The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-04-30

slacken speed. Ills ROAD ran Into anoth.
er some 20 yards away. Through the
thin growth Of the intervening point he
saw Miss Winfield, mounted upon the
tall, gray, family hoxe. with Major,
scrap OF black boy, up behind. At sight
of Mr.. Howell he set up an atrocious
Singer, crying aloud: miss Alice!
Miss Alicel Oar de ve'y man Marse Ben
TOXIN fotch ter we all's house t'urrer
night, dc man frum town NANNY say
she s'pect gwine cut out all your yother
beaus. -
You, Major. hush, this minutev
Miss Winfield said, her face taking on %
brick dust hue. She had taken stock of
Mr.. Howell upon their first encounter,
and her mind was made up that failing
Jack Talbot, she could do no better than
marry him. She was unfeignedly glad
OF the chance that threw him in he,
way, but maiden modesty, as she undo,
stood 1T, forbade her to seem conscious
of his presence until unconsciousress
was no longer possible. Even after hey
had exchanged greetings she kept dis
tant front toward him until he dr. di-
rectly beside her, saying, with lazy
laugh:
''Miss Winfield, you must r. here as
direct answer to prayer. 1 ' 5 think
ing of you, and. behold, lex up and
see you'll
"Oh, indeedl Now, 1 v-onder what
you were thinkin of poor unless you
were wonderin how you managed to
talk to such little goose" Miss Win
fold said, with an arch lift of her brows.
''What slander!" laughed the law
yer, and at once rode OH beside her. He
was in the humor to see what was I'M
der and within this undulant plump
ly, but no seen ed to discern in her "a
quality of subtle subservience which
might mean much to career such as
he had mapped out for himself.
Still, nothing might have come Of it
but for Major, though he was the un-
likeliest possible Cupid "Dat boy, he
dest gut ter be mean er bust" his
mother habitually said Of him; and just
now he was ill content with the estate
in which he found himself. There was
emall chance for mischief riding thus
within six inches of Miss Winfold's i'm
maculare and starched pink shoulders
unless, that is, one had Majors genius
for it. By the time they had gone mile
III Mr.. HowelPs company the lad had
found long pin which he recalled hav-
ing hidden that morning somewhere in
his woolly crown. Next minute he had
thrust it into old gray so sharply that
that sober animal gave great bounC.
and Miss Winfield lay in heap upon the
road.
Major was there, too, moaning
lump of arms and legs. But Mr.. Howell
took no thought of him. He knelt be-
side Miss Winfield, noting even in that
distracted minute how firmly the neat
flaxen braids sat in place. AS he slid an
arm beneath her head she opened her
eyes and gasped family, "Water, wa
terp' then collapsed against the arm
from whose support she had chastely
withdrawn herself.
water, waterp' Major echoed in
precisely her key.
"Shut upl You are not hurt, you
monkeyr' Mr. Howell said masterfully.
81 does bleebe 1 kin walk" Major
answered, with a grin; then, darting
nimbly to the roadside: "Dest you run
ter Miss Alice, Mr.. Mani gwine fetch
or whole bucketful or water soon as cher
I gifts back frum Unc' Joe Tom 8 house.
As he vanished Mr.. Howell looked
down at the round cheek against his
shoulder. 1t was soft and smooth, trebly
tempting to lips lacking the chrism of
love. He stopped and kissed it, Then
instantly the pale eyes opened with q
glance that he could not misread. He
had met artifice and cunning fit to cope
with his own. He smiled little behind
his mustache and said as he led her
horse to the roadside, where she stood
ready to remount:
"That was lucky overset. Without
it we might have wasted six months in
coming to an understanding.
ITo BE Continued