The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-22


and you can get something At Mandy's
| for the other ten miles. III do that
| for twenty-five dollars"
Its bargain" said Merrill, III
| you'll hump yourself and hump that
| horse"
| The midnight" went shrieking by
| them as the horse was getting down to
stiff trot. Merrill stared gloomily at
the muffied 'sleepers," knowing that
his heroine was being carried away
| from him by the laundering train.
Gibbs horse was good stopper. but
Gibbs did not seem to be pressing him.
| After they were fairly started Gibbs
| admitted that the horse had been
| driven rather hard the day before. and
| that he couldn't afford to be harsh
with him. AS it was he did not intend
| to bring him back from Mandy's until
| daylight.
When about half the distance had
| been accomplished Gibbs suddenly
said: 81 guess you had better let me
have some of that money. OF course I
don't know YOU. and this is pretty
| heavy job. The horse is acting mighty
queer. and I'm not sure this racket
won't do him up"
To Merrill there didn't seem to be
much danger. Are you afraid you
wont get me there?" he asked.
iii get you there" returned Gibbs.
| Merrill gave him ten dollars. The
fifteen when we get there" he added.
Then the horse began to go lame.
Gibbs muttered an oath, stopped the
horse and got out. Merrill saw that
he was looking at the hoofs for stone.
Evidently he didn't find anything of
the kind. The limp continued and
Gibbs kept the beast at a walk, Il pace
that made the sweat start on MerriIls
temples.
At the foot of a long hill the horse
stopped. 1t was quarter of three.
II guess We'll have to leg this" said
I Gibbs, ''if we ever want to get there"
At the top of the hill Gibbs told
Merrill to get in. bat he himself con-
tinued walking. at the head of the
horse. The sky had become overcast
Going to be bad night" growlcd
Gibbs. Merrill mentally remarked that
the night had already been pretty bad
for him.
They reached Mandy's Mt four
o'clock. The rain was falling Gibbs
called up a man who lived in white
+ house, after having made Merrill wait
until he had bestowed the horse and
buggy in the barn back of the village
store. Giles" said Gibbs to the head
that appeared at window, "this gen.
tleman wants TO get to Pittston. Have
you got a horse v can let him have?"
''Waal, | dunno" responded Giles.
scot to go south with my mare at six"
'Haint v got that bay?"
9TH bay aint fit" said Giles He
added: whats it wuth?"
Ten" said Merrill, 'if you'll drive
me over in a hurry"
Gibbs disappeared after getting the
balance of his money. IT was twenty
eight minutes later by Merrills watch
when the second start was made, and
it was at the end OF the first mile that
the second horse stumbled in the wet
morning twilight and splintered the
shaft of the buggy.
Merrill spraug into the road. "Good
morning." he shouted, striding of
through the soft clay Bat when he
heard protesting snort from Giles he
turned about for d moment and showed
five-dollar bill into the mans hand
For an hour he struggled on through
the dim road. which grew but little
lighter during that time, and became
increasingly wet. At fork OF the road
he h.,1 To a al for to mir
he could find sleepy man with red
whiskers who gave him instructions TO
keep To the left all the way. Merrill
looked at his watch with shudder. a
quarter past Eve. He kept TO the left
with a persistency born Of lovers
faithfulness and expectancy, until be
came against huge barn. When he
appealed brokenly 20 a solitary woman
~ well she yelled back az him that
he would have TO go back about three
quarters of n mile 20 where the quarry
was. and then take the road Just be-
yond the tobacco barn.
Poor Merrill. who pitisbly timed
every turn. reached the tobacco barn
a. twenty minutes 20 SIX lie then pa.
In straight half hour on the right
road and Ct the end of this very
muddy period heard the low whistle Of
a locomotive. II was the train he
might hare comfortably taken II he
had kept ont Of the Gibbs contract
~ seven O'Clock he reached the out
skirts If town.
"Ts this Pi.tston7" Merrill asked Of q
boy with pail
East Pit.ston.- said the boy.
How do you get 20 The Pittston sta
tom
There's horse car down there"
The boy said. pointing through = SIDE (
road