The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-26
A Race for u Kiss.

A butter pedler from Honey Lake re.
lates will! great glee how nelghbor of his
was cured Of too frequent tipping the GIN
bottle. This neighbor married young,
handsome spirited lady, and for month
or two all went we'll in the house and
about the farm; then the husband fell
BACK into his old tricks The wife remon-
strated and for q time the husband re-.
formed. Presently, however, she became
satisfied that tho ''bottle tipping" was
again going on. When she spoke to her
husband about the matter he swore that
the "aroma" she detected was that OF a
COLO medicine he was taking, he having
oeveloped most intractable colo, for the
rellet OF which he had brought home and
paraded bottle of medicine.
The wife was confident that there was
Kept somewhere about tho premises a con-
siderable store Of very different kind Of
medicine. She kept her own counsel and
ut the same Time strict watch. Ina day
or Two she discovered under q manger III
the barn the secret hoard. She SAID moth
ing OF the discovery 10 her husband,
soon after the huspand had business at a
nclghbors some two miles away. On his
return he was somewhat surprised at geo
ing note pinned upon his front door.
Lie hastily advanced and read as follows :
''Ben: You will find the key OF the
house where you keep your collie medicine.
have taken Kitty and gone homo to my
mother. Father and brother Bob will come
tomorrow for the trunk in which | have
packed my things. NELLIE"
The husband rushed to the barn. At q
glance he saw that Kitty, his wife's mare,
and the side-saddle were gone. Darti ng
to the manger he hauled out his corpulent
demijohn of gin, and suspended from its
neck found the key of the mousse.
Securing the key, he sent tho dem,iohn
whizzlng and crashing against a post of
the barn. Bounding forth, he ran to and
mounted the horse he had left standing in
front of his house.
Away he dashed. 1t was ten miles to
the house OF hls iather-in-law, and he was
determined TO overtake his wife before she
could reach it or kill a horse in the at
tempt.
Said the butter man: ''Now, | seed
Ben's wife come over the hill, half mile
south OF my house. on her little mare Kit
ty, and begin to perform some queer abo
lutions. After she'd got over the brow O.
the hlt' che paced up an down the road
or time; then she rid up and looked
over the ridge for q while. After lookin'
bit she turned about and rid up and down
the road a few times, then went I'D to the
prov O the hill again. SO she kept doin',
an once or twice she got off and led KITTY
up to the top of the hill.
II was puzzled as to whether she was
Waltin' for somebody or had lost something
while on her way to her fathers place.
somo four miles beyond my house. 1 was
just about to walk out that way when l
O. the hill and begin to play her whip.
"ln half minute she was flyin' past my
place like wild woman. I stood at nv
front gate by the roadside, ready to holler
out at her to know what was up, but, bless
you, she never looked to'ards me. Her
eyes seemed sot IN her head, her face was
pale and at every jump she let into Kitty
with whip. swar, her rldin' '-skut fairly
cracked as she bounded past.
"Jiat then I heerd tremendous clatter
behind me. Turnin' about, seed Ben q
comm over the pitch of the hill on his big
black hoss, like wild Comanche. He
was ridin' with loose reins, leanln' away
for'ard, and diggin' his big spurs into his
horse like he'd rip his lnsldes out.
''He passed by, with HAIR aud coat tails
sallin' back IN the wind, and never turning
his head to right nor left. I thought /
seed murder in his eye. tell you, a mil
lion thoughts went through my brain in
second. All the stories I'd ever heard
about jealous husbands and insane hus
bands went through my head IN q lump,
and do believe # I'd my gun N ny hand
I'd have taken wingshot at him On sus-
piclon.
seed Nell look back once and then Law
the whip on Kitty hottern ever. Ben
was goln' like the wind. l knowed Nell
was headed for her fathers; and | seed
plain as day that Ben would get her fore
she was safe landed.
sat last he was upon her. 1t then was
neck and neck for time, with Ben reach
ing out for hitty's Bride At last he got
it, and tho two horses gradually slowed
up till they finally stopped. mounted
my gate-post all of a tremble, cxpecun' to
sec somethin' dreadful happen.
''They stopped in the road talkln' nigh
onto half an hour then seed Ben lean
over and Nell lean over till thar two heads
come togethG7. >-..-
"'What the mischief y says /, 'Kissin'
Instead of killln'. Well, that sort O. fracas
gifts me j After the hcad-bnmpln' the
pair turned about and came slowly ioggin'
along back.
''As they passed mo called out to Ben
to know what in the living jingo it all
meant. Ben began to stammer something
bout half Of which never got through his
big beard, when Nell sings out to me
Only race for kiss |" and glvin' Kitty
a cut that made her bound ten feet, she
called out to Ben: Como onl A race to
the top of the hill for another' and away
they both went.
''That was five years ago, and never
knowed the meanin' of that wild harum-
scarum ride till bout three months ago,
when the story bolt tho collie medicine
leaked out among the wimmcn folks. For
good while after the ride, howsumever,
l remember o. the nelghbor men wonder
In what had come over Ben that he had
shut down on his gin all OF sudden and
wouldn't 30 much as take glass o. Oregon
cider.
''To this day no doubt Ben thinks he
had desperate chase after Nell and q
narrer escape of her gittin' into the home
den long with her big brother, her father
and bis nlother-in-law and I've never
said word to him bout how she fooled
long under the brow o. the hill"