The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-06-15

SEVER since last winter. She Is an
old friend Of yours, it appears, Mr..
KeeneP"
l could interrogate as well as he.
The man was a william, according to
Dill, and I had a lively curiosity to
hear what a william could say for him
self.
eyes, I used to regard her as a very
dear friend. Has she ever happened
to speak Of me to you, Mrs. G%arcelonP"
"Never till yesterday"
He looked up expectantly, but I shut
my lips ~aggravatingly together, and
turned about to catch a glimpse of
"Greeley's Wash-Bowl!"-a followed
rock in the middle of the stream.
"Shc gave you an unfavorable I'M
preston of me, l judge" he observed,
presently, with an uncomfortable
smile.
"Miss Clement never makes untrue
statements" said 1, oracularly.
wanted to torment him. He didn't
seem half repentant enough for a man
that w%as-well, a gambler or a coun-
terfeiter, for all 1 knew. Dill's face
had expressed unutterable things
against him.
The driver had only stopped to water
the horses, and now the few passengers
who had got down we're taking their
places again. l saw Joe striding over
the bridge, his hands full of Indian
wares. Mr.. Keene saw him too, and
resumed, hastily.
"YouM pardon my speaking of my
self, Mrs. Garcelon, but l can't bear to
be misconstrued in this way by one of
Dill's-Miss Clement's-friends. That
ugly story she told you of me was en-
tirely without foundation, 1 assure you.
She believes it firmly, l hear, though l
didn't know of it till recently, and con.
~sequently was indignant at her conduct
toward me. But no wonder she was
exasperated, if she thought l was"
"Suppose you a manage to stow
away these traps, PollyP" broke in
Joe, tossing up a handful of baskets,
and then following them; and l was no
wiser than before as to what Mr.. Keene
was, or what Dilllthought he was.
When we descended from the coach
to enter the queer little car that tolls up
Mount Washington, he stood waiting at
the steps to help Dill in. She gave him
a quick, defiant nod, and sprang past
him, too astounded for speech, l verify
believe. Joe pursed up his lips as If he
were going to whistle, and 1 had to di-
vert him by asking about the machine
ry. He has a genius for mechanics,
and enjoys discoursing on cylinders and
cog-wheels, that l don't understand the
first thing about. Once in a while /
try to listen, just to convince him he
hasn't married an idiot; and in regard
to that wheezy baby of an engine, / do
remember this, that there are three sew
eral ways of securing it fast to the track,
SO that it can't slide backward. 1t was
a faint consolation to be assured of this
fact when, setting at naught the estab-
lished laws of gravitation, W. hung sus-
pended OF "Jacob's Ladder"-a glori-
GUS sunset below, the sky above.
"It's like being drawn up to heaven
over a rainbow" cried Dill, leaning far
out of the window. "Oh, Polly, Polly,
1 wish we were going there to stay!"
"Don't, Dill, talk hat way on the
verge of a precipice"
cit would be such a triumphant
climbing out of the miseries of this hor-
rid world" persisted Dill, sending
shivers down my back; for, with Joe
and Teddy in it, the world wasn't hor-
rid at all to me, and | was in no hurry
for heaven.
Once since we began the ascent Mr..
Keene had tried to open conversation
with Dill, and been undeniably snubbed,
and he had now betaken himself to the
front platform to look out upon the
"Silver Forest'-the guide-book name
for a clump of bleached tree roots near
the summit of the mountain-while she
stood by me, craning her neck through
the window till / grew fairly dizzy.
"Come, Bill, stop saying such un.
earthly things, and sit down like q ra-
tional being"
"In a minute, Polly. Something's
burning! Dent you smell smoker"
"Mercy, it's you, Dill! Joe! Joe!
Dill's on fire!"
A spark from the engine must have
been ,smoldering among her hat rib.
bons, for as she drew in her head hel
gauze veil burst into flames. For q
l moment 1 thought she was being
l snatched up to heaven in a fiery cloud
> but the next instant Mr.. Keene had tori
J off the hat, crushed out the fire, ant
crushed in the crown. Then he handed
it back, a sorry-looking head-gear
scorched and smutty, with broker
plumes. She put it on with an attemp
at grimace.
> "Thank you very much. Do I lool
like an extinct ~volcanoP"
; "Hardly extinct, Dill. l believe 20,
are burning with wrath against me deel
> down in your heart"
= swell, if you will rake up the past
! haven't l r~easonP" said Dill, in low
angry tones. "What right have you Il
U reproach me--a man who vas"
: And here, If you'll credit it, my pre-
: cious Joe Numbered in again betweei
! me and my enlightenment respecting
! tDill's broken engagement, this time b
: calling my attention to the monumen
of the adventurous young lady who pei
ished or the mountain. Of course
was wicked to play eavesdropper, br
l would have cheerfully been wicked
little longer, till Dill had a chance I