Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-08-19

81 can't" she said. "Its my foot,
Phnbe. The COW trod upon II, and l
can't stir. What shall we dop"
BY this time had caught her excite
ment and was near to giggling as in
sanely rs she. "What shall we doP" 1
echoed.
But now there wore approaching
steps upon the walk that we both heard.
Jennie knew them in minute and that
minute restored her to herself.
Phnbe," she said firmly, "rll toll
you what we must do. You must run
homo and tell father TO come with the
wagon. I'll creep up here off the road
side, and keep perfectly still, and no.
body'll know Pm here till you come
back"
But can't leave you alone, so bad
ly hurt l can't Jennie'
"Please Phoebe! please hurry, dearl
Some body is comingm
"Tm glad of it," said l. "Some-
body ought to come and help u.s."
"But Phnbe. Phpbe, - don't let him
find us-ifs Johnw ....
al don't care If it is, I'm glad of it,
and lust remember, if he was going
over to East Side with Jessie Sears,
he d not be here now. You've been
too quick, Jennie, there's some mis-
take" .......
Poor Jennie could only give little
moan of pain for answer. Her ankle
was beginning to hurt her badly. Little
as her moan was John was near enough
to catch it. for that instant we heard his
anxious voice calling;
"Girlsl Phoebe, Jennie, are you
therep'
There was a silence for minute,
then spoke out: "Yes, John, we're
here, and we want YOU"
"You want me! What is the matterp
What made you run away from mep l
rot out as fast as | could to catch up
with YOU"
Dear! how troubled, and how kind,
and how full of com ort, too, his famil.
lar old voice sounded.
"rm so glad you've come!' l cried,
.Jennie is hurt"
"Jcnnie --burtr
All, YOU should have heard the tone
of his voice when he said that; 1 almost
felt as if | ought not to be there to hear
it; why, there couldn't have been more
feeling in his voice if she had been his
sister and mother and wife and child
all in one!
guess John was pretty well worn
out with what he had gone through at
McCreery's, to say nothing of having
wanted Jennie's company all the even
ing and missed it, And sometimes to
be tired ont and sacrificed in the SER
vice of others softens and opens per-
sons heart before he knows it.
He knelt down beside Jennie and lit
q match to look at her. / hope it was
not wrong for me to have taken glance
at the two faces that match lighted up;
Johns so troubled and devoted, and
Jennie's scratched and fearful, pitiful,
wistful, questioning
He spoke right out like man to the
silent cry of the heart. "My darling"
he said-"my darling, what is the mat
terP"
That was more than she could bear
Just then she wavered as she sat. and
fell back in dead faint. John sprang
to raise her head, and ran to the brook
to sop my handkerchief with water and
bathe her face. l begged John to let
me run home at once and send the
wagon. 1t was plain he could not bear
to leave her, and l ran off as fast as l
could.
was back again before the horse could
be harnessed, bringing with me cam
phor and cologne. But Jennie had re-
covered her senses before | arrived.
heard her talking in low voice to John
before | reached them. What he had
said to her do not know, but she was
meek enough now; as humble and CRATE
full as possible when we lifted her into
the wagon and got her home.
And how heroic she was while the
doctor was setting her ankle! AT least
they all said she was heroic; but it is
my private belief she did not feel the
least pain for sheer happiness, and
therefore there was no virtue whatever
in her keeping as still as lamb.
told her the next day that she did
not deserve her happiness, and she
owned she did not. asked her if she
was not ashamed that /, who was only
his friend, had stood up for John more
staunchly, in my own mind, than she
who was his lady-love.
1t was only an accident his appear
ing with Jessie at the choir-meeting. A
young man from Woodville had been
over to visit her and detained her till ii
was late. On his way home he had
brought her in h buggy as far as the
church and lie t her in the vestibule
Right there she had met John, and had
made as much of the opportunity as she
knew how.
Would You like to hear what else
John did that night? When he haC
brought the doctor and gone again OF
errands to the druggists, and ther
stayed by till he could learn that Jennie
! was made as comfortable as possible fol
the night, without saying anything tt
anybody he got a lantern and went tt
search for that unhappy COW. He fount
her, drove her home and shut her into
Mrs McCreery yard. The poor WON
an did not know till long afterward wht
had done her the kindness Spring
fela (.Hass.) Republican.