Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-06-26

thoughtfully, then went back to hi.
bride. He soon returned with
grimy silver dollar, which he gave up
with more reluctance than anything
he had parted with in all his life.
"God bless you'll" repeated the old
man, with his heart beating high in
triumph. Then, with visions of the
silk dress, the happy wife and of the
satisfied demands of the express COM
panies, he followed. "And may all
worldly happiness and prosperity at
tend you!" Then he went to the
bride, who wore q somewhat discon-
tented look, poured more sunshine in
to her heart, shook hands with all
within reach and joined the diploma
tist at the door, expressing now will
ingness to pass upon the dappled
mare. But the diplomatist had lost
all interest now in the mare, but he
sidled along half heartedly in his
defeat, for he had seen that dollar
passed over, and the clergyman was
we'll out of the house. The two in
spected the mare, the reverend rather
long-drawn in his remarks, particu-
larly as the demijohns had evidently
been restored to the hut, and the
sound of revelry fell bitterly upon the
diplomatist's ears to think that any
body was getting one drink the best
of him. He left the man of the cloth
rather abruptly, and the latter was
compelled to prepare for his departure
without parting salutation.
The reverend was happy, however,
for the shiny silver dollar burned in
his inside pocket, warming him. He
seemed to feel its argent glow through
all his frame, and it pleased him
nightly. At last Basheba, the be-
loved of his house and heart, could
have the dearest wish of all these later
years--the privilege of appearing at
church in a gown quite as good as
that of the wife of the leading grocer
and postmaster, and almost as good as
that of the foremost saloon keepers
daughter. OF course, it was vanity
all vanity-but in life of humdrum
monotony, of slavish penury and
patient resignation through many Bit
ter years, God himself could find no
wrong in the poor martyrs one little
desire to be dressed as decently as her
neighbors, and the dominic felt a
secret Joy in returning to her with the
means to that end.
The two-wheeler had no more than
started over the brow of the hill with
in mailing distance of the hut, however,
when an unearthly yell caused him to
look back. Then he beheld the BRIDE
groom running toward him with none.
too steady steps.
"Say, mister" he cried out thickly,
"I want that yere dollar back"
The dominic $ heart leaped. "What!
lie exclaimed, "sick of your bargain so
soon?"
"No," said the bridegroom, rather
sheepishly, his face reddened and
swollen with liquor and his eyes dane
ing. "To tell the truth, parson, I
borrowed that yere dollar from Ms
Sikes-I mean the gal I jes' married.
She wants it back"
"Is she sick of the bargain, then?"
was the sarcastic rejoinder.
"None of yoah iokin', parson. It's
business. We want that dollar to buy
snuff and ..t'baccy with on our weddin'
trip over into Webster County, and
we must have i'll"
Now, if the fellow had presented his
case with soft, plaintive appeal,
touching the old mans heart, the dol
lar would have been forthcoming in
spite of the fate that would await the
pnrson on his return home. But to be
literally held up, and in this cold
blooded mountaineering style of out
lawry, characteristic of the man and
place, was too much. The good mans
eyes cleaned with fire and his face
paled with rage. "Git up, Sail" he
cried to the lean old mare, giving her
cut with the whip. Sal did "git
up" but none too soon. The youth
made dash to seize her bride, but
fell short, and stumbling, Aoundered
down the incline, rolling over and over
in the dust. Then he emerged from
the cloud and set up a shrek that
shook the mountains. Out of the hut
like bees to the defense of their hive
the guests poured, taking in the situa-
ton in an instant. Down into the
score of bootlegs went as many hands,
and bang! bang! the fusillade of bull
lets began. When the dominic saw
the top of the old mares ear Topped
off he dropped down in dumpling
wad between seat and dashboard, lis
tening to the shower of bullets as they
clipped off leaves and branches about
him. The ride down the mountain
side was the most thrilling of his life.
Yet the glory of that silver dollar en-
shrined him. Reaching turn in the
road he resumed his seat breathlessly
aud drove on like mad toward Beverly.
Then it began to rain, and before he
reached his destination he was literal
ly drenched.
But for all that, about an hour later
the Rev. KildOw burst into his modest
home and threw bundle covered
with express marks on the centre
table without speaking, and when he
felt the arms of his dear wife around
his neck, aud saw her eyes filed with
thankful tears, he choked little and
said: "Well, that was the hardest
earned dollar ever made, but I guess
the reward compensates for the trials;
the Lord be praised!'
Then he went out and puttied up
the bullet holes in the old two-wheeler
and bandaged up the old mares ear.
Now, when Dominic Kildow gets a
call TO go into the mountains of Ran
dolph County to marry mountaineer
he demands the fee in advance and de.
posits it with the postmaster for safe
keeping till he gets back, with instruc-
tions to that worthy to pay it to his
wife Basheba il he never does return.