Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-08-23

| y
drove along musing about his perpleNity
until he came to a deep creek over
which was high bridge. AS he got on
this bridge he gave tremendous cough.
! Oh, horrors! his new teeth went flying
| over the dashboard and down into the
clear water. Here was pretty fix.
The show coming on and no time to get
another set of teeth made, and his new
Ones that cost so much, lying down in
the bottom of the creek. he must get
them, as that hateful young Wilder was
not likely to let grass grow under his
feet.
"Smollett climbed out of the buggy.
looked up and down the road to see that
no one was coming, and then looked
over the bridge. Yes; there were the
teeth at the bottom of the creek, the
little fishes swimming about them and
rubbing their noses against them.
Smollett wished his nose was only as
close for one minute. Seeing the coast
clear he pulled off his clothes, putting
them III the buggy to keep them clean,
and went down and dived for his teeth.
He got them, fitted them i'll his mouth,
and was coming out when he heard a
rumbling noise down the road and
little dog barking like mad. Smollctt's
horse was fiery and started to 60.
Whoa! Whoa!r yelled Smollett,
laundering out OF the water and rush
ing up the bank. whoa, 1 say! Stop,
you internal brute you!' The horse
paid no attention, but went off at
spanking gait. Smollett started off
after him AMI the little dog came bark
ing after Smollett The colt was
trotter, and although Smollett was in
capital running costume, the colt kept
just out Of his reach, the lines dragging
under the buggy, and the poor Major
unable to reach them OF the buggy.
After awhile his plug hat was jostled off
the seat and the hind wheel ran over it,
MASKING it as flat as revenue stamp.
The Major grabbed it up, jammed his
fist in it to straighten it out, rammed it
on his head, and kept right on after the
buggy.
He happened to look up and saw the
widows house on the hill and then the
dreadful thought came to him that that
fool colt, which was raised on the
widows farm, would stop at her gate as
sure as fate. Just then his coat fell out
and he snatched it up and scrambled
into it, made desperate squirt, grabbed
the back part of the buggy, and crawled
in. He just got settled in the seat as
the horse stopped at Annies gate.
Poor Smollett had time only to quickly
button his coat up to his chin, draw the
buggyrobe over his bare legs, and cram
the other things beneath it, when Annie
came out. She had heard the wheels
grinding on the gravel drive and came
to the window to see who it was. Sec
ing it was Smollett, she came out to the
gate to see what he wanted There she
stood talking to him, her dimpled arms
resting on the gate-posts, and smiled
warmly up at INN, while cold chills
chased each other up and down his
shirtless back, from his head down to
his bare feet beneath the robe. The
sweat just boiled ont of him, and mix
ing with the dirt from his mashed hat
made muddy streakes all down his
face.
annie asked him to get out and
come in. No; he didn't have time, he
said. Still he made no move to go. He
didn't like to ask her to pick up the
lines, for he could think of no excuse to
give for not doing it himself Just then
he looked down the road and saw a
bald-faced horse coming up, with man
in buggy. He knew it was Ed Wilder,
and he made desperate effort, blushed
like red-hot stove, and told the widow
his errand. Annie said she be delighted
to go. But wouldn't he come in min
ute OF two? No; he must hurry, as he
had to go to Col. Greenes.
oh, how fortunate!" said Annie.
I was just going to Col. Greenes my
self to ask the girls to go to Galveston
with me next week. just wait till I
get my hat and light shawl and I'll go
with you,' and she ran off without wait
ing for Smollet to say word.
Great Caesar! what scrape,' was
all poor Smollett could say to himself.
Any other time he would have been in
the seventh heaven of bliss at the way
things had turned out, but now he
wished he was in the other direction,
I wouldn't let that anticipated Ed
Wilder see me in this fix for two FARMS
he said. And then he grabbed his
trousers and was preparing to wiggle
into them when a wagon drove up and a
little dog parked and tboy held pair
Of new boots in one hand and pair of
socks in the other just as the widow
came out.