The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-05-03
let her arms steal softly about his neck.
while she raised herself on tiptoe to
whisper in his ear that he. .t1nst fpraixs

| Dut- WelI, Crs~AssAs. .:--7zsS(t 30 III Gu, HnC
the butterSsRsrild not come to-day, and
so her temper bad not borne the test.
4 r. Pardon thus sought might readily
enough be won for harsher sin, but
Sydney Richards imposed his penalty
for all that; and 80 it happened that the
next Sabbath morning witnessed the
reading of his and Mamie Williams
banns.
Poor little Nannie!
She and her pride were waging hard
fight just then. .E
1t had been lucky moment that
Sydney Richards had chosen to ask her
to become his wife.
That very day she and Dick had had
their first and only falling out.
1t had been such foolish matter,
and she had known herself quite wrong,
but she had determined that Dick
should yield, ana instead he had quietly
walked away, saying
"Nannie, when you acknowledge l
am right, send for me.
cit Is only your pride that now re-
fuses to acknowledge me so, and il is
with your heart, not your pride, wish
to deal. Besides L nave something
more L wish to say to you then"
Something morel
All, how we'll she knew what this
| something moro wasl ..
AS it it needed to be put into words
AS IT she had not known all her life
that Dick, earnest and tender and true
as he was strong, loved her, and one
day would make her his wife, though
he little liked and lily brooked her
coquettish ways.
Indeed, on this account had been
their falling out, but she had doter-
mined this time not to yield.
And SO when, few hours after Dick
had left her, it CHANGED that Sydney
Richards came to WOO her, lis tender
love phrases sounded very swcetly in
her ear, md she gave him her promise.
scarce conscious OF all It's import, but
glad to infiict OH Dick some of the pain
from which her heart was suffering.
''Tm going to try the new colt,
father, this morning," she said, when
it wanted but two weeks for her wedding
day.
Better not" said tho farmer.
Il doubt if he's ever had woman
Oh his back"
''He would not be the first horse that
1 had broken to that, was her laughing
rotort. ..- ....-..
The farmer said no more.
He had implicit faith in Nannie's
horsemanship.
But when; little later, she came
down the stairs dressed III her habit,
she started to find Dick Armstrong.
holding the colt by the rem. ''''7 ,H-'
II had business with yonr father,
Mamie, he said quietly, land the man
brought the colt round whilst we we're
talking together, 80 stayed to tell you
you must not ride him.
'He has dangerous eye."
The girl smiled proudly.
'.Many thanks for your interest in
my life, MIR, Armstrong; but SINCE you
have acquitted yourself OF any RESPONSE
billty in the matter, 1 feel doubly
tempted to try the experiment"
She stepped down beside the horse to
pat HIM with one little gauntleted hand,
q courtesy he acknowledged by impa-
tiently paving the ground with his fore
feet. ....
Dick Amstrong's face paIed
lnvoluntarily he laid his hand on the
girls arm.
"You must not, Mamie, it is absolute
madness"
"And if it is" she retorted hotly, "to
forbid it is Sydney Richards province,
not yours"
Sue could had used no bettcr argu-
ment to silence him. -
He had paled before, but now cheek
and lips alike were colorless, save for
one drop of blood upon the latter, where
his teeth had met.
One instant, the small foot rested in
his palm, in answer to her imperious
gesture for assistance, the nexs, girl
and horse had vanished from his sight,
the colt-with bit fairly between his
teeth and running like mad-running
as only vicious horse can run, deter
mined to rid himself Cf the human
being he bears.
Dick Armstrong forgot his anger, Just
though it was, forgot all save the great,
sickening dread at his heart--the dread
which was so soon to prove SO fatally
well-founded-as, fastening down the
road, q riderless horse first came dash
ing past him, and then, full mile
further on, he met party of laborers,
carrying in their midst ghastly load.
At first, poor fellow, be thought it
that most terrible of all burdens-a dead
body; but as he bent over the face, so
deathly white but for the crimson stain
upon the forehead, faint murmur OF
agony escaped her lips.
Gently these rough men hore her
home.
Almost az soon Dick was there with
the physician he had summoned;, but
the latter, who had left him full hour
without the sick-room, could minister
but little comfort on his return to where
we waited.
The girl might I've, he said, though
only her wonderful hoalth and youth
would accomplish that; but she would
be cripple always.
Nam ie Williams cripplel
No one could realize 1T as tho news
spread.
But as the slow weeks passed and life
rs slowly as. erted itself. the doubt be.
came certainty.
All. we'll, the gossips declared again,
it was sad enough; but better it had
happened then than later, whom Sydney
Richards would have been burdened
with q crippled wife his life long.
But Sydney himself, what did he
sayp . 4
The accident was five weeks old, and