The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-06-16

! IL was beginning tJ sprinkle and she was
| glad of It, 1t you'd give her something to
think about She raised her umbrella and
logged along with enphHtc Step.
1t was more than sprinklng-it was rain.
| ing hard Big drops cracked on her umbrella
aud dripped from it
But her chief interest lay in the butchers
wagon. 1t had rattIed into yard and hadn't
come out, and she was anxious to get ahead
Of 1t. Then sho would march on stniy when
he repnssed her, and not even look at him
again.
1t was pouring now, Her umbrella was Of
small use; she was getting wet from head to
foot, and the mud grew deeper with every
step.
And, oh, dearI there was the bridge, and it
wna unier--two good inches under. She
wished she had waited under the tree, drop.
ped into a houso--Onythng- because now
Jerry would see her spllshing over the sub
merged plauks, ms splash She would for she
wouldn't ride now il he should beg her on his
kneesl
What time Her mother wasn't expecting
her, either She knew IN her wounded heart
that She bad come principally because Of Ger
taTn expectations, and she despised herself.
Was egoing to cry' Not il she knew it'
Here was the bridge, and behind came that
dreadful rattle Of wheels, aud she grasped
her skirts, and, almost shutting her eyes in
her shlverinG dstasJe, stepped on the water
covered bridge
A plank in the middle was still visible, and
vhe made for IL, splajhing along fast, What
was ciHckngi Mercy was the bridge giving
wayf Yes, or one board of iti Her cropping
foot went suddenly through, and she fell for
ward.
She was 30 faint with fright that nothing
was clear to her for good three minutes. and
then she found herself perched high, though
not dry on the seat OF Jerry's wagon, safe on
The other side of the bridge, with Jerrys
handkerchief mopping her white face, Jer,
rvs coat around her wet form, and Jerrys
arm tight around tho coat; and Jerry was
talking TO her
Don't look sol You amt going to die
haint killed youl Oh, Susy, I'm sorry--pm
awful sonyl don't care who you like, or
who likes you hadn't ought to got mad
enough to let you tramp along alone in the
rain. Oh, want pounding Pm going to
get some fellow to give mo one, Oh, SuSy,
don'tl You didn't get hurt, did youl O1,
susy, how sweet yOu look Lord, what
wouldn't give to he himp'
Mrs. Harings capable manager sat up
straight-against JeTys arm
BE whoin she demanded, sharply.
why, Gibbs said Jerry ITS Gibbs you
like, amt itP
ITS Gibbs like, is itr' said Susy, indig.
nantly and now she broke down in earnest
and fell to crying in Jerry's handkerchief
"Glbbs! Why, just hate hmI He's going
to marry Sally Porter, up our way, and I'm
sorry for her, that ami He overlook me
the other night going home, Mr. Gibbs did,
mud | had TO lot him take me in; but, nv
goodness! thought, what with his perlum.
sry qnd his loud tongue, he'd kill me.
novern-
"Ihnt'll do, said Jerry, but he whispered:
"Ihut'o u plenty, Susy I'm going to thrash
Cooley, though cause he knew better. II
you don't like Gibbs, Susy, who do you ikei
Doyou likemei Say you do, even il you don't,
Susy, cause ! couldn't stand itl'
And SuSy, with her damp head pressed
well against Jerry's pounding heart, did say
yes. And got ia sound kiss for it, too.
Cooley was forced to apologies, And when
Schultz took Jerry into partnership, year
later he and Susy gol the parlor set.-Emma
A. Opper in Saturday Night,