Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-04-14
-A-zOUxG CRUsADsR.
Ry I.ar. RuRNEr.

| things 10 wrap IL ASi tOu nay AoNC
TO wait. l will have Henry put black
Kit before the buggy" @
Josie's eyes sparkled as her father
said this. The grass never grew Hn-
der her feet when there was pros
pect Of driving black Kit, and so it
was rot many minutes before. she
was ready and ont, joining Henry as
be came from the barn leading the
pretty glossy Kit, attached to the
light buggy, v
Mamma came to the side door to
see her of-mamma always saw Jo-
sic off-and only mammals self knew
how often, with misgivings moreaor
less in proportion to the way, frisky
or sedate, in which the pretty Kit,
who could hardly. be called a girls
horse, although she belonged to Miss
Josie, got over the ground between
the horse-barn and the road. But
Josie, in spite of her love of sparkle
and dash, was a genuinely careful
driver. This her mother knew, and
she always comforted herself with it
after her little girlawas once well out
of sight. a
1t was fine November afternoon.
As the young girl rode along she
felt what, let us hope the young al
WAYS feeI-the delight of living,
Everything was exhilarating. She
enjoyed the bright, bracing air; she
enjoyed the hum of those light
wheels; she enjoyed looking at the
satiny Hanks of Kit, moving up and
down in the long, Looping trot that
covered SO much ground and lastly,
she was conscious of the pretty pic
ture she herself made, with her
graceful dress, her bright face, aud
the long plume. of her hat bending
back to caress her sunny, floating
hair. Without vanity, Josie War
ren knew herself to be the envied
among the girls, and the admired
among the boys Of her OWL especial
circle. + But she had, what We wish
every ffteen-year-old girl might
haye-a thoroughly good heart; and
all the petting at home, and the en-
w and admiration elsewhere, had
failed to spoil her. ~ s9n sssl -
1t was three miles to Lawrence.
lust as she had -entered-1pea-the
last mile and half, Kit prieked up
her ears and began to tug at the
bit-her faEorite method of telling
that some one was coming up behind
her. Josie's ear, only a.little less.
quick than Kits own, had also
/ caught that another hum of wheels
| was now mingling with hers.Il Be
sure that being Josie Warren il. did
not detract from her self-satisfaction
to look around aud meet the gay,
black eyes OF Tom Mathews, the
/ very handsomest of all that string
of boys whom she could twist about
her little finger. h
She glances at the horse be drives
yes, Il is Ronald, the great, long
| hmbed bay that Tom is always boast
| ing of and holding up as being supe-
rier to her Kit Ahead lies long,
wide, level; stretch. 'He shall see,
now" thinks Kits mistress to her.
j self. m.-s .st4ots..I ! 9-,s.a5i1s lsssal E
Tom raises his cap gallantIy.a g "A
| fine day, Miss Josie. May I pass
| you? 1 expect father in on the 4 80
train-there is the whistle, now
and won't he rage if Pm not there
the moment he steps down from the
cars! Pmlavfuf sorry you can't keep
up, for 'twould be SO jolly;" and
Ronald is abreast of her as he fin-
| ishes.i ~ ..5iasa 9qssla a..s .s1sasuss
'Oh, goodbye, MIR. Mathews, if
YOU are really gone; but what if /
| should keep np2' " and she shakes
| the reins lightly and ichirrups to the
ready Kit kit comprehends, and
Strengthening herself cut with one
bound, takes her place neck and neck
| with Ronald, .sa The claek ,selaek Of
those eight hoofs upon the beaten
rosd,the ineiwhirla of those eight
delicate wheels, are music to the
ears of all four-Ronald and Kit,
| and the gay boy and girl Faster
and faster. Kit does not fail her
mistress; for now she gains a little,
now a little more-now her strong
shoulders, are, ahead, now half her
4 glossy length, when, suddenly, she
4 SHES! 'd.i ii-'f S'dz i'A - .et +
@Hullol what's the matter?" says
Tom, and despite his hurry he pulls
up. .aai,issslg hg1issl &. 7as.l1ets r sai
stsNo harm DONE" says Josie, gay
ly. So -. .sl.h .l' s'''''5' =. : : ..
"Oh, | see what frightened her.
! look, Josie, there's Sammy Metcalf
back there in that fence corner, and
| he's drunk as an owl, / do believe
That's the second time within a
fortnight. :, Iwender what's got in
to him, for he used to be as steady
as anyof the boys. By the away,
Josie, ] heard you and sister Belle
talking aboutithe crusaders.the 9TH
er day-now here's a chance to put
some of your fine theories into prac-
tice, s Suppose, now, youzand Belle
hold prayer-meeting over ayouf
fallen little beau-for / believe you
both lay claim to bim-and maybe,
| between you, You can manage to re-
construct him. Wouldn't that be
gay, now2 And Tom threw back his
curly head and laughed. .55as. I.l. d |
f. His way of puttingit was slightly
| ridiculous; but Josie, for a wonder,
did not laugh. 'Gt would certainly
be worth while, Tom, were itlpossi-
ble." rsy
"Oh, I guess you could do it; girls
like you and Belle could do most
anything with a fellow; but then,
what girl like you and Belle would?
Tell me that, Josie Warren. ''a's 'e'.A
Trotting along side by side on the
wide road, Kit keeping up in fine
style, they had now reached the vii
Iage:I Growing spddeniy silhdful of
bis hnrfy, Tom tipped his cup and
turned down towards the depot.
j The sun dropped lower and lower,
and stil oslo sst IN the Telegraph
Office a 4 Haiied for tket flreseme
diHpafeIi. Wien i did Gomez md
she Hts 81 last ready to start for
ho4e svss past eight opek 1t