The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-16


ure, and both were tired after the dancing
OF the night before. Reaching the corner
where the Remsen road turns off, they sud
denly decided to go there instead of to Pros
pect, especially as that village was two
miles nearer. They were anxious 10 have
the Knot tied. Nevertheless Johnnie was
TOO good horseman to tire out the horse
by bard driving when he might have a
race on his hands, and so it was about Z
o'clock when he reached the long row of
wooden houses along the railroad track at
Remsen station. The main road passed
about 100 yards from the depot, and as he
drove along he saw the agent coming out of
the station carrying an envelope in his hand.
The agent, a good friend of his, held up his
hand.
Drive to Prospect like the devil and
John Davis were after YOU" he yelled, and
Johnnie, without question, shook the reins
and said, get up"
The race was on, for Farmer James John
Roberts, with his fresh team, was tearing
down the road but four miles away. From
Remsen to Prospect is nearly level track,
and there was no hope of eluding the old
man by side cut or doubling on the trail.
Johnnie knew very well it was a question
Of speed now, for he understood the refer
ence to Constable John Davis, and that the
old man would stop at nothing to intercept
or overtake him.
until the gray broke into a gallop and went
tearing out of the village with clatter that
startled the sleepy going people on all sides.
1t was less than three miles to Prospect, and
his nag could stand chat much of a run.
''She's got to staLd it," he thought, as the
flecRs of dirt thrown uu by the wheels pecked
him on the back and head. "Git up Bess
By goll, Lib, we've got to run, but ven
fetch the still water ahead O his hounds,
never fear"
The farm folks stared in amazement as
they flew along the road. Some mon ran
out thinking it was a runaway. Men in
milk wagons pulled hastily to one side lest a
collision upset them. Some recognized
them and the circumstances and yelled and
| cheered hilariously while Johnnie gritted
his teeth and held a tight rein, and the
girl by his side, with flushed cheeks and her
hair streaming out, looked stI aight ahead
and never said a word.
A mile out lies the only grade worth
mentioning between the two places Up this
grade Johnnie pulled the horse into a trot
and on its summit with the Methodist
church steeple of Prospect in view, turned
| to look toward Remsen. "Get up, Bess."
There was nothing in sight, but once more
he piled the whip and In a canter the gray
dashed down the long slope, and a few
minutes later he was sweating and putting
under the old naples in front of the par
sonage In Prospect. The preachers wife
stood smiling in the garden.
''Fell Mr.. Jordan TO come right hero,
quick, said Johnny. He was not going TO
lose any time getting out of the wagon
was going TO be married right away.
II can't" said the woman. He's gone to
| Wilmurt."
Great Lord! Get up, Bessl We can
reach Trenton ahead yet, said johnny, and
the horse dashed off toward Trenton, but
was turned at the next corner around the
block, and away they went up the road to-
| ward Norwood, where workmen and par
son we're building a little Presbyterian
church johnnie had hoped to throw the old
man off the trail by the remark and the
feint toward Trenton, and he partly sue
ceeded, for when the father stopped at the
parsonage and asked whore the run
Always were. the wife, with womanly
sympathy told him what she had heard
| Johnnie say, and that they had started
! toward Trenton. She did not tell all she
knew about the matter and Johnny made
such q good gain thereby that he was gal
| Looping off the plaalls dt the end Of the turn
! pike, up at Gang Mills, before Farmer Rob
erts, pIunGing downward toward Trenton,
| learned that he was astray. But now the
| real fight was to come. The gray was get
| ting tired and the road from Gang Mills to
| Norwood is four miles long, of which half
mile is corduroy and two miles are deep with
| with sand. Johnnie knew all about it and it
| made him groan as be crossed the brook by
! the little old water power saw-mill and went
| jolting over the corduroy. More than one
man has thought that stretch interminable,
| but never before NOT since did it seem so
long as it did to johnnie.
Half way to the end he could sit
still no longer, and giving the reins
! to the girl he jumped out to
tighten the load, and until the cor
| duroy and the more than milo long stretch
of heavy sand beyond were passed, trotted
and ran alongside saying cheerful word
now and then to the horse and the SWEET
heart to keep their courage DIP.
Then he reached the Nlhety-six Corners
and jumped in. Although there was
| still stretch of heavy road ahead, it was
not long Probably had be Known how
near the farmer was he would have run a
half mile more. But he was soon to learn
about the Old mans gain.
Just a mile below Northwood lies the
Thomas farm, and from the road here one
can look across the fields aud valleys to the
sandy stretch at the end OF the corduroy
some two miles below. Turning his head
as the Thomas house was passed, Johnnie
saw a cloud of dust thrown suddenly into
the air at the end of the corduroy, and
recognized not only the crack bay team,
but the form of Farmer Thomas in shirt
sleeves plying the whip.
Without a word Johnnie turned to the
gray. The road lay fair before him, an
it was hard and smooth. The whip swishe
as it came down on the horse; they were in
the homestretch now, and they would reach
the parson If they killed the horse. Miller's
house was passed in a jiffy. 1t was a
little labored then up to Luzern Ingersolis,
but from there down to the frog pond
the wheels fairly ratified and jumped
over the rocks. Up hill again they
climbed for few rods and then down a
steep decline at rate that sent them round
the bend near the Boersfield bridge on two
wheels. The old gray was doing wonders
and the hopes of the lovers swelled. In q
minute more they were flying down the
hill past Gus Odit's, by the mill yard; and
all this time old Roberts was leaning over
the dashboard lashing his bays and foam
ing at the mouth in a way that makes the
people think to this day that he was for the
time fairly insane.
The gallop aud roar as the ruuawayE
crossed the little bridge at the saw-miI
brought the loafers in the little yellow store
in Northwood out on the veranda TO see
what in the world had struck the town, but
they had hardly reached the store door be.
fore the old gray, covered with foam anG
trembling with exhaustion, was pulled w
in front OF them. At the head of the store
procession stood Dave Thomas. an uncle OF
the girl, with whom Johnnie had once had
a substantial row. Johnnie's face turned g
deadly pale If Dave interfered he would
kill him and it was with the feeling that