Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-04-18

| AOSeSu W Dc put INTO WOrOsi
Is II 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 ner
coquettish ways.
Indeed, on this account had been
their falling out, but she had deter
mined this time not TO yield.
And SO when, a few hours after Dick
had left her, it Glanced that Sydney
Richards came to WOO her, his tender
love phrases sounded very sweetly in
her ear, and she gave hlm her promise,
scarce conscious OF all Its import, but
glad to intiict on Dick some of the pain
from which her heart was suffering,
I'm going to try the new colt,
father, this morning." she said, when
1t wanted but two weeks for her wedding
day.
Better not, said the farmer.
Il doubt if he's ever had a woman
on his back"
HE would not be the first horse that
L had broken to that, was her laughing
retort.
The farmer said no more.
He had implicit faith in Nannie's
horsemanship.
But when, a little later, she came
down the stairs dressed in her habit,
she started to find Dick Armstrong.
holding the colt by the rem.
Il had business with your father,
Mamie" he said quietly, land the man
brought the colt round whilst we were
talking together, so l stayed TO tell you
you must not ride him.
He has dangerous eve"
The girl smiled proudly.
MANY thanks for your interest in
my life, MIR. Armstrong; but since you
have acquitted yourself of any RESPONSE
bilIty in the matter, L feel doubly
tempted to try the experiment"
She stepped down beside the horse to
pat hm with one little gauntleted hand,
courtesy he acknowledged by impa-
tiently paving the ground with his fore
feet.
Dick Armstrong; face paled.
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"
She could had used no better 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 Ill
his palm, III answer to her imperious
gesture for assistance, the next, girl
and horse had vanished from his sight,
the colt-with bit fairly between his
teeth and running BIKE mad-running
as only vicious horse can run, deter
mined to nd himself CT the human
beng he bears.
Dick Armstrong forgot his anger, Just
though 1t 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. riderless horse first came dash'
ing past him, and then, a fuli mile
further on, he met party of iaborers,
carving in their midst a CHASTITY load.
At first, poor fellow, be thought il
that most terrible of all burdens-a deaC
body: but as he bent over the face, Sc
ldeathly white but for the crimson STAN
lupon the forehead, faint murmur o
agony escaped her lips.
Gently these rough men bore he
home. -,
Almost as soon Dick was there witt
, the physician he had summoned; bu
the latter, who had left him full hou
without the sick-room, could ministe
but little comfort on his return to wher
we waited
The girl might live, he said, thougl
only her wonderful health and youu
would accomplish that; but she woul'
be cripple always.
Nam lie Williams cripple!
No one could realize It as the new
spread. rs
as slowly asserted itself. the doubt be
came certainty.
Ah, well, tile gossips declared again
IL was sad enough; but better 1t ha'
happened then than later, when Sydne.
| Richards would have been burdene'
{ with crippled wife his life long.
But Sydney himself, what did h
say?
p The accident was five weeks old, an
? the time fixed for her wedding ha
? long gone by, when Mamie sent fe
{ him.
The lovely face was as white as til
n pillows on which it rested, and the gres
a ewes looked larger than ever as the
r met his. :,
n 1.-The farm has bad to wait for II
mistress after all, Sydney" she sait
q with a sad smile; ''but it won't have til
' mistress we had planned for 1t.
: "You said it needed woman's hant
and mine are very useless hands now,
and she held them up-grown SO whl1
and thin.
II 1T isn't necessary to give you yor
release from any pledge. perhaps; Tor
/ course you understand Icouldn t burde
e you this way.
! "But l thought you'd feel bette
y maybe, if you let me tell you SO m.
self"
The man looked down embarrassed
v He mad meant TO say something I'LL
this himself for be wished helpmee
o not a drawback, in his wife.
e But, somehow, the words sound'
differently from Nannle's S lips, and MAJ
A him feel small and mean.
a Yet they were just enough, and whe
with . few murmured regrets, he le
v her. the bond between them was foreV
It severed. t.,
y "Alone-henceferth alone and hel
= q ,esspo she whispered to herself, wiz
a the great tears rolled silently down d
> cheeks. ~
But she was glad, too. that 1t was n
lSydney Richards wife that spoke.