The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-01-25
4 Race for a Kiss.

of his was cured Of too frequently tip
ping the gin bottle. This neighbor
married g Young, handsome and spirited
lady, and for a month or two all went
well in the,house and about the farm;
then the husband fell back into his old
tricks. The wife demonstrated, and for
a time the husband reformed. Pres
entity. however she became satisfied
that the ''bottle-tippingn was again go
ing on. When she spoke TO her husband
about the matter he swore that the
aroma she detected was that o acol;c
medicine he was taking, he having de-
veloped q most intractable collie, for the
relic of which he had brought home
and paraded bottle of medicine.
! he vie was confident that there was
kept somewhere about the premises a
considerable store OF very different
kind of medicine She kept her own
counsel and at the same time strict
watch. In day or two she discovered
under n manger in barn the secret
hoard She said nothing of the discov-
cry TO her husband
Soon alter the husband had business
at a neighbours, some two miles away.
On his return home he was somewhat
surprised at seeing a note pinned upon
his front door. Hastily advancing he
read as follows:
BeN: You will lind tho key of the house
where You keep your collie medicine. ! have
taken Kitty and gone home to my mother
Father and b other Bob VIII come tomorrow
for the trunk in which have packed my
things, NELLIE
The husband rushed to the barn. At
glance he saw that Kitty. his wife $
10 -.l, i It..klS
Darling TO the manoer he hauled out
his corpulent demijohn of Gin. and sus-
rended from its neck found the key of
the house
Securing the key he sent the demiiohn
whizzing and crashing against post of
the barn. Bounding forth, he ran to and
mounted the horse he had let standing
in front of his house.
Away he dashed. 1t was ten miles
TO the house OF his father-in-law. and
he was determined to overtake his wife
before she uld reach it, or kill the
horse in the attempt,
Said the butter man: .Now, / see d
Ben's wife come over the hill, haf a
mile south of my house, on her little
mare, Kitty, and began to perform
some queer abolutions. After She Il
got over the brow o the hill she paced
up and down the road for time; then
she rid mp and looked over the ridge
for awhile. After looking bit she
turned about and rid up and down the
road for few times, and went up to
the brow o the hill again. So she kept
| dom an once or twice she rot of and
led Kitty up to the top of the hill.
% | was puzzed as to whether she was
waitin' for somebody or had lost some
thing while on the way to her father S
| place, some four miles beyond my
house / was Just about to walk ont
| that way when | seed her wheel Kitty
| round from the brow O. the hill and be-
gin to ply her whip.
In half a minute she was fIyin' past
my place like wild woman. / stood
ut my front gate by the roadside, ready
to holler out at her TO know what was
| up, but b.ess you, she never looked
! to'ard me. Her eyes seemed sot in hel
head, her face was pale and at every
jump she let into Kitty with her whip.
| swar, her ridin' skirt fairly cracke |
rs she bounded past mel
! "Jist then | heerd tremendous
clatter behind me- Turnin' about,
seed Ben comm over the pitch of the
hill on his big black hoss. like a wild
| Comanche. He was ridin' with loose
reins, leanin' away for ard, and diggin'
his Big spurs into his horse like he't
rip his insides out.
''He pas ed by with his hair and
coat-tails sailin' back in the wind ant
never turnin' his head to right nor left
| thought / seed murder in his eve.
tnl a
my brain in second All the storie!
ever heerd about jealous husband.
and insane husbands went through m,
head in lump, an do bel eve if Ii
had my gun in my hand, I'd have taker
q wing shot at him on suspicion.
i seed Nell look back once, ant
then lay the whip to Kitty hottn ever
Ben was goin like the wind. / knowet
Nell was headed for her fathers, and
seed plain as day that Ben would gel
her fore she was safe landed.
"At last he was upon her. 1t wa
then neck and neck for time, with Bel
reachin' out for Kitty's bride. At las
he got it, and the two horses graduallv
slowed up till they finally stopped
mounted my gate post all of tremb G
expectn' TO see somethin' dreadful
happen.
They stopped in the road talkin
nigh onto half an hour then | seec
Ben lean over and Nell lean over, til
thar two heads came together.
"'What the mischief says /
kissin' instead of KILN Well, tina
sort of fracas gets met
"After the head bumpin' the pal
turned about and came slowly joggin
along back.
"As they passed me, / called out t,
Ben TO know what in the livin' iingo i
all meant. Ben began to siamme
something, bout half which never go
out through his big beard. when Mel
sings out to me: Only race for
kissr and givin' Kitty cut that mad,
her bound ten feet, she called out t.
Ben: Come on! A race to the top o
the hill for anotherl' and away the,
bOfl want