Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-08-01
For three Arhode DAVIS matters wan,

For three 4rhoie days matters went
GA swimmingly. Helen and Augustus
walked, and ro6s, and played chess,
and wound stocking yarn for Aunt
Mercy, and pulled the cats ears,
after the manner of young people
from time immemoriaE
Of course Augustus fell in love, and
of course Helen thought him little
the incest young man She had seen;
and Uncle Jack and Aunt Mercy
looked on approvingly.
On the fourth day of his stay there
was picnic in Maple Elm, lovely
grove by the side of Swift river.
Augustus drove Helen over. He
looked at her pink cheeks and at the
pink ribbons in her hat, and
at her braided skirt over
which her buff chambray dress
was looped-and his resolution
was taken. Before they returned
home, he meant to know his fate. In
consequence of making this decision
he was nervous all the morning. He
tied his horse by the handle of din
ner basket, put the blanket over a
stump instead of over Dobbin, and
said yes, sir, to Helen whenever she
addressed him.
But man who is conscious of
standing upon the brink of fate may
be excused for making mistakes in
gender
Augustus and Helen sat down a lit
tie apart from the others on a messy
hillock-close by the bank of the
river. The young man touched her
hand which lay on her lap.
my dear Helen," he began, lit is
needless to disguise the truth! Con-
cealments are" he had proceeded
thus far when gust of wind lifted
Helen's hat, with the pink ribbons,
and sent it dancing off in the direction
| of the river.
Augustus sprang up suddenly and
| gave chase. He thought he heard a
strange sound, but he was too intent
in saving the hat to stop for mere
sounds. He stopped and caught it
| just as it was going over the bank,
and began to retrace his steps.
"Oh, Mr.. Bunker!" cried Miss Mer-
| rill-the most delicately modest of all
old maids, and little near-sighted-
you are losing your pocket-handker-
chief! Goodness gracious!" cried she,
taking a better look; sit is not a
pocket handkerchief! Oh, my soul
and body"
Augustus looked at himself and felt
inclined to say oh, my soul and body
himself-for he came to the knowl-
edge with one glance, that those
pantaloons which were such "a SPLEEN
did fit" had burst up like the boiler
of a Mississippi steamboat, and his red
flannel drawers were stripping him OFF
like the red paint on BARRIERS pole.
"The d-dickens!'' cried he, TAX
ing a step backward, with some sort
of a vague idea of escaping some
where. That step was fatal-he was
so near the brink of the river that
nothing could save him, so he went
in. Fortunately he could swim, and
not stopping to deliberate he made
for the opposite bank, which he
reached in safety. He looked back
and oh, horrible! There on the oppo.
SlIe SnOr0 SLOOu Helen, ana three OF
four other girls-and they were al
giggling.
This was a drop too much. Return
he could not, and at the top of hi:
speed he made for the woods Toward
night he came upon an old farmhouse
and to the mistress he related hi:
melancholy adventures, and received
from her loan of her ''old mans
bark-colored unwhisperables in which
to return to the city.
Augustus received letter of con
dolence from his Aunt Mercy, anC
Helen sent her love, and hoped h,
would come to fremont in season fo
the blue berries-but Augustus CAV,
vent to hard word that looks bad OF
paper, and burnt the letter.
A year afterwards he married
red-haired widow with five children :
and it is our opinion that the presen
Mrs. Bunker owes her position en-
tirely to suit of ready made clothing