The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1860-10-25
4 Shurt Story.
THE
LOS II HOR S E..
BY ". II. +.

Tom Brown was young man, well.
to.do in the world for one of his age.
say twenty six. He was industrious
and saving, and from the age of sixteen
when he was first employed rs clerk in
n dry goods store, up to his twenty
third year, he had acquired enough to
start him in business. Selecting Il
thriving little village in the South, he
opened his store under favorable nusp
ces, and in few years succeeded be
yond his most sanguine expectations.
Near the village lived a gentleman o
considerable wealth, who possessed {
daughter who was rs lively as she as
accomplished, and with whom Tom be-
came acquainted, and, very naturally
too, cnamorcd of and he had some
reason to suppose that his affection was
rcciprocated. But he had rival, in
the son of rich planter, q young man
of about his own age, whose visits he
thought were becoming little too frc.
quent, if not alarming.
Tom had never actually proposed
but he had several times seriously
thought of doing so; and now that he
had rival in the field, who might pos
sibly supplant him in his affections, he
determined to offer his hand and heart
at once, that very day, yea, that very
hour.
! 1t being Sunday, and near church
time, he would ride over to his lady.
loves residence, and escort her to
church, and on the way pop the ques,
ton. Tom was very energetic, and
he jumped at the conclusion as bold
business man will :at chance for a
speculaton--hc thought not long over
the matter, but took hold still, it was
with no little perturbation Of mind aud
palpitation of heart that he commenced
his toilet.
Under the circumstances, it was no
wonder that his shirt-cOIIar was not as
smoothly ironed as it might have been,
or that that one WAS not sufficiently
starched, and that his neck cloth tie
could not be to his satisfaction pcrec.
ted in short, Tom was too late; for
Just as he was about mounting his horse
to his great chagrin, his lady-lovc, ac-
compapied by his rival, passed by the
house, both on horseback, rs was GUS
tomary.
Here was Il dilemma but in u mo.
ment he decided how to act. lie lin
gcred awhile, until they had passed on
some distance ahead, then he rode out
leisurcly and walked his horse on after
them, arriving at the church after they
had dismountcd and passed into it.
Deliberately unhitching his rivals
horse, which was side by side with his
lady-love's, he led him around tie
church, took down the bars of fence,
and turned him loose into Il large pas
ture lot Of some fifty acres; thun, with
the most perfect 'nonchalonco.' he wal
kcd into the church, and passing by
his fair one, gave her an aticctionatc
smile CT recognition, n d then took his
seat.
1t would be untrue to say that Tom
needed, or scarcely heard tho cxhorta-
tions OF the worthy divine, that his
thoughts were bent on anything else
but the dcnoucmcnt Of the bold game
he was playing. 1t would not have Ia
ken keen observer to note his restless
ness.
"That was the longest sermon"
said he, al ever listened to in my life
Butall things must have an end, and
at last the church let out; and with
the throng came his lady-lovc and rival,
who after assisting the lady to mount,
unlooscd the bride, and handing it to
her, she turned her horses head to-
ward the road, there to await her es-
cort. In the meantime, Tom was
mounted, and along side Of her. Then
it was only that his rival discov cred his
horse to be missing. lie looked round
in vain, for he was Lowhere to be seen
What was he to do Time was speed
ing, and it was rather awkward for q
lady to bo waiting in tho middle OF the
road, the observed ofall observers, up.
on the movements of q gentleman, par
ticularly us she was already attended
by another, whom she might possibly
prefer.
"Will you take my horse 7" said Tom.
al will walk homc."
"No, thank you; my horse cannot
be very far Off
At that moment he caught sight OF
-. -..:z.i,, ,,ra ,;p, q, in tho fold