Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-08-23

talking to her.
AN if I was big boy. I'd 20 an help
little girls pick berries an show EN- where
the good places was" pursued Hettie uu-
der the impression that she might as well
make known her views onrauous subjects
while she was about H.
Launce madeuo reply.
Folks oughF~r,.lbe good to folks, an not
60 of an 10 just what they want, Hettie
added meditatigelv. sitting the dry sand
through her toes and dividing her moral
about equally between her absent father
and Launce
+ Still the boy did not answer and a 81
+ lence fell. After few minutes lie glanced
/ furtiyely toward the fence, but the elish
/ little face was gone, and with feeling of
relief he attempted to take up his specula
! tions in gold and diamonds again. Some
I how, he could not tell why. they did not
/ seem quite as attractive as they had done
/ a little while before, and when he heard
4 carriage rolling up the road he raised bis
/ head to see and listen. An old-taShioned
I carriage it was, not very stylish. but com
/ Portable and roomy. Launce recognized
/ the vehicle and the gray horse drawing it
( at glance
THE Doctor he said, and as it drew
/ near the fence he nestled a little farther
/ back in the grass, where he would be less
! likely to be observed. He did not dislike
the doctor particularly only did not
& l.. l.,
/ while he alghted fastened his horse and
walked away to the house.
Wonder what he stopped for!" solilo-
| quized the boy He's started for town, l
expect Coin to bring some visitors home
| from the depot, most likely, or he wouldn't
! have had his big carriage out. Wish |
was at the depot already to start off some
\ where
| He tried to fancy how it would seem if
that were really so. What if he should
60, ride with the doctor to town and then
be off Only the doctor would ask so
many bothering questions, and when he
found out ali about it wouldn't take him.
Launce grew somewhat resentful and OBJ
stinate in thinking about this injury that
had not been done him. Then sudden
idea struck him. lie clambered uver the
fence and carefully surveyed the carriage
particularly its wide back seat little
farther up the road, on the opposite side,
were pair Of eyes as earnestly surveying
him Hettie Nixon had ensconced her
self in a fence corner, and was buSily
weaving some of the long grasses plueked
from the meadow behind her.
Launce waited impatiently until she had
exhausted her supply and turned to gather
more, then he hastily sprang into the car
riage, and raising the curtain crawled un-
der the seat and curled himself up there.
He had only been there a minute or two,
not long enough to decide where he want
ed to go, or whether he really meant to go
anywhere, when he heard the doctor re
turning and discovered that Miss Barbara
was with him.
''Oh, deari' he commented, as she was
assisted to the back seat. .Now it's like
as anyway she'll have some basket or bun
die, or something that sho'll try to stuff
under here, and then"
But Miss Barbara put whatever possess
ions she had quietly down beside her, and
then the doctor drove off. What an easy
carriage this isl' Miss Barbara settled her
self comfortably back 10 enjoy the ride.
''It quite surprises me.
'.Taint so dreadful easy either" thought
the concealed passenger lie began to be
afraid that some sudden jolt might roll him
out of his hiding place, and found place
by which to hold on and keep himself in
position, busying his brain, meanwhile, in
trying to discover how he came to be rid
ing there. and where he was going. Pres
emily a fragment OF conversation enlight-
ened him The doctor had called for her
to stay day or two with one Of his pa
tients, who was sadly in need of good nurs-
ing, and Miss Barbara was usually ready
for any such errands of mercy, as the doc
tor gratefully acknowledged.
at did seem too bad to spoil your visit
at Mrs. Rodney's, though he said. 81
shouldn't have blamed you much if you
lad run away when you saw me coming"
NO danger Of my doing that, answered
Miss Barbara with her low, quiet laugh.
II never heard of anybody, from Jonah
down, that ever gained anything by trying
to run away from duty"
.'Humphl" muttered Launce discomfort
edly.
D.,
led
did you speak," said the doctor, turn
ing around
Each attributed Launce's exclamation to
the other, and he resolved to be on his
guard. 1t was not altogether easy to keep
silent while the two above him chatted
away SO costly, sometimes upon matters
that interested him not the least, some
times upon subjects where he felt Won
derfully anxious to insert a remark or ask
question. His position was terribly
cramped and uncomfortable, but be scarce
ly dared to move, and indeed he would rot
better it much in such narrow quarters
He could catch no glimpse of where they
NClC splISt anu th' 'N1aNI'bdl uuhllldlloH
he heard bestowed upon the scenery seem
ed only aggravating.
"What delightful breezel" exclaimed
Miss Barbara.
But no breath Of it reached Launee, shut
in by cushions ana curtains, and with the
perspiration streaming over his face he
wished the doctor would hurry up his
horse a little faster.
The doctor, however, was in no haste
His companion was II sensible little wo-
man, pleasant to talk to- and moreover, as
she was about to be immured in "a sick
room for two or three days, he good -natur-
edly thought fine airing would be benefi-
cial So he drove along very leisurely, en-
ioying the roundabout course that to the
young prisoner, who could only groan in
wardly, while every bone i'll his body grew
more and more tired and aching appeared
interminable.
What had possessed him to get under
there, he wondered. 1t seemed to him
that he might have walked to town half
dozen times while they had been dragging
along So slowly. lie proved in part, too,
the truth of the old adage that Listeners
hear no good of themselves when the
DOCTOR happening to mention his name,
carelesSlv added that the only Darticular