Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-07-21
their heads like gaunt, devouring alh-

Suddenly Hunt Ashly's boat shot
ahead, daring the warning snags.
"Madman, what do you mean? If life
Is so cheap, you're welcome to the death
you covet! Jean, come into my boat,
command you," and Hunts voice had a
ring in it Jean had never heard before.
Command, indeed" shouted Phil,
hoarsely. "You are pretty richly
freighted. What more would you haveS"
"Jean.'
Then the two bright glancing boats
clashed, and over they turned, and with
two tremendous cries, "Huntp "Phill
down among the driftwood the two
couples went, but together-for Hunt
had sprang to Jean and Phil to Bess-
and both were battling for the vine
covered banks.
AS each one deposited his dripping
load safely under the low spreading
trees, an embarrassed silence fell on the
quartet.
Hunt was the first to break it.
II say, Phil, there has been con-
founded mistake somewhere. These
girls have been playing US nice game,
truly"
"No such thing. 1t wasn't u.s." and
Bess' face rivaled the trumpet flowers
over her head.
"Weu get the boats righted now, and
settle that question later" and, with
wicked laugh in his eyes, Phil walked
off to where his painted Bess was roll
licking, bottom upward. among the
vines and creepers.
1t did not take twenty minutes to get
the tipsy shells afoat.
With the airs of "conquering heroes"
the young men stood by their respective
crafts.
"Choose your boats, young ladies"
Indignant chorus under the trees:
'To say men don't take advantage.
Oh, this is too muchI To make us
choose! How meant"
A whispered colloquy:
"Bess, you choose first"
"Oh, no! Jean, you choose"
The young men stood regarding them
with owlish gravity.
"You will catch cold if you do not
hasten," from the boats.
"They might save our pride. I'm aw-
fully chilly, Bess." (Sneeze.)
$50 am l, ohl' (Two-three sneezes.)
Then Mr.. Hunt Ashly, with horrible
visions Of cold and catarrh, walked up
to Miss Jean Inslow and prisoning the
two little hands in one Of his, and en-
circling the drenched, trembling little
figure, kissed her flower face aflame.
"Now will you Gomez"
Eyes, Hunt" And Meekness walked
obediently to her cookie shell namesake.
~ wouldn't have done it, Bess," MUIR
INJURED Phil, after he had performed the
same operation, "if you had come your
self"
Miss Meekness Number Two followed
the lead of Meekness Number One, but
gave one last feminine claw.
And tomorrow was come, and Bess
tripped over to see Jean.
Marvellous, what friends these two
had becomel There was never such a
thing in the world as a cold-neverl
"Hem! have you seen anybody today?"
"No. Have you seen some one?'
"No.' Qntelligible very.) "Oh. there's
yours at the gatel'
"Oh, and yours up the road"
"Phil and have concluded on
double wedding tomorrow. We've
waited as long as we intend to wait,
and I've bespoken the parson for 10
tomorrow; SO, Jean, put your hands in
mine-you don't hate me now, do your
and tell me my wife will make my tea
tomorrow evening""
And pretty. coquettish Jean said
Eyes"
Coquettes make the most submissive
wives, they say, and, moreover, she said
great many other foolish things to
that big, enraptured fellow, who fell
down, fguratively speaking, and kissed
the prints of her tiny boots.
And Phil and Bess under the amber
Tipped jasmine bower had their own lit
tie explanations.
"You said you would never ask me
again, Phil. You swore it..
"And did l, sweetheart"
moo; but somehow
"But somehow did, didn't I? Bless
those deathly old snags"-a sound which
generally follows the meeting Of four
lips-"Did you know that Hunt and
Jean are going to be married tomorrow"
"Impossiblel"
"But they are, for heard them ask
the parson; and, Bess, asked the par
son too, and the parsons wife heard u.s.
and she's the veriest old gossip, you
know, and it's all over the village by
this time; and here's the ring, and l
won't risk any more delays"
And the ring fitted 80 nicely, and was
so becoming to the little brown hand
that Bess said we'll, If Jean did, she
would. And Jean did, and 80 Bess did.
&C. Fl. in New York News