The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-11-13

| SAID Bill, as he Splashed and HOuuderRd
out through mud and water, s. confound
the horse. Whoa Whoal Stop, you
brute you, stop II But stop he would
not, but went off at a spanking pace
! with the unfortunate bachelor after HIM
and the little dog yelping after the
bachelor. Bill was certainly in capital
running costume, but though he strained
] every nerve he could. not touch the
| buggy or reach the lines that were drag
ging on the ground. After while his
plug hat shook off the seat and the hind
wheel went over it, making it as fat as
! g pancake. Bill snatehed it as he ran,
| and after iamming his fist into it stuck
| 1t, all dusty and shapeless, on his head.
| And now he saw the widows house on
| the hill, and what, oh what would he
he dol Then his coat fell out and he
/ slipped 1t on, and then making a des-
perate squirt he clutched the back of the
! seat and scrambled in, and pulling the
/ buffalo robe over his legs, stuffed the
! other things beneath. Now the horse
happened to be one that he got from
/ Squire Moore, and he got it from the
widow, and he took it into his head to
! stop at her gate, which Bill had no
power to prevent, as he had not posses
| sion of the reins, besides he was too
busy buttoning his coat up to his chin
| to think of doing much else. The
widow heard the rattle of the wheels
! and looked out, and seeing that it was
| Mr.. Smiley, and he did not offer to get
out, she went to the gate to see what he
| wanted, and there she stood chatting
with her white arms on the top Of the
gate, aud her smiling face turned right
toward him, while the cold chiIIs ran
down his shirtIess back, clear to his
bare feet beneath the buffalo robe, and
the water from his hair and the dust
from his hat had combined to make some
nice little streams of mud that came
trickting down his face. She asked him
to come IN. No; he was In hurry, he
said. Still he did not offer to go. He
did not like to ask her to pick up his
reins for him, because he did not know
what excuse to make for not doing it
himself. Then he looked down the
road behind him and saw white-faced
horse coming, and at once surmisipg
that it was that of Gus Sackrider com
| ing, he resolved to do or die, and hur-
riedly told his errand. The widow
would be delighted to go, of course she
would. But wouldn't he come in. No,
he was in hurry he said (; had to go on
to Mr.. Green's place. az-e 81
"Oh, said the widow 'you're going
to Green's, are you? Why, I was Just
going there myself to get one of the
girls to help me quilt some. Just wait
q second while I get my bonnet and
shawl, and Ill ride with you" And
away she skipped z-z -
Sc Thunder and lightning ~ said Bill,
what a scrape p and he hastily
clutched his pants from between his
feet, and was preparing to wriggle into
them, when q light wagon drawn by a
white-faced horse, driven by boy, came
along and stopped beside him. The
boy held up pair of boots in one hand
and pair of socks in the other, aud
just IS the widow. reached the gate
| again, he said, #-f p
e Here's your boots and your socks,
Mr.. Smiley, that you left on the bridge
when you was in swimming.
g You're mistaken, said Bill, ''they're
not mine"
"Why," said the boy, 81 amt you the
! man that had the race after the horse
just now ?" -- =Is E4s
"No, sir, I am not you had better
go on about your business" Billsighed
at the loss of his good Sunday boots,
and turning to the widow he said,
FFJust pick up the lines, will you,
please this brute of horse is for ever
switching them out of my hands. The
widow complied, and then he pulled
one corner of the robe cautiously down,
and she got in. @#
''What a lovely evening, said she,
"and so warm; I don't think we eneed the
robe over US, do we ?" fT
(You see, she had on a nice dress
and pair of new CATERS, and she
wanted TO show them.
ass'Oh, my - said Bill, earnestly,
'syou'll find it chilly riding, and I
wouldn't have you catch cold for the
world.
She seemed pleased at the tender
care for her health, and contented her
self with sticking one of her little feet
out, with long silk neck-tie over the
end of it.
"what is that, Mr.. Smiley neck
g Yes" said he, SET bought it the
other day, and I must have left it in the
buggy. Never mind If. 4"
nr'' But" she said, ''it was so care
less ;" and stopping over she picked it
up and made q motion to stuff it IN be-
tween them.
Bill felt her hand going down, and
making q drive after IL, clutched it in
his and held it hard and fast.
They went on quite q distance, he
still holding her soft little hand in his
and wondering what Re shoald do when
they got to Green's and she wondering
why he Gid not say something nice to
her as we'll as squeeze her hand, and
why his coat was buttOned up so tightly
on such warm evening, and what made
his face and hat so dirty, until as they
were going down a little hill one of the
traces came unhitched and they had to
stop. -ttlJ -a s#H
90 murder said Bill; "what
next ?"
'What is the matter, Mr.. Smiley?"
said the widow, with start that came
near jerking the robe off his knees.
"One of the traces is, of, said he.
ff' Well, Why don't you get out and
put it on ?"
CT can't, i" said Bill I've got-that
| is, haven't got-oh, dear, I'm so sick
/ What shall I DO %
"Why, Willie" said she, tenderIy,
''what is the matter ?" do tell me, Z"
! and she gave his hand little squeeze,
! and looking into his pale and troubled
! face she thought he was going to faint !;
so she got out her smelling bottle with
her left hand, and pulling the stopper
out with her teeth she stuck it to his
nose.
Bill was Just taking in breath for a
mighty sigh, and the pungent odor
made him throw his head so far back
/ that he lost his balance and went over
the backed buggy. The little
| woman gave little scream as his big
bare fest few past her head and Gov
ering her face with her hands gave way
to her tears, or smiles-it is hard to tell
which. Bill was "right side up" in 8
moment and was leaning over the back