The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-06-20
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.THE
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Errand HOradO Forgot
BY ANNIE HAMILTON poNNsIL.

Him Horatio Mixer - married?
No, he hasn't ever been, quitel"
"Quite married."
"Yes, not quite"
Lucretia adjusted her sewing
glasses and sorted out two OF three
patchwork squares. The suggestions
Of a story were in her face. Then she
was rocking gently, and the rocker
gave forth its familiar creak which
was a suggestion, too. When Lucre.
tia's chair creaked in that way, her
hearers settled into their chairs and
waited. 1t was only a matter OF wait
ing
"Well, there's them that are absent
minded and there's them that are alb
sent-minded," Lucretia said. 81 sup
pose you've noticed that? Horatio
Mixers the lattermost kind--land,
.yesl have not been to the North
Pole nor to the South Pole, but il 1
had We, shouldn't ever have run
ncross his equal anywhere on the way
mot for absent-mindedness.
She tried pink triangle with the
chocolate and then a blue one.
Neither exactly met her ideas of har-
mony, and finally. with sigh, she
substituted vivid green.
"Yes?" some one said, suggestively.
"He was never entirely married, you
said, Lucretia?"
''The green'll do" she decided, and
then returned to her story. mo, but
he got pretty near it--as near as the
postofiicel"
The creaking waxed little trem-
ulous, as if the chair we're laughing
with Lucretia. OF course every one
else was. There was something con-
tagious in Lucretia's silent mirth.
ITO this day haven't got over itr'
she gasped. 'Nor I guess Cicely
Cove hasn't-nor Horatio. He hasn't
been to the postoffice since. My little
Jerry gets his mail"
She threaded her needle slowly.
"Poor Horatiol" she smiled. "No,
he hasn't been since he came 30 near
getting married. Land, yes, 1 sup
pose might as well up aud tell the
whole storyl I've got your appetites
whetted upp'
81 should say sol Mines as sharp
rs Uncle Nehemi' Castles scythel"
Polemia Dunn exclaimed.
This was neighborhood pleasan-
try, but Lucretia's mind was on
Horatio's narrow escape from matri.
mony, and she let it slip by unappre-
ciated.
'Tt was this way: nobody but
Horatio Mixer could We done it.
Land, no! But Horatio's equal to
anything absent-minded under the
light OF the moonl He and Cicely
concluded to get to the parsons aud
get spliced. Cicely'd got oil her fix
ings ready. and there didn't seem any
use putting it off any longer. So
Horatio harnessed up. 1t was q good
two miles to the parsons. They
started along about two o'clock, so as
to get there betwixt hay aud grass, so
to speak.
"Well? Well. Lucretia?"
"Twarn't WELL, chuckled Lucretia,
unfeelingly. "Horatios unlucky star
rose early that day and soared 1
calculate twas right up overhead by
the time they got to the posto iice
Cicely said she guessed they might as
we'll stop and get the mail--poor
Cicely!-as twas weekly paper day.
So Horatio went in and shut the door
of matrimony behind him. Cicely
heard it slam, but she didn't realize
what it meant. She set out there
holding Horatio's horse and waiting.
She waited two mortal hours!'
'Lucretial'
'Two-mortal--hours. Then Cicely
she climbed over the wheel and went
home. The horse kept on waiting
land, he'd have waited till crack OF
doomsday! He was acquainted with
Horatio."
''But Horatio, Lucretia?"
"Horatio? That's what sayl Well,
you see he'd run across Hannibal Blu
ney, and that reminded him OF
Hannibal's yoke of steers. He'd been
planning, off and on. to swap his
moving machine for them. They got
arguing, and argued themselves out OF
the back door, ac. oss lots, to Hanni-
balls. 1t was two hours or so later
that Horatio came back, towing the
steers. He hitched them ON behind
his wagon and climbed in, as self Icon.
gratulating as you please. He was
real tickled.
''Some of the neighbors were oui
on the lounging seats, aud they spread
1t round what Horatio did next. II
made q good story, after they'd found
out about Cicely. Horatio took VI