Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-01-08

| NO, lnQeeQ, sir don't care 10 rlQe IN
an omnibus, You will, doubtless, have
| plenty of company without me.
If Curt Rowland had seemed to make
| light OF his rebuff at the summer picnic,
it was very different now, and there was
something in the panied, hurt, disappoint-
| ed expression of his manly and really
| handsome face that would have carried
! the day in his favor under any circum-
| stances. Every girl in the room was on
| his side in moment-but Faiths rosy
cheeks burned only the hotter for her con-
| seriousness of that fact-and the only per-
son present who felt any real satisfaction
was Sile Herring, the village lawyer, who
was now sure of his good fortune to offic-
late as Faith Murray's escort to and from
the quilting.
| As for Curt himself not word said he,
but turned steadily and dignifiedly toward
the door, and in another minute the
quick, sharp jingle of bells told Faith
that his sleigh was, like his boat, doomed
to go empty of lady passengers until her
own feet came back to it.
Up to that moment Curtis mind had
been occupied only with joyous anticipa-
tions of reconciliation with Faith and of
| the fun he would have on the sleigh ride,
going and coming, as well as at the quilt
! ing. Now, however, as his fleet team
drew him swiftly along the river road on
his lonely way homeward, his eyes wan
| dered up and down the river, predisposed
to discover anything that might appear TO
suggest an interference with the contem-
plated merry-making.
1t is very strange how different the
world will look to man in one frame of
mind and anotherl That morning the
sun had been CHEEKY, the sleighing had
been extraordinarily good, and Curtis
merry eyes had discovered no flaws in the
prospect; but now, as if his wits were
sharpened by Faith Murray's rough re-
! ply, he began to discern that the snow
was remarkably soft and "soggy;" that,
although the first freeze" of the winter
had been severe one, and the ice had
formed thick and strong, there had now,
for several days, been altogether too
much sunshine; and there was no such
thing as telling what the effect OF it
might be.
Up and down the white expanse he
gazed, and here and there he saw light
cutters and even heavily laden wood
sleighs crossing and re-crossing, and the
former now and then putting in an extra
burst of speed over the smooth and glanc-
ing surface Neither to the right hand
nor left did he turn, however, and, by the
time Faith Murray and her friends were
on their way to the quilting, Curt How
lands team were safe in the stable, while
his big sleigh stood empty by the back
door of the house, with all its buffalo
robes, blankets, clumsiness, and disgrace,
still clinging to its unoccupied spaces.
AS for Faith herself, she had hardly
/ cd in iritc nc
she displayed that evening, and Mr.. Silas
Herring assumed for himself a species of
personal triumph, as he compared his
own position and occupation with what
he could imagine of Curt Howland's
brooding at home over his defeat. The
quilting was thronged with young people
and old, from far and near, but good, old
fashioned hours were kept, nevertheless,
and all the more So probably, because of
the anticipated pleasures of the sleigh
rides afterward.
If Faith Murray had any remOrseful
promptings concerning her conduct, she
certainly gave no external token thereof,
and led the fun as if she had never heard
Of such person as Curtis Rowland. Per
haps keen observer, like her own moth
er, if only that good lady had been pres
ent, might have inclined to the idea that
| Faith was Overriding" something, but
Silas Herring was not keen observer,
and the rest of the merry company neither
| thought nor cared what might be the
source of her high spirits. When at last
the "quiltng.bee" broke up, those whose
homeward way did not permit them to
| drive in the direction of the river, were
| half disposed to envy those whose better
| fortune was to lead them across It's broad,
smooth bosom. They little dreamed how
much to be preferred were the rougher
but more safe and solid roads that took
them even among rugged hills and heav-
| ily-drifted valleys.
| Somehow or other, instead of going to
bed at his usual hour, Curt Rowland had
fingered and lounged in front of his glow
| ing, log-heaped fireplace, long after every
other soul in the house had gone to bed.
! He had pretended, at first, to occupy him
self with book, butby-and-by the volume
dropped on the floor. Then, for while,
Curt seemed to be absorbed in watching
the vivid changes wrought by the fire as
the seasoned oak and hickory slowly
| yielded; and then, as the fore-stick snap
| ped in two, and plunged among the Goals
with strange, cracking sound, he sud
denly sprang TO his feet, threw on his hat
and overcoat, and strobe out into the open
air in front of the house. 1t was a clear,
beautiful night, just the sort for a sleigh
ride, and not so cold but what there was
a continual drip, drip, at the caves of the
| house. The tinkle Of the falling drops,
however, with now and then the crash Of
a loosened icicle, fell on his ear with a
| painful jar. Could it be possible that
| such man had nerves? But now, swiftly
| down the road there came sound OF bells,
and the vision of sleigh was halted for
moment by the gate.
Howlandr' shouted a deep, hoarse
| voice. "Ah, you are up, are your Well,
there's big rise in the river, and it's a
comm this way fast. I've been just
racin' down the road to warn folks not to
try the ice, but reckon I've come as far
as need. Can you give me sleep and
| a breakfast"
"Of course | CAM" promptly replied
Curt, and you've done right-good
neighborly thing. ats Jake Robinson,
isn't it?"
THAT'S my name" heartily responded
the stranger, "and I've only tried to do
as I'd be done by"
"Well, them said Curt, "you go into