The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-02-05
EBENSBURG Pa FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1875

deserves better man than that young pup
of fellow, though 1 would not blame her
much either if she takes him, for she must
be dreadful lonesome, and she has to let her
farm out on shares, and it isn't half worked
and no one else seems to have the sphinx to
speak up to her. BY jingo! if was a sim
gle mar I'd show you a thing or two"
So saying, Ed. borrowed some bags and
started around the corner of the barn where
he had left Bill sweeping, and put his ear
to knot-hole and listened, knowing the
bachelor had a habit of talking to himself
when anything worried him.
"Confound that young Sackriderp' said
Bill, ''what business has he there, I'd like
to know? Got new buggy, has he !?
Well, so have I, and a new harness too :;
and his horse can't get in sight of mine, and
declare have half mind to-yes, will !;
I'll go this very night and ask her to go to
the show with me. I'll show Ed. Wilbur
that / amt half such a calf as he thinks /
am, if did let old Watson get the start of
me in the first place.
Ed. could scarce help laughing outright,
but he hastily hitched the bags on. his
shoulder, and with few chuckles of sue
cess, started home to tell the news to Mel
ly; and about five O'clock that evening they
saw Billy go by with his horse and buggy
on his way to the widows. He logged
along quietly, thinking of the old singing
school days, and what pretty girl Susan
was then, and wondering inwardly. if he
would have the courage to talk up to her,
until at about mile from her house, when
he came to bridge over creek, and it SO
happened that just as he reached the mid
die of the bridge he gave tremendous
sneezc, and blew his teeth out of his mouth,
clear over the dashboard. and striking on
bridge off into the water.
Words cannot do justice to poor Bill, or
paint the expression of his face as he sat
there, completely dumbfouded at his start
ling piece of ill luck. After a while he step
ped out of his buggy, and getting down on
his hands and knees. looked over into the
water; yes there they were in the bottom,
with crowd of little fishes rubbing their
noses against them, and Bill wished that
his nose was as close for a second. His
beautiful teeth that cost him so much, and
the show coming on and no time to get an
other set, and the widow and young Sack
rider. Well, he must try to get them
somehow and no time to lose, for some one
might come along and ask him what he
was fooling around there for. He had no
notion of spelling his good clothes by wad-
ing in with them on, and besides he could
not go to the widows that night SO he
took look up and down the road to see
that no one was in sight, then quickly I'm.
dressed himself, leaving his clothes in the
! buggy to keep clean. Then he ran around
to the bank and waded into the almost ict
cold water, but his teeth did not chatter il
his head, he only wished they could. Cui
etly he waded along SO as not to stir up The
mud, and when he got to the right spo
he dropped under the water, and came vi
with them in his hand and replaced then
| in his mouth. But bark what noise il
that? A wagon followed by little nois,
dog barking with all his might, and hi
horse is starting.
"Whoa whoa ! Stop, you brute You
! stop - But stop he would not, but wen
on at a spanking pace, with the unfortu
nate bachelor after him, and the little dos
yelping after the bachelor. Bill was Ger
tainly in capital costume, but though h,
strained every nerve he could not toucl
the buggy or reach the lines that wer,
dragging on the ground.
After a while his plug hat shot off tn,
seat, and the hind wheel went over it
making it as Hat as pancake. Bill snatch
ed it rs he ran, and after jamming his fis
into it, stuck it all dirty and dimpled OF
his head. And now he saw the widow
house on the hill, and what, oh, what will
he do? Then his coat fell ont, he slapped
it on, and then making desperate splurt
he grasped the back of the seat scrambled
in, and pulling the buffalo robe over hi
legs, stuffed the other things beneath =
] Now the horse happened to be one he go
from Squire Moore, and he got it from the
! widow, and he took it into his head to stoy
at the gate, which Bill had no power t.
prevent, as he had no possession of the
reins, besides he was too busy buttonips
( his coat up to his chin to think Of doing
much else. The widow heard the rattle oi
the wheels and looked out and seeing j,
F., was Smiley and that he didn't offer to ge,
out, she went out to see what was wanted,
and there she stood chatting with her arms
on the gate, and her face right towards
him, while the cold chills ran down his
sbirtaess back clear to his bare feet under
the buffalo robe, and the water from his
hair and the dust from his hat combined to
make nice little streams of mud that came
trickling down his face. She asked him to
come in.
'No; I'm in great hurry he said.
Still he did not offer to go. He did moi
like to ask her to pick up the reins for him,