The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-24

course. at the house OF neighbor of
ours, and what did my brave knight
propose but an elopernent, and what
did my romantic soul do but prompt me
TO agree 20 the proposition on the spot
There was a railroad station eight
miles distant The last train for any
where left that station at seven O'Clock
every evening All we had TO do was
70 drive to the station, get the train.
90 to the county seat. only an hours
ride, get married, and be happy ever
after We fixed on a certain night
this was along toward the middle of
December-and got everything ready
for the elopement. It was a good hour
and half drive to the station over the
sort of road we had to travel on, and so
we were obliged to take an early start.
The winter had been very mild. There
was no snow II was Just beginning to
get dark when | stole to where my
valiant lover was waiting for me with
a horse and wagon. | knew that the
chances were all in favor of my level
headed father discovering the whole
plot before we could possibly reach the
be on our track with a horse a good
deal faster than the one we had TO de
pend on. But l HAD no fear that he
would overhaul us
Before we had gone one-quarter of
the way night had set in for good, but
there was a moon. and that helped us
along amazingly. We had got within
mile of the station and had good
reason to believe we We're safe, when
suddenly the horse stopped with a snort
of terror. reared up and tried to turn
in the road. A cut from the whip
Strengthened him up, but he kept on
snorting and showing evidences of ter
ror. ! looked up the road and discov-
cred the cause of all this. An immense
bear stood on its launches at one SIDE
of the road growing and snarling and
showing disposition to advance upon
us When my brave lover saw the saw
age beast he rose up in the wagon, gave
yell, and gasped:
'''Oh. Jennie. let's go back"
II forgot all about the bear. ! gazed
in amazement at my gallant knight.
He was as pale as a sheet. The lines
hung loose in his hands. ] seized them,
jerked them away from him, took the
whip, and, as | held the horse from
turning round ordered the cowardly
youth ont of the wagon. He crawled
out of the back end of the wagon. and
tore down the road as fast as his legs
could carry him. Then whipped the
horse with all my might, and he sprang
forward, and whizzed the wagon past
the growing bear 50 CLOSE that il al
most knocked the ugly beast over. ]
drove on to the station. had the horse
put out and went in the little hotel
there to wait for father My loves
young dream was gone as If il had
never been. Ten minutes after |
reached the station the train came and
went Ten minutes later father came
tearing on horseback up to the door. !
met him.
Father, said I, I've been saved by
a calf
Then | told him all about the adj
venture on the road.
Saved by calf" he exclaimed.
'You mean saved by bear
Not at all.' | replied IF Jerry
hadn't been q calf, and the biggest
kind of a calf, that bear wouldn't have
been any more than a stump in my way
was saved by calf. ] tell you. and |
want to go home"
MY gallant lover was never seen
around our neighborhood again. and.
somehow or other, father always
seemed to think more Of me after that
than he ever had before N Y sun.