Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-03-25

Of putting dog, an impatient coquette
or passionate old man inio such place
Right he went, then left, the old story,
and of sudden found himself in the
center Of the maze again.
Have you ever experienced what it is
to be seized with an abrupt panic; and
have you ever meditated upon the differ
ence there is in doing thing to fiji up
time and trying to do the same thing
within given time? Johnny Plowde
was destined to enrich his experience on
both these questions on this his wedding
morning. On discovering that he had
landed himself for the second time in the
heart ofthc labyrinth instead of emerging,
something cold seemed to drop from his
heart into the heels of his boots, and the
faint murmur of the breeze through the
yews sounded Ike the diabolical
grinning of his old enemy, Time,
quietly hooking him. Johnny made a
plunge through the first aper ure, darted
on like mailman, lodging one tuning
after another, grazing his sleeves against
the hedges, and making occasional spas
mode dents into the gravel with his
boots to serve him as marks ii he
should again mistake his way. Alas he
mistook it not once, but twice and thrice,
and it was a wonder then to see how the
minutes began 10 scamper along, as If
they were running a Steeple-chase, and
We G .jostling one another. In the appar-
ent space OF five minutes the watch
hands turned an hour and marked a
quarter to ten. Johnny bawled aloud
for help; beads of perspirat on were roll
ing down his face; the thought of Amy's
grief, of her parents Indignation, of his
own foolish face when he should appear
at the church too late to be married all
these things ~hirled before him in hid
eous vision, and his shouts were as those
of a man who has both calves caught in a
man-trap. No help came, however, and
Johnny was obliged to dart out as be
fore. But il there is one thing super
essential to Il man in a labyrinth, it is
GOODNESS. Distraction leads you round
and round like tang ed skein of thread;
and so for the sixth time Johnny termi-
mated his zigZags in the middle of the
maze. Precisely at this moment the
clock of some distant chapel changed out
ten O'Clock.
Then The Gagged bridegroom uttered
one of those ordinations of woe and
fury that rise up from the heart like an
explosion. Gathering all his streng h
he plunged stra' ght through the first
hedge like an infatuated BULL resolving
to force his way clean through from
hedge 10 hedge till he reached the out
side of the circle. His clothes flew
from him in shreds-first his coat, then
his waistcoat, then the more indispensa-
bic garments. His face streamed with
blood; his hair was full of leaves, twigs,
and prckles; he was bruised broken,
reeklng with perspiration, and exhausted.
But at length he dashed through the last
hedge md tumbled into the arms of the
park-keeper, who lost no time in clutch
ing him by what remained Of his collar
Let NE go, mani" howled Jack, who
looked like II scarecrow who had desert
Ell his post, and he struggled with de-
spairing violence.
Help, murder' yelled the park keep.
er, clasping his prisoner with redoubled
force; and at the cry u couple of other
keepers hurried up and took Johnny into
custody.
1t was fully midday when police.
man arrived at the house where the anx-
ious weuding-party were ascend cd and
inquired whether person of the name
of Plowden was known there, saying
that the said person was at the station
for willful damage TO public property,
as ault and battery.
Jounny was not married that day nor
the next, for Amy said there was no con-
6ding oue's happiness to such man.
She declared she would only marry him
when he had learned to be punctual;
nd &c -, bat a.