The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-06-03
HllW Sng T6jDod Hin.
GT CHARLES EaTrct- LOOMS.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

L-:t.S" OS>l = A--tL l]3 -4S">t SS-- - -O'O
with Mildred Ea:rinet:1 for two
years, ever since hs FIRST me. her at
the :!oiiwell's card party. Ee had no
go5d reason to doubt that his love was
ratu:nel, I, ye 50 fea:f1l w.s he that
eshal !Gisyoad he: feelings, 50 much
did he dread hsr refusal O: his suit,
that Il had neve.: limited tina: she was
more to ai9 than any o. tie girls he
met 1t tte:cherch sociab:es and card
parties in New;n 9ton. InaNmerable
chances tor q detlara ion OF love had
offered themselves, for he wss
regular caller at tie harrington man
sion, but this youth was as devoid of
spuuk as hare, and was no nearer
the 9 "a! os lis desires today than ne
hal been when Cupid first aimed his
dart Il! hin.
So matters stood VIXEN snowfall
that brought sleighing in its wake
visited Newington, and Litt!ewood
became conscious Of the fact that no
had actually asked 3Iiss harrington to
take 3 ride with him. OF course he
must porcoIcc bring matters to a crisis
now. He was afraid the! Judge Fay
ringtoo would be asking his intel-
tons, and it would be humiliatiag to.
have snch.a question come before he
could refer him to the girl 70: al
aYsw2r. 10, beyonda doubt he mast
pluck I'D courage to ask her to be his
wife OF else cease calling, npon her
al a;tegnative that Was hldecus
enough to chill his heart.
The evening was soon at hand. 4
crescent Moon shon9 il the east and
Ntae stars were cold and seint!llating.
8H walked to the livery stable and
: asked for the cutter, and few mill
ses later lie was driving handsome
E69ehRut 10 tie house where his
thougSss spent most Of the time. Miss
Faaringtoa oa-sept him waiting a good
1 hass=hsl bsut he reflected that it was
the psiyii nE lasss; s16
It only made him love her the more.
If she had come out ead PLACED her
dainty foot upon his neck he would
have been overcome with rapture. In
fact il his present state, which had
a'so been his state toG twenty-four
months, Littlewood was not many re-
moSes 9rom calf. =.
-T.was cold waiting, 50 he got ont
: ana hitched his horse AMI paced in
froa: OF her house, her faithful sen
tinel until 6eath--if need be. Not
that there was any reason to think
thai his services would be required;
butt pleased his self-love to imagine
himself dying for this lovely being OF
whom his tongue stood in such awe
that it coald scarce loose itself in her
presence.
At last she appears. The restive
horse slants his ears at her and paws
the groa ID IL admiration. other beauty:
For Mildred was as pretty as regular
features, fair skin and melting eyes
could make her.
Li:tl4wood handed her into tue
sleigh, stepped in himself, tucked in
the robes and chirrupedto the horse
That Intelligent animal did not move.
A flush Of modification o'erspread the
face Of the would.be amorons swain.
4 balkT horse, and at the start! What
chance woald he have to deliver his
precious message that was to make
two hearts happy? He clicked again to
the i orse, bat again the horse con-
tinued to. stand still.
"You might unhitch him, NJ. Phillips.
That would help" said Mildred in her
sweet voice.
"Ol, ves--t-to be sure. I must
have tied him. 7 mean I-er--I-di
u think lid hitch-er-" -
There seems to have been a hitch
somewhere" shs answered. :.
He stepped ont OF the sleigh and
Gokea over his shoulder ct her in
startled way. Could she mean any
thing? Was this encouragement? Oh,
no. It WAS too soon. Zoo soon, and
he had been in love two yearsD He
unhitchel the horse all once more
placed himself beside his: loved oae-
The frosty night seemed to have set
seal upon her lips, for as they sped
over the branching snow and left the
town behind them she was silent.
II must have offended her. I've
probably made break o; some kind,
said Littlewood to himself. ssHow
Fun fortunate. But I must tell her to-
night. It is now or never. This AZ
tention is too marked to pass as a
mere courtesy O: the winter season.
She knows I never took anybody but
my mother sleigh riding before
Then began the process os nerving
himself to the avowal. He ground
his knees together until the bones
achsd. His breathing was fe7erish.
"Mum- MilGewed Il mean Mil
dred." And then he stopped. He bad
never called her Mildred before. He
b ID never called her Mildewed, either,
but that was accidental, and he hoped
z that she had not noticed the slip.
81 have something Of the greatest
importance to say to you.
Did he imagine it, Or did she nestle
closer to him. He must have been
n stakan, and to show that he was
quite sure he edged away from her as
much as the somewhat narrow coa.
6nes of the sleigh would allow.
"What do you wish to sag, Mr..
Phillips"