The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-12-15

In bl nding cloud. 1t was worth score
of your milk and water concerns.
'tMy dear Miss Prescott, stammered the
doctor, al am yet alive, thank you. am
happy to say that | regret the unfortunate
accident | hope you will think none The
less Of me for it-for you see | was absent
minded at the time of its occurrence, or
shou have noticed that the por ais leading
thitherward were open. l am inclined to
be a litt o absent minded when engaged in
obstruse speculations; and, | must repeat
it, hopc both you, Miss Marietta, and
your excellent parents will pardon my un-
courteous descent into your subterranean
regions. for | was little absent-mnd.d. F"
"hdeed we ought to ask pardon our
selves!'' exclaimed Marietta wi h blush
81 was so carried away by my sympathy
and pi V for you, that-that--T fo got my
maiden modesty, and saluted you; but as
you say OF your fall, l hope you will not
think the less of me for it, for / soemnly
assure you that it was the first kiss that ever
my lips gave tJ man.
MY dear MariettaW cried Peapill, and
again the ashes few ike snow in the breath
OF tine winter tempest.
1t took long time to get the doctor in
trim after his a cent from the cellar. There
was a great deal of brushing and busting
Marietta officiating with the clothes
brush, Mrs. Prescott with the feather
duster, and Mr.. Prescott with the broom,
all jealous in the work they had undertaken.
The Iris misunderstanding was explained;
Mrs. P-begged pardon Tor the mistake;
Mr.. P-begged pardon for the cider
mug onslaught; Marietta begged pardon
for her forgetlulness in the cellar; DR..
Peapill begged pardon for his absent
| .,f
tail, as he sat on the rug before the fire,
savored of apology.
Byg O'Clock the doctor and Marietta set out
for Blaisdell's hill Marietta held the rlght
arm of her escort to support her steps on
the slippery ice, and the doctor dragged the
two sleds with his left hand. The hill was
reached with safety-how people did stare
from tie windows. and how Marietta did
enjoy it,
The sliding place was alive with boys and
girls, each the proprietor of sled, and
great was the sensation produced by the
arrival of the doctor and his lady.
Marietta was gallantly seated on her sled
by her attendant; the skirt of her red
merino was tucked up to her satisfaction;
the rope attached to the runners was in her
hand: her right foot was struck out ready
to direct her course, and all things were in
working order The doctor sprang upon
his own cutter, touched Marietra's
''barquen with his stick, and off they went
together.
Marietta kept out her foot, as DR.. Pea
pill had recommended, ready to steer clear
OF obstacles, and directly an obstacle APP
peared in the shape of a small boy climb
ing the hill with a sled i'll tow. Marietta
gave a vigorous punch of her No. q India
rubber into the snow, her sled slowed,
struck large lump of ice, groaned and
creaked, took leap into the air like
goaded living thing, and bounded COM
pletely over the doctor's head, coming
down rod or more in advance of him,
hind part before. ard Marietta clinging to
it like a crab to the finger of a fisherman.
Live or die, she was bound to cling to the
wreck.
On and still onward went the spirited
sled, sometimes stern first, sometimes Prov
first. sometimes sideways, and sometimes
every way at once Marietta S red merino
streamed out over the snow torn and tat
terel, and the green hood had long since
left her head, AMI was sa ling ut over the
coast on voyage of discovery. DIR. lea
pill could not endure this. lie was a man
of true courage, and in duty bound to so
to the rescue of the distressed woman. He
. AEa
as fast as his long legs would carry him.
II seemed as ii he wore seven league boots,
so rapidly did he gain upon the lying iugi-
tive. One stride more, his foot caught IN
the trailing merlin, over be went, six feet
of the snow was measured, and the doctor s
profile was cut like cameo i'll snow
drift, while Marietta sped on like an arrow.
| But Peapill was not easily discouraged.
| No, not he. He az ose, 1eit for ms speca-
cles, felt of his nose, an organ of whit h he
was very proud, and Fl. ding both that and
spectaces safe, he set out again at full
speed.
Marietta, faint and breathl ess, clung to
| the sled-she neaI ed the river-one bound
more, she gided over its CLASSY surface,
and with bold curve the Capr .c.ous sled
| turned rom its course into Il little cove
/ principally used III summer for the dwell
ing place OF a colony of frogs and now
covered with exceedingly thin ice. Upon
this treacherous element, she was horne.
the ice parted, the sled parted "ami !ships'
and fell through, taking in Marietta he-
tween the bars. 1t was not the first grand
affair that had fallen through, nol was
Marietta the first worthy individual who
had been taken in; no human Icing was
ever inclosed in dirtier, muddier, little
puddle than the one which held our heroine
The doctor, meanwhile, resolved to win,
through thick and thin, came on with cour-
age undismayed, his long hair streaming in
the wind, but suddenly his course was
stopped. A trap, set by the village boys
to catch muskrats, imprisoned his foot.
The doctor swOre. We are sorry to have
to chronicle this incident of our hero, but
truth compels us TO admit that he not only
swore, but cursed and stamped around, and
kicked in a way exceedingly unbecoming in
gentleman. But in spite of all his ex-
ertions the trap help on with unrelenting
vigor
Marietta screamed murder" at the top
of her voice, and Peapill Joined to hers his
screams and yells for help. An honest
woodman was coming down the river with
a load of logs drawn by pair of wild
ste ers, and hearing the outcries he was hast
ening to the rescue, when unuckily the
steers heard them, too. With a mad below
they set OUT upon gallop-horns high in
the air and nostrils extended -and turning
suddenly about they nloaded the logs with
expedition, and streaked il in the direction
Of home the sled, bottom side up, and theii
owner trotting after them vocferating
"Whoa therel Whoa"
Thus il seemed that Peapill and Marietta
must be given up to fate But the valoroui
doctor was not disheartened, and i'm
mediately he set about working his way uI
TO the tree to which the trap was chained
probably to prevent the expected muskra
from running away with his prison. Aftel
considerable exertion the doctor succeeded
in getting the chain off and then upon ''al
he cat A,,f fny M I'm