The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-19
MOVED IN.

capital, Al. NOW LOT your story,
Fred"
Four members of tho Bicycle Tour
lists Club wcro relating their adven-
lures of tho past season, and the ono
last addressed, tall, handsome athlete,
laughed slightly as he knocked tho
ashes from his cigar before replying.
"a droller adventure than mine,
boys, never happened. There's the pa
thetlc, the ludicrous, the tragic, the
sentimental, all combined in this story
of mine, and it's true, every word of it.
1t happened, let mo see, just six weeks
ago today.
81 went with Clark and Anderson,
you know, up to Bethlehem; from
there to tho White Mountains; thon
to Lancaster.
'tNow just before starting mother
said to me, coaxingly:
"Tf you go as far as Lancaster, don't
forget that Janet Harding, the only
cousin I have in the world, lives in the
next town.
"All right Ircpliel. Janet Hard
ing lives in the next town to Lancaster.
Pll remember
'Janet Harding unmarried would
have been bad enough, but with hus-
band, two giddy girls, and an over
grown boy of II, could I stand it9
Mother thought I could, and mother
rules our house.
"When we started on our bicycle trip
to Dixville Notch planned to see the
Hardings; bowl leisurely upto the door,
introduce myself to Mrs. H, joke with
the girls, and then proceed; but man
proposes, etc.
GAS luck would have it my bicycle
broke down and had to leave it at tho
Falls, little village five miles from
Lancaster, for repairs. Clark and An
defson went on without me to North
Stratford, where was to meet them by
train, and I proceeded on foot to the
Hardin farm, some two miles from the
Falls.
1.-The farm, smooth interval dotted
with fields of ripening grain, and the
large verandahed house, and great
roomy barns clustering about it, but
not too near all bespoke plenty, COM
fort and hospitality.
'Hospitality, did I say2 Well, I
shan take it back, although I found
the door locked and not a living thing
in sight except an old white hen.
Mark the exception for that hen play s
n important part in my adventure.
'I noticed her, and in particular
marked the proud, complacent step, the
conceited car car she uttered, as she
looked at me knowingly from the cor
ner Of her eye. Little did think-but
no matter. You will sec by and by the
golden thread that binds all the points
! together.
"Wel1, here we were, the white hen
and !, but Janet Har ding was not, nor
the girls, nor the boy, nor Mr.. Harding.
81 decided to 60 to the barn and lie
down on the hay, the new-mown hay,
aud await their coming.
"For me to think, is to act. A few
minutes later had climbed to the NOW
and ensconced myself uadcr brace in
the corner where the afternoon su1
glinted through long crack, making
slant ting dust~beams across my breast.
~ made a few verses as lay on the
fragrant hay, but didn't poctizo long.
I fell asleep and l dreamed, and my
dreams grew thicker and blacker and
heavier, until at last l dreamed that
Janet Harding and her whole family
were seated on my stomach, and oh, the
pressure! 1 groaned and walked my
self up, but 1 wasn't much better of
then, for Egyptian darkness reigned
about me, except for the crack where
the light still sifted through.
'Where was II What was the matter
couldn't think, the horrible pressure
was so maddening. All about, around,
above, was packed piles Of oats, moi
shelled oats, You know, but oats before
they are threshed, on the stock, o.