Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-11-09
How q Practical Joke Ended.

The picnic at Aliens Corners was
over. Rather prcmaturcly over, per-
haps, on account of a tremendous
thundcrStorIB, accompanied with a
a ]tornadoliEe gust of wind and Jagged
streaks of blue lightning that seemed
90 bury themselves in the ground.
Horses and vehicles were brought hur-
riedly to the edge of the platforms; The
young people dispersed like a flock OF
sheep in various directions.
n don't care said Frank Warren,
speaking between his set teeth. Il
NEn't having such a particularly
pleasant time. Matty Vail was behav-
ing very badly"
ut doesn't make much difference to
me-" said Miss Vail, with a toss of her
curly head. 1--WE danced all | wanted
to. anS Frank Warren has been
giaring at me like Bluebeard the whole
time. Such impuderce, indeed! And
me not regularly engaged to him,
after all! One thing is quite certain, 1
eve shall be now! And as for riding
all the way home to Daisyville with
him tonight. / won't do it! There's
that little girl from the city; I'll just
put her in my place. Her shoes are
dreadfUlly thin, and she has no m
brella. She'll be glad of a chance to
nde. And I'll go with Harry Dix or
Sam Prattl''
"-Oh. Matt" cried Miss Dillon, Matty's
chief contidante and bosom friend,
What will he say?"
what he pleases-when he finds it
out"
So when Mr.. Warren's handsome
black horse was led up, sbyly and rear
ing in the uncertain glimmer of tho
lanterns and the flash of lightning,
Matilda Hewitt found herself, she
scarcely knew how, in the seat beside
the handsome young farmer. She sat
quite silent wondering if it was i'm
proper to ride home with a gentleman
10 whom she had never been formally
introduced, and trembling, ever and
anon. at the storm and her unwonted
companionship and the wild speed of
Black Douglas as he flew along the
y~pitch-dark, dripping roads.
Are you frightened?" Mr.. Warren
asked in a low voice when they had
gone a little way.
.N-not much!" faltered Matilda, and
then she trembled more than wei as an
arm crept slowly but surely around her
waist. But what was she to do? There
was 10 back TO the seat. and there was
danger of her being jerked out in one
of these sudden curves.
Don't be afraid" soothed Warren
you know you are safe with me in
spite of everything"
'Ye-e-es, "murmured Matilda Hewitt.
'Mattyt"
She was silent. This growing in
timacy was beginning to be APPALLING.
"Matty!" accompanied with u gentle
pressure of the encircling arm. 'Don't
be cross with me, Matty. You know
how much | love you, my own one!"
'Oh, gracious met" thought Miss
Hewitt. "what will he be saying next"
"You will promise to be my wife,
Marty? 1t may seem sudden, but
Whoa, you ~villain!n
For Black Douglas had given a ire
mendous sideways jump, and required
all his masters will and energy to sub
due him; and by the time they reached
the Vail farmhouse Matilde Hewitt
found herself engaged. by implication,
TO a young man she never had seen be-
fore in her life until that day.
She jumped out ard a quickly in
to the house. Mrs. Vail met her in the
had.
"Where's Matty?" she cried. ''Who
areaEsu," 81, -. 49,,
I'm here because he left me. II
don't quite know why; but the horse
behaved so badly. and the place where
Iboard is three miles beyond the swamp.
Please can't / stay all night?"
why. of course said Mrs Vail.
you're the city school-ma'am, amt
you that boards to Widow Dunkley's?
Come in and sit down and dry your
clothes! Dreadful shower, amt it? !
do wish our Matty was safe at home!"
All this was very unconventional
But. then. thought little Miss Hewitt,
country life is unconventional. In New
York it would have taken a month. 1t
the very least. for a young man to
screw himself up to the proposing
point. Did she love this man we'll
enough to marry him? Well, she was
not altogether certain of that. But he
was certainly very. handsome. and her