The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-14

right but he hastily hitched the bags
on his shoulder, and with low chuckle
at his success, started home to tell the
news to Nelly and about five o'clock
that evening they saw Bill 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
more courage to talk up to her-until
at distance of about mile from the
house, he came to bridge, he gave
tremendous sneeze, and blew his teeth
out of his mouth and clear over the
dashboard, and striking on the plank,
they rolled over the side of the bridge
and dropped into four feet of water.
Words cannot do justice to poor Bill Or
paint the expression of his face as he sat
there completely dumbfounded at his
piece of ill-luck. After 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, at the
bottom, with d crowd of little fishes rub
bing their noses against them, and Bill
wished to goodness that his nose was as
close for one second. His beautiful
teeth had cost him so much, and, the
show coming on and no time to get an
other set-and the widow and young
Sockrider.
Well, he must try and get them some-
how and no time to be lost, for some
one might come along and ask him what
he was fooling around there for. He
had no notion of spelling his clothes by
wading in with them on and, besides,
if he did, 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, and then quickly undressed him
self, laying his clothes in the buggy to
keep them clean. Then he ran around
the bank and waded into the almost icy
cold water, but his teeth didn't chatter
in his head-he only wished they could.
Quietly he waded along so as not stir
the mud up, and when he got to the
right spot he dropped under the water
and came out with his teeth in his
mouth. But hark What noise is that
A wagon, and dog barking with all his
might, an his horse is starting.
"Whoa whoa Stop you brute, You,
stop!'
But stop he would not, but went off at
spanking pace, with the unfortunate
bachelor after him. 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 dragging on the ground. After a
while his plug hat shook off the seat,
and the hind wheel went over it, making
it as fiat as a pancake. Bill snatched it
as he ran, and after jamming his fist into
it, stuck it, all dusty and dimpled on his
head. And now he saw the widows
house on top of the hill, and what, oh
what will he do? Then his coat fell out
and he slipped it on, and then making
desperate squirt he clutched the back
of the seat and scrambled in. and pull
ing the buffalo robe over his legs,
stuffed the other things beneath. Now
the horse happened to be one he got
from Squire Moore, and he got it from
the widow, and the animal took it into
his head to stop at her gate, which Bill
had no power to prevent, as he was too
busy buttoning his coat up to his chin
to think of doing much else.
The widow heard the rattling of the
wheels and looked out, and seeing that
it was Smiley, and that he didn't offer to
get out, she went ont to see what he
wanted, and there she stood chatting,
with her white arms on the top of the
gate, and her face towards him, while
the chills ran down his shirtless 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 trickling down his face.
She asked him to come in. No, he
was in hurry, he said. She did not
offer to go. He did not ask her to pick
up his reins for him, because he did not
know what excuse to make for not doing
so hi mself. Then he looked down the
road behind him and saw a white-faced
horse coming, and at once surmised it
was that Of Gus Sockrider He resolved
to do Or die, and hurriedly told his er-
rand. The widow would be delighted to
go-of course she would. But wouldn't
he come inl No, he was in hurry, he
said; and he would go on to Green's
place.
"Oh," said the widow, "you're going
to Green's, are you? Why, I'm going
there myself to get one of the girls to
help me quilt tomorrow. Just wait a
second while get my bonnet and shawl,
and I'll ride with you." And away she
skipped.
What a scrape," said Bill, and he
hastily clutched his pants from between
his feet, and wriggled into them, when
light wagon drawn by the 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, and just as the widow
reached the gate again, he said:
"Here's your boots and socks, Mr..
Smiley, that you left ON the bridge when
you were in there swimming"
"You're mistaken, " said Bill; "they
are not mine"
"Why," said the boy, "ain't you
the man that had the race after the
horse, just now?"
"No, sir. am not. You had better
go on about your business
Bill sighed at the loss of his Sunday
boots, and, turning to the widow, said:
just pick up those lines, will you,
please This brute of horse is always
switching them out of my hands"
The widow complied he pulled one
corner OF the robe cautiously down as
she got in.
"What a lovely evening"" she said /;
"and SO warm don't think we want
the robe over us, do we ?"
You see she had on nice new dress
and pair of new CATERS, and she want
ed to show them.
"Oh, N.Y." said Bill, earnestly,
"you'll find it chilly riding, and 1
wouldn't have you catch cold for the