Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-01-21

| shaded valley, the dancing brooks.
and the highway bordered with ma
pies and eIin--and then my escort
beguiled the hour with odd and merry
| fancies, talked about his farm. his
hopes, his aspirations, and il had
not wilfully turned the subject once or
twice. said the pretty old lady, with
prim little gesture, II think he
might have proposed, but wasn't
ready for that yet. 'In the quiet of
hone-going,n | said to myself, II will
listen to him, perhaps"
AT last we reached the waterfall.
which, with its accompanying heights
and charming scenery, repaid us for
the long ride. IL was hard to tear
ourselves away, and when we did
turn the heads OF our spirited horses
IN the direction of home il was very
late.
1--WE shall never be in time for the
party" | said, as the twilight deep
ened into dusk. Must you pay at the
toll-gate? The old man Is half blind,
and 1t will take him an hour TO hunt
ap change. Run the toll, just for the
iun OF it-you can pay him afterward "
That won't do,n I'll have to get
bill changed, though. Just take the
] II
never heard the end OF the sentence.
AT that moment the spirit of mischief
seized me. | seized the whip and
touched the near horse. Then / only
heard the thunder of hoof and the
whirr of wheels, saw Ned's eyes flash
fire in the semi-darkness and his face
grow pale. Before he could take the
reins from my inexperienced hands we
had run the toll in good earnest, and
the horses were flying over the bridge
as only frightened horses can. 1t was
rs much as Ned could do TO guide
them, and twice we Were in deadly
PERIL
"On they sped, young Hamilton
standing without hat, his teeth set,
| his lips white, his frame rigid, while
| the veins of his forehead stood out like
whip-cord. / just sat back and held
my breath, too frightened TO cry out,
and catching AT whatever was nearest
to steady myself as they raced down
the long, billy street to the village. at
the foot of which they slackened their
speed and were soon under control.
""That was a mad freak of yours,
was all the young man said rs he
helped me out at the door; and |
knew by the expression of his counte-
nance that never should be asked to
ride behind his grays again.
II went to the party seemingly as
gay and light-hearted as ever II any
feeling of regret ever lurked under
my careless speech and manner Ned
should never know it. In the midst
of fun, when was holding my little
court, and the laugh and the Jest were
going round, who should appear upon
the scene but my father in his
homely, patched clothes, quite regard
less of the figure he cut in the midst
of that brilliant company. He walked
straight up to me, his hair in disorder
his face as pale as death.
Jack, y said he, "did you run tho
toll to-day?n
THE horses ram / said, with 6
touch of levity, though / trembled
from head to foot. what did they
. know about the toll?''
"Well, the bridgekeeper has beer
to the house, Jack. He told me til,
young man was getting the money
when you caught up the whip and SCI
the horses to running. Now, there's ;
fine for that, and I've got TO give hin
So; he won't let me off, amt got Nv,
cents to my name. Tears stood in hii
poor, weak eye and, regardless of tn,
surroundings, took out his hadker
chief and wiped them away. Imag
inc, If you can, how | felt.
:. Allow me to pay, sir" said Ned
coming forward; and that capped th'
climax. | could have screamed will
modification. | just ran out of tina
room, without waiting for wraps o.
ANYTHING else, and ! flew home 81
ashamed | hardly knew what ! wa,
doing. AS you may suppose, | criee
pretty much all night, and it was ;
long time before recovered my spirits
~ have no doubt it lost me Nee
Hamilton, too, said the old lady, witt
queer little toss of the head; "bu
that didn't matter much. He left mt
aud took Mary Bean, old Deacon
Beams daughtcr-thc pink of pro
priety, and who would no more hav,
dared to say her soul was her owl
! than she would have dared To ride
with wild horses. 1t was little NOR
tifying mt first, but after his marriage
, folks said that he was miserly almos
, beyond belief, and am positive Mol,
Hamilton only has one new bonnet ;
year, poor soul!--though by this tim'
She may have gone where they don
need bonnets.
"However, | was cured from tina
, time of my thoughtless pranks.
, went to work and soonpaid back Tn
, S., and more than that, | paid off tn
mortgage ON our little home, in time.
"And then you married grandpa
said Lily.
YES, dear he was worth athousan'
, Ned Hamiltons but poor father how
! often / have heard him say that | wa
: just rs good as a boy.-Chicd9o Tfid
. itie.