The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-09-25

their harness, and crept along to the rear af-
ter most detected fashion. Fried chicken
buttered toast honey in the comb, and hot
biscuis-that was the bill of fare. For Miss
jenkins, the school-mistress, boarded with
| Mrs. Puzzle, "just for q bit O. company" as
the rosy widow said, and Sarah Ann, the
hired girl, had very fair idea of what was
good to eat and what wasn't. The widow
! herself came to the door.
"Why, dear me !" said she, "its Mr. Spar
kle, the electric battery agent, amt it? And
| Mr.. Kalsomer, and Joel Hammer, and Mr..
| Bryce, that painted the new steeple of the
new meeting house And Mr.. Riggs, too, if
my eyes don't deceive me Well, l am took
by surprise! Walk in. You're just in time
for tea. And the horses, too. Sarah Ann
you are always handy with team-just lead
the horses into the barn, and shake 'em down
q bed of clean straw from the loft"
Here was a welcome worth having of a win
ter night. The forlorn travellers crowded
around the fire, except Joel Hammer, who
| elected to accompany Sarah Ann and the
colts out to the barn,-and told their sad
tales.
"Well, wasn't it lucky" said Mrs. Puzzle,
that it should have happened just here? 1t
does SO remind me of what my, poor dear
gran'ther used to say-'There isn't anything
again Keep you all night?" OF course
l can keep you all night! l and Sarah Ann
and Miss Jenkins will take the little end room
where there's an air.tght wood stove, and
you men folks shall have the big chamber
where there's two double bedsteads and cot.
And big fireplace, where you can build
fire tharl roast all creation Dear me you
don't suppose I'd let any human creature
go out into the storm tonight !"
And the Widow Puzzle Immediately set her.
self to work to get up supper which, as she
said, SHOULD be someways near fit to eat"
Cold roast pork-faky baked potatoes, deli
cious home made Bread and coffee, brewed
in huge tin pot while they waited and all
this in addition to the fried chicken and hot
biscuits and supplemented by huge ''elec-
ton cake" was calculated to assuage the hun
ger of even our five heroes.
Mr.. Riggs, from his warm corner took sill
ent note of the bright eyes and smiling face
ofthe hostress, as she moved around with the
brisk alacrity of a young girl, and then and
there he made up his mind.
"a woman that's equal to such an emer-
gency as this, is one of a thousand" said he.
He came around the next Sunday afternoon.
But, to his dimay, the electric man was there
before him. So was the boss carpenter, who
was whispering soft nothings to Sarah Ann,
while the master mason was helping the
school.ma'am sing "Old Hundred" at the
melodeon in the parlor The head painter
was out looking at the barn which, in his
opinion, needed a good coat of white lead.
The electric man was Already talker, and MIR.
Riggs could only look his devotion. And
each of the five SWANS seemed determined to
out stay the other.
Never mind" said Mr.. Riggs. Better
luck next timer
But matters were no wise improved on the
next Sunday, and at last, after series of un-
lucky visits, Mr.. Riggs proposed to the
Widow Puzzle, one Monday morning, as she
was getting out her wasl-tubs.
"Well, declared" said the widow Gift
aint.exactly what Mr.. Kalsomer said yester-
day And the electric gentleman last week
And the painter written me the eloquentest
letter you ever read last Thursday It's very
good of you ALL and declare to goodness
don't know what you see in me- But Pm
engaged to be married to my second cousin
Amaziah Pilkington, in March, gentleman
in the lumber trade, and so you see Pm forced
to decline with thanks"
Mr.. Riggs accepted his fate, and retired
from the unequal contest.
'Dut she would have suited me so WELL"
he murmured.
AS for the other three SWANS, history re-
cordeth not the manner in which they took
their doom.
But the carpenter was best pleased ofall.
Sarah Ann had smiled upon his suit.
Sarah Ann is quite good enough for me-
said the boss carpenter"