Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-05-04

Aunt Ida gave this Mr. Halsey note
of introduction to her. She is an old
maid with false leg, and her name is
Susan Jones. We all think she is a
rather disagreeable old thing"
You don't tell me- gasped, and
underneath the hearty laugh in which
we thereupon INDUCED, was a new
realization of the immense possible
difference between the actual and the
ideal
Mr.. Houghton treated me with dis
tinguished politeness the next NOR
ming. Bears have a certain capacity
for civilvatiop,7' I thought, my mind
reverting to several learned specimens
| had once seen in a menagerie. But
a bear 1 unfinchingly set him down to
be. At first, my sentiments were in
danger Of mitigation, but just on the
verge of leniency, after he had saved
me a run up stairs in most gentlemanly
fashion, I passed by that un!ucky par
lor window on my way to join Fannie
and Lottie, who were gathering bou-
quets for our picnic table. Mr..
Houghton and Aunt Ida stood on the
veranda watching them, and the latter
said:
Young girls are so pretty"
FYes, :" repeated Mr.. Houghton, dry
ly; ''they are so pretty-and SO silly
How comfortable it was to find the
affabIe, junior gentleman in the gar
den, gracefully talking nonsense, and
appreciating to the full the pretttRess
Of young girls" )" and undoubtedly be-
holding in them a brilliant promise of
rare wisdom.
Mr. Halsey was ubiquitous and in
dispensable that day. AS the cook eX-
pressed it, he was as ''handy as a girl"
filing out vacancies in other peoples
duties, wherever and whatever they
were. His small hands could tie the
daintiest knots, and accomplish the
smoothest parcels, while his mascu-
line strength rendered him tireless as
to feet; and when Aunt Ida deplored
the non return of.''that boy SAM" the
''boy Dick was Immediately in posi-
ton to execute her orders with un,
failing amiability and CELEBRITY.
Mr.. Houghton, on the contrary,
walked up town to get the morning
paper, and settled himself comfortably
on the veranda to read the news until
we were ready.
''Did you ever know a. young man
so thoughtful and unselfsh as Mr.
Halsey ?" asked Lottie, while we were
dressing. 'He told me so many beauti-
ful stories about his travels last night.
l never enjoyed an evening more in
my life.''
"His facility is amazing, and do
enjoy agreeable people" 1 replied
encrgetically; but remembrance. OF
Viola Viilers rather destroy the effect
Of the evening before, and l left it I'M
noticed.
We all went in the large carriage
that is, all but Aunt Ida, who took the
basket in single wagon. A number
ofpeopIe from the village were to
join us on the top of the mountain,
where we were to lunch. We went
back of the house through the fields,
or the lane between them, in which
! daisies and buttercups were holding
high revel, and on across a short
bridge, where the river was narrowest.
Beyond the bridge the lane Joined the
village road, which made a circuit OF
Mr.. Wasson's farm. It was a trar-
eled highway over the mountain, and
just as we were passing the junction
between the private road we were fol
lowing and the public one, a horse
came tearing down the descent with
an empty wagon behind him. He was
almost upon us before we saw him.
Mr.. Houghtcn was sitting with the
driver, and first saw the horse coming
furiously toward us. Like a flash he
! sprang to his feet and shouted to the
boy Sam, who was driving with Aun
Ida behind us:
"Hold your horses head! A runa
way Now drive for your life," t.
our man. While with the first glance
comprehending the situation, Dicl
Halsey gave one quick, light spring
from the carriage, so deftly timed anf
executed that he scarcely staggered
as his feet touched the ground, and il
a twinkling was safe over the neares
fence, his shining hair and moustach,
above the bearded wheat looking lik,
a veritable god of the golden grain
Fortunately, Aunt Ida was ia
enough behind us to be out of harm
way, as Sam held the horse firmly
[ but with deep bitches on either side
and fairly on the main road, our onI
course was to dash toward the villag
' in a mad race with the mad horse a
our backs.
think we girls were struck dunn
r with terror. Not word was spoker
The daisies down in the deep roa
side spread like one long sheet G
CHASTITY whiteness; the clear blue SIX
/ grew hard and metallic to our vision
f and the sun suddenly seemed to shin
with a pitiless glare on our dire peril.
r William Houghton stood pale q
e death, measuring our chances.
short distance on the road was levC
: with the fields, but the great horse
| plunging fUrward with glaring eye
and foaming mouth, was gaining upo
r us.
e "For Gods sake, faster!'' he con
: manded in the compressed tones me
I do not use many times in q life. Th
q horses leaped forward at the whip
:, bidding, gained the level space, an
:. were safely turned aside; but our pu
s suer, in passing, struck the carriae
d with the wagon swinging behind hin
n and we were all thrown out.
sat up presently, apparently unir
D jured, and beheld Dick, the luck,
n ''handy fellow, running to our relic
If while Aunt Ida's pony trotted brisk
behind him. A deep groan came frol
e an invisible source.
IS "Do hurry, Mr.. Halsev :" I sal,