The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-11-02

ITCHY. anu lGe' dShcu iOH. lHcTee
place like England, no place like home,
after ALL"
"Buti If YOU have never Travelled, TOMB
"That's the very reason why" he replied,
somewhat enigmaticaily, and, leaping lightly
into the dogcart, she gave The bride reins a
shake" and VIC set off at a swinging trot.
There are few things more delightful to my
mind than passing quickly through the air,
perched on the top of a high vehicle, the
guidance of which is entrusted to a steady
hand. 1t is charming to close tha eyes and
dream, secure and comfortably atease, though
the sense of swiftness almost catches the
breath.
Some time had gone BY thus peacefully when
I said:
s.How pleasant this is, Tomb
But, even while l spoke there was a sudden
strange sound as though something in the
rickety harness had given way, and a black
object swaycdfor a moment to and fro about
the mares neck, close TO her ears. The AMI
NAL was frightened, doubtless, for our speed
increased tenfold, and the old dogcart lurched
and swung from side to side.
40, Tom, not so fast, not so fast" 1 cried.
s'Hush," said Tom, under his breath.
l stared at him, a vague dread chilling my
heart. He was sitting bolt upright, nay, he
was half S andiig. His lips, partly open,
showed his tightly clenched teeth; his eyes
were fixed, and he was frowning terribly. Ills
strong hands held the reins in their powerful
grasp, but the ribbons were strained, and
seemed almost about to break asunder.
And then l knew that Jerry was running
away, and that we were in danger.
laid my hand upon the reins.
90, Tom, let me help" l whispered. But
Tom shook of my land with nc gentle move
ment.
WGood Heavens ~ he said, ~fercely, alet me
alone, will oul Sit still-yes, you shall. Do
as l tell you; do You hear!"
He glared at me for a moment; his blue eyes
flashed like steel, and his face was quite white.
l had never dreamed tina Tom could look
thus, I sat perfectly still, not altogether from
obedience to Tom, of course, but from a wish
to help him, as well as from the consciousness
thar If was best 10 do SO. Faster and faster
landscape seemed to fly past. and We dashed
on, sometimes spinning recklessiy along the
road, some lines iolting and lurcliing danger
ously over stones and rough places.
Suddenly Tom turned to me.
"Le.ty, you will promise to remain still,
whatever happens!n he murmured, hurriedly.
"Yes, yes; why!'
Tom gave no answer, but the next momeut
the dogcart swayed violently, the mare seemed
about to climb the steep bank, and | was
scarcely conscious OF anything more, except
an Overwhelming surging sound in my ears.
Then directly after, as it appeared to me,
found myself ~unaccountably sitting on the
soft grass, with Toms arms around my
neck, and Toms frightened eyes staring into
mine.
go, Lefty, you are a real angelp said Tom
incoherently.
Icould not speak. Thought 1 was dream
ing; I put my hand to my head. | was hardly
aware Of my own identity; it never occurred
to me even to be angry at Toms affectionate
| attil ude. And yet it was all true; the dogcart
and the mare had vanished, and /, weak and
giddy, was sitting by the roadside, leaning
against this meekest and contritest of cousins:
80, Lefty" said Tom, in a voice that was
| absolutely low and husky, can you ever for
| give me! D, Lefty, my darling, | nearly killed
| YOU. When we were shot out of that beastly
trap, and 1 picked you up, you had tainted, and
1 thought you were dead. But you are al
| right, amt you? Say you are all right, Lefty
There were two big tears in Toms kind
eyes as he gazed %anxiously at me. 1 was all
right, SO right, indeed, that I am convinced
my strongest feeling at that particular mo
ment was one of triumph that fate and I to-
gether had reduced Tom to such an abjeci
condition. Possibly he discerned something
of the kind in my tell-tale face, for he smiled
and breathed n sigh of relief.
And then he blushed deep red through his
brown skin.
stLettv, give me a kiss, just one kiss"
"Why? o, Tom, l can't, I can't"
aye YOU can, just one; because you hate
me-, said Tom, illogically, and so, without
awaiting my permission, he took me in his
big, strong arms and held me. And a strange
hate was not hate after all, but only love In
disguise. For, indeed, from time immemo
rial, mythical and historical, has not the fool
ish young god been prone to disguise! As we
sa', hand in hand, gazing at each other, there
was no need for speech, and Tom and l were
both silen. " agreed that we had loved each
| other all ourlives.
But at last he spoke:
"Letty, do you remember the first time
ever saw youE"
eyes; it was at grandpapa'sh house at Twick
enham. We were a party of children, playing
together, and a horrid little boy wanted to pul
some carvings down my blck, and you would'nt
let HIM"
81 gave him a jolly thrashing aid made hin
eat one of his W earwigs. And the second
time I saw you, Lefty, You cried because /
made you sit in a cherry tree and wouldn't
allow yon to come down until you had eaten
the cherries l had picked f r you"
"And my French goyerness cried also. ant
said you had a bad heart.n
$50 she did. Well, the third time we me
you were grown up and wouldn't speak 10 m,
at all, so iJ was my turn to be in Coventry"
"And how about Jerry?" l asked, after
pause.
aShe is in the sand pit probably. 1 tried tx
upset the trap to save us from worse destruc
ton. l didn't know exac-ly what to do
aided Tom, i~ngeauorsly. Bat the old mar
disapproved of my plans, and split us, ant
went on her way rejoicing"
so, Toni"
$50 now you must walk home, Lefty. o
stay, let us go as far as that white farmhouse
| IL Will uO YOU SOOl W ICSb ii DlO, ANY lIOf.E
We walked awhile, and then, at a turn in TIN
road, We came upon Jerry, quietly grazing b
the hedge, the broken reins hanging loosel
about her neck, and the old dogcart, scarcel
injured, still at her heels. She allowed Ton
to go up 10 her and stroke her neck and eX
anime her hooks and fetlocks with a learnet
hand, and lead her (for she was not in tn
least hurt in the direction OF The farm.
Then Tom, who was a mas'er in such work
embarrassed Jerry and took her round 10 tn
A--l H.. - -.-Il - -
mended the dogcart with sundry ropes and bit
of wood, thereby earning the unbounded ad
miration and respect of a half q dozen loutisl
laborers, while l sat in the good wife's par
lor drinking tea and cndeavoring to ascertain
the exact ages o. her nine children.
1t was late afternoon, almos, evening, whel
Tom and | set out on our homeward drive
The aspect of the landscape had %altogethe
changed. The sun, though not ye+ set, wa
hidden behind a bank of shining clouds; tn
quiet sea lay like FURNISHED silver in the dis
lance. The greenness of the earth seemed t
have given place 20 subtle and harmoniou
tones of gray, and over our happy spirits ha
fallen a radiant veil of silent, calm deligh
"; every now and the he turned toward m
his joyous, loving eyes, a I'd l stole my han
gently into his.
1t was dark when we reached home. Aun
Nab was in an agony of kindly soltcitude
%anxiously expecting US
"Wny, Letty-why, my dear, how late yo1
are p'
go, no, it is not late, Auntie, surely.n'
B it is. A d you have had such a Ion
day, you poor dear? and you have been wit
Tom after all. Why, 1 was positively afrai
something had happened. Has he been yer
rude, my dear, and bothered you very much!
80, Aun Nab, Tom is never really rude
"Well, 1 dom KIN wv; you said so yourself
sometimes. But never mind, the longest da
comes 10 an end. child"
Dear Aunt Nab, it has been a lovely day
only I am SO sorry it is over.n
My aunt stared a. me with undisguisel
amazement.
"Have you lost your senses, child 2"
"She did at one time,'' sail Tom, CON
posedIy. But she has found them n ,w."
And Ihen he laughed, a happy and very lou
laugh that somehow did no jar upon m
nerves in the very least, aid then he seize
hold of Aunt Nab by both hands and hugge
her rapturouslv.
"The truth is, Lefty ard 1 are going to b
married, and so we mean to spend ever s.
many long days together"
"WelI," said Aunt Nab, as soon as she ha
regained her breath, ''people do say that it
well to begin with a lit lie aversion"
but it was the dogcart," 1 pleaded, incc
herently.
"Ah, 1 see," said Aunt Nab, nodding he