Nevertheless, when the river-bank ended at the shore of the bay, and could be followed no longer, the old man stood there, as Sol Mantring said afterward, “lookin’ as if h

as the part of the city in which the iron-merchants cluster was not far away, and Sol Mantring knew the streets of that portion of the city, Phil started, with minute directions from the skipper, to call on Mr. Tramlay.{32} His singleness of

nowe

wed

struck. Go

own by Sol; at the same time he turned from light to darkness, the change being almost appalling in its suddenness. Still he hurried on, and after another turn began to look for numbers on the fronts of buildings. His heart bounded within him as he suddenly saw, by the lig

ung feller?” shouted a po

o see Mr.

s slow, ain’t it?”

maybe so,” Ph

n’ down here for a bizness-man after s

come ashore to find Mr. Tramlay, and the idea of givin

u suppose I

one of the kind that goes s

Phil. “Will you please

’pose I ain’t got nothin’ to do but know where

orm, and recognized it, by memory of pictures he had seen in illustrated n

up at the head of this street,—an’ go along till you find

he found a car which went to the street he wanted to reach. Although Phil knew the city was large, the journey seemed very long; it{34} was made an hour longer than it should have been; for a fire had broken out somewhere

aps they go to bed early: there’s no telling. Still, if they’re abed I’ll know

before he saw on a glass transom the number that indicated his journey was at a

heir own rooms; looks like bed-time. I was afraid of it. I suppose there’s n

it only because Lucia had tripped up those same steps. Slowly he descended and walked away; but he had passed but a house or two, an

he family. He must be a visitor.{35} Well, if other men c

e rapped sharply upon the door. It opened instantly, and as Phil stepped in he foun

mall colored boy who stood by it said, “Gen’lmen fust room back,” and pointed up-stairs. Entirely losing his self-possession, and wondering what to do, Phil stood stupidly