Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-05-25
How She HcIped Him.
BY CHARLES BATTELL LOOMS.

the Hollwell's card party. He had no
good reason to doubt that his love was
returned, yet so fearful was he that
he had misread her feelings, SO much
did he dread her refusal of his suit,
that he had never limited that she was
more to him than any OF the girls he
met ut the church sociables and card
parties in Newington. Innumerable
chances for deolara ion of love had
offered themselves, for he was q
regular caller at the harrington man
sion, but this youth was as devoid of
spunk as hare, and was no nearer
the goal of his desires today than he
had been when Cupid first aimed his
dart at him.
So matters stood when a snowfall
that brought sleighing in its wake
visited Newington, and Littlewood
became conscious of the fact that he
had actually asked Miss harrington to
take ride with him. OF course he
must perforce bring matters to crisis
now. He was afraid that Judge Far
rington would be asking his inten-
tons, and it would be humiliating to
have such a question come before he
could refer him to the girl for an
answer. No, beyond doubt he must
pluck up courage to ask her to be his
wife or else cease calling upon her
an alternative that was hideous
enough to chill his heart.
The evening was soon at hand. A
crescent moon shone in the east and
the stars were cold and scintillating.
FL walked to the livery stable and
asked for the cutter, and few min
u.es later he was driving q handsome
chestnut to the house where his
thoughts spent most of the time MISS
harrington kept him waiting good
halfhour, but he reflected that it was
the privilege of her glorious sex, and
it only made him love her the more.
If she had come out and placed her
dainty foot upon his neck he would
have been overcome with rapture. In
fact. in his present state, which had
a'so been his state for twentyfour
months, Littlewood was not many re-
moves from calf
1t was cold waiting, so he got out
and hitched his horse and paced in
front of her house, her faithful sem
tinel until death-if need be. Not
that there was any reason to think
that his services would be required;
but it pleased his self-love to imagine
himself dying for this lovely being OF
whom his tongue stood in such awe
that it could scarce loose itself in her
presence.
At last she appears. The restive
horse slants his ears at her and paws
the ground in admiration of her beauty.
For Mildred was as pretty as regular
features, fair skin and melting eyes
could make her.
Littlewood handed her into the
Sleigh stepped in himself, tucked in
the robes and chirruped to the horse
That intelligent animal did not move.
A flush of modification o'erspread the
face of the would-be amorous swain.
A balky horse, and at the start! What
chance would he have to deliver his
precious message that was to make
two hearts happy? He clicked again to
the horse, but again the horse con-
tinued to stand still.
''You might unhitch him, Mr. Phillips.
That would help" said Mildred in her
sweet voice.
ooh, yes--t-to be sure. I must
have tiel him. I mean I-er-I-di
4 think did hitch-er-"
'There seems to have been a hitch
she answered
Ho oforno1 ont 0f tho o1a;rh aud
looked over his shoulder at her in a
startled way. Could she mean any
thing? Was this encouragement? Oh,
nc. 1t was too soon. (Too soon, and
he had been in love two yearsD He
the horse and once more
placed himself beside his loved one.
The frosty night seemed to have set
a seal upon her lips, for as they sped
over the crunching snow and left the
town behind them she was silent.
II must have offended her. I've
made break OF some kind"
said Libtlewood to himself. Glow
But I must tell her to-
night. 1t is now or never. This at
tention is too marked to pass as a
mere courtesy of the winter season.
She knows 1 never took anybody but
my mother sleigh riding before"
Then began the process of nerving
himself to the avowal. He ground
his knees together until the bones
ached. His breathing was feverish.
Mum Mildewed Il mean Mil
dred." And then he stopped. He had
never called her Mildred before. He
b I'd never called her Mildewed, either,
but that was accidental, and he hoped
that she had not noticed the slip.
'I have something of the greatest
i'm portance to say to you.
Did he imagine it, or did she nestle
floser to him. He must have been
m staken, and to show that he was
quite sure he edged away from her as
much as the somewhat narrow con-
fines of the sleigh would allow.
"What do you wish to say, Mr..
Phillips?"