Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-06-25
AUSTIN MOWER COUNTY, MNNHkorA F1URsAY plIs 25 ls74

l. L NIllNlNE6IIlA I1Ul
Oh and no time to got another set--and
tho widow and young Bockrider. Well,
he must try md GET them somehow
and no time tO lose. for some one might
come along and as11shim what zho was
fooling nroslnit thete for. He had no !
notion IF spelling dis good clothes by
wading in viii, them on, and besides, If
he did that he cOuld not go to the
Widows that night, 30 he. took look
mp and down the .road TO- see that no /
one was in sight, and then quickly ,,n-
dressed himself, laying his clothes in
tho buggy to keep them Glenn. 4 Then 1
he ran around the bank and waded iuto1 1
the almost icy-cold ldsWster, but his teeth
did not chatter I'M his head-hc only
wished they could. Quietly ho watloll /
along 50 as not to stir up The mud, alal
when lie got the right spot ho dropped
under the water md came'l,p with. his
teeth iu his hand, and replaced them in
his mouth. But larkl, What noise is
that?; A wagon, md q little dog bark
ing with all his might, and his horse is
starting, "Whoais. Whoa! Stop you
ttrute you, stop! - But stop he w0uld
not. but went of a. i spanking pace
with the unfortanats bachelor after him
and the, little dog yelping after tho
running costume, but though he strain
cd every nerve he could not touch the
buggy sor reach tho Inca that wore
dragging OH the ground.
After awhile his plug hat shook off
I u 1x:-
it, making it as fiat as u pancake. Bill
snatched it az he ran, and after jam
ming his fist into it,sstu0k it, all dusty
and dimpled OIL his hesd And now he
saw the widows house. on the hill, and
what, oh what will ks8 do! Then his
coat fell out, ho slipped it on, and then
making desperate Bpt1rt he clutched
the back of tie seatanda scrambled in,
ana pulling the buffalo robcsOver his
legs, stuffed the other things beneath.
Now the horse happened to l,e one that
he got from Squire Moore, and he got
it from tho widow, md he took it into
his head to stop at her CUTE, which Bill
had no power to prevent, us heshad MOI
possession of the reihs, besiilss he was
too busy buttoning his szooat ups to his
chin to think Of doing much else. Tho
widow heard the rattle Of the wheels
and looked out, and seeing that. it was
Smiley, and that he didn't offer to get
out, she went to the gate to see what he
wanted, and there esgstood chatting;
with her white arms IN tho top of the
gate, and her face right toYafl him,
While tho cold chills,zan downllis shirt
less back clear to his bare feet ben 7atll
the buffalo robe, and the water from
his hair and the dust from his hat had
combined to make sdane nice little
streams of mud that came tri',kling
down his face. She asked him TO come
in. No, he was in . hurry, s said.
Still he did not offer togo. He did not
like to ask her to pickup hisss reins for
him. because lie did not. know what OK
cuse to make for not doing it himself.
Then he looked downthe road behind
him and saw q white-iaced horse COM
ing, and ut once s,lrinised it was that Of
Gns. Sockrider! Ho 1ssolyed to do or
die, and hurriedly told his errand.
The widow would be delighted to 60,
of course she would. But wouldn't he
come in. No, he was in hurry, he
said hnd to go ON to Mr.. Green's
place.
"Oh," saia the widow; "you'rc 60
ing to Green's arc you? Why, I was
just going there myself to get one of
the girls to help me quilt more: just
wait second while get my bonnet
and shawl, and 1, u, ride with you" And
away she skipped -s.
s S.Thnntlefs and lightning - said
Bill what q sc1apc b and he hastily
clutched his pants from between his
feet, and was preparing to wrigglc into
them, when light wagon, drawn by
the white-faced horse, driven by boy
came along and. stopped beside him.
Tho boySheld up aspairs6f boots in ono
hand ana pair Of socks in the other,
and Just as the widow reached the gate !
again, he said
s..Here's your boots and socks, Mr..
Smiley, that you left on the bridge when
"You're mistaken" !" said Bill, they're
not mine. :. /
"Why," said tho boy, amt You the
man tllat'had H. raca. after the horse
1ihSt nov lssH ~ IF: ~ |
y "No sir, 1 an not You latI Better
70 on about your business" Bill sighed
at tho loss Of his Sunday boots, and
turning to the widow said: aS
,"Just pick SnliSthe lines, will you,
please this brute of horse is forever
switching them out of my hands," The
widow complied, nnd then: he pulled
ono corner Of tho robe cautiously down
"What a lovely evening" said she,
"and so warm don't think we need
the robe over us, do we?" i
(You see, she had on a nice dress and
q pair Of new CATERS, and she wanted
TO show e then. g -,
"you'll find it chilly riding, and I
wouldn't have you catch cold for the
world" .~tg - z&eassey-sSs = Il
; She seemed pleased at his tender care,
for her health, and contentcd herselr
with sticking one of her little feet out
with a. long silk neck.tie over the end
of it.
" What is that, Mr.. Smiley, neck
tie ?'',s
eyes" said he, II bought it tlle 9th
or day, and must have left it in the |
buggy. Never mind it,
But" said she, "itwas 80 careless = u
and stopping over she picked it up, and
made u motion to stuff it i'll betWecnsi
them.
Bill felt her hand going down, and
making IL dive after it, clutched it in his
anl held it hard and fast.
Then they went onaquite a@dstance,
he still holding her hand III his and
wondering what he should do when
they got to Green's, aud she wandering
why he did not say sonnet hing NEE to
her as we'll as squeeze her hand, and
why his coat was buttoned up SO tightly
on such warm evening, and what lna&ie
his hat and faco 10 dirty, until they were
going down little hill and one Of the
traces came unhitclled and they had to
stop. "a. c,-,, ....-z.:
"Oh, mnrdcr!' exclaimed Bill,
"what next" !. III. .s
"Wllat is the matter, Mr.. Smiley ?"
said the widow, with start which came
near jerking the robe off his knees.
"One of the traces is off," answered
he. = = II
Well, why don't You get ont and put
it on q
="l can't, said Bill GIVE got-tlat
is, I haven't got-oh, dear, I'm 81 sick
What shall do? p
"Why, Willie," said she tcntlerly,
IS what is the matter do tell me, she
gave his hand little squeeze, ana look
ing into hiss palc sfsoe she thought he
was going to faint, so she lot 0lt her
smelling bottle With hcr sfcft hNs,tl, and
| milling the stt)DDer ont with her teeth