Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-04-11
MFFIINIowN JUNIArA COUNTY. PENNA.
A Race for - Kiss.

' n mace iof Mss.
A butter pedler from Honey Lake re
lates with great glee how a nelghbor of hi
was cured of too frequent tipping the gln
bottle This neighbor married young
handsome spirited lady, and for mont
or two all went well in the house AM
sbout the farm; then the husband fel
back into his old tricks The wife remon
strated and for q time the husband re
formed. Presently, however, she becam
satisfied that the ''bottle tipping" wa
again gong on. When she spoke to he
husband about the matter he swore ths
the ''aroma" she detected was that OF
collie medicine he was taking, he havin:
developed most intractable collie, for tn
rellef of which he had brought home ant
paraded bottle Of medicine.
The wife was confident that there wa
kept somewhere about the premises con
siderable store of very different kind @
medicine. She Kept her own counsel AM
at the same time strict watch. In dc,
or two she discovered under manger IL
the barn the secret hoard. She said moth
ing of the discovery 10 her husband.
Soon after the huspand had business at I
neighbors some two miles away. On his
return he was somewhat surprised at see
ing note pinned upon his front door
He hastily advanced and read as follows
s'Ben: Ycu will find the key OF tn,
house where you keep your collie medicine
have taken Kitty and gone home TO ny
mother Father and brother Bob will CONF
| 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's mare
and the side saddle were gone. Darti &c
to the manger he hauled out his corpulenI
demijohn of GIN, and suspended from III
neck found the key of the mouse.
Securing the key. he sent the demIjohr
whizzipg and crashing against post oi
the barn. Bounding forth, he ran to and
mounted the horse he had left standing il
front of his house.
Away he dashed. 1t was ten miles to
the house OF his tather-in-law, and he was
determined 10 overtake his wife before she
could reach it or kill horse in the at
| tempt
Said the butter man: snow, | seed
Ben's wife come over the hill, half mile
south of my house, on her little mare Kit
! ty, and begin 10 perform some queer abo-
lutions. After she'd got over the brow o.
the hill she paced up an down the road
or time; then she rid up and looked
over the ridge for while. After iookin'
bit she turned about and rid up and down
the road few times, then went up to the
brow o the hill again. So she kept dOin'
an once or twice she got off and led Kitty
up to the top of the hull.
81 WAS puzzled as 10 whether she was
waltin' for somebody or had lost something
while ON her way 10 her fathers place,
some four miles beyond my house. / was
just about to walk out that way when
seed her wheel Kitty round from the brow
O. the hill and begin to play her whip.
Sin half minute she was flyin past my
place like a wild woman. l stood at my
front gate by thefoadslde, 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 rldln' 'skut fairy
cracked as she bounded past.
"Jist then / heerd tremendous clatter
behind me. Turnin' about, 4 seed Ben u
comm over the pitch of the hill on bis big
black hoss, like wild Comanche. He
was ridin' with loose reins, leanIn' away
for'ard, and diggin' his big spurs into his
horse like he'd mp his Insldes out.
''He passed by, with hair and coat-tails
saIlin' back In the wind, and never turning
his mead to right nor left. / thought
seed murder in his eye. | tell you, mil
hon thoughts went through my brain in a
second. All the stories I'd ever heard
about Jealous husbands and insane nus
bands went through nay head In lump,
and do believe if I'd my gun IN my hand
I'd have taken a wingshot at him on sus-
picIon.
seed Nell look back once and then lay
the whip on Kitty hotter'n ever. Ben
was goln' like the wind. | knOwed Nell
was headed for her fathers; and 1 seed
plain as day that Ben would get her fore
she was SAFE landed.
SAT last be was upon her. 1t then was
neck and neck for time, with Ben reach
ing out for kitty's bridle At las. he got
it, and the Two horses gradually slowed
up till they finally stopped | mounted
my gate-post all Of a tremble, expecnn' to
see 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 together.
".What the mischief = says /, 'Kissin'
instead OF killln'. Well, that sort O fracas
s1ts NE = After the head-bumpIn' the
pair turned about and came slowly jOggin'
along back
.As they passed me called out TO Ben
to know what in the living jingo 1t 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 kissl" and gIvin' Kitty
cut that made her bound ten feet, she
called out to Ben: Come on! A race &c
the top of the hill for another! and away
they both went
"Thst was five years ago, and | nevei
knowed the meanin' of that wild harum-
scarum ride TILL bout three months ago
when the story bout the collie medicine
leaked out among the wimmen folks. Fol
a good while after the nde, ho~sumever,
| remember o. the nelghbOr men wonder
in what had come over Ben that he had
shut down on his gin all of a sudden ant
wouldn't so much as take glass o. Oregon
cider.
ssTo this day no doubt Ben thinks h'
had a desperate chase after Nell and
narrer escape of her gittin' INTO the hom'
den long with her bIg brother, her lathe
and bis Gother-in-law and I've neye
sand a word to him bout how she focle'
long under the Drow o the hill.