Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-11-16

Some thing is wrong!"
Wrong decidedly. The horse on the
left, swerving with fright at some OBJ
ject-possibly the gaunt, rotting cara
wells of Columbus-had covered down,
had SHE'D sideways. In struggling up
the pole was thrown over his back.
Frantic with terror at his efforts to
free himself, lie reared, heaved,
plunged.
"Give me the reins!" cried the girl.
'I'll hold them. You get out and lift
the pole. Quick"
There was no answer.
She looked hastily around. Dildfno
sat stirless. His face was ghastly. His
heavy lower jaw had fallen. A bewil-
dered terror glared from his set eyes.
"Quick!" she cried again. The
reins!"
They fell from his nerveless fingers.
At the same instant the maddened
beast freed itself from it's unaccus-
toned incumbrance, scrambled to its
feet, and then-its furious fright COM
municated to it's mate-dashed wildly
southwark. Lila had grasped the reins
was straining at them with all the
vigor and tensity of her strong young
body. But it would have taken more
muscular arms than hers to have ar
rested that headlong fight. Then
just as her grip began to relax ever
so .slightly-an obstacle ahead in the
shape of temporarily abandoned
buggy-brought a surge of fresh fear.
Dildine saw it and scrambled to his
feet. The next instant he had leaped.
He landed in a mass of dank leaves ut
the roadside. And Lila-deserted-
still holding fast to the reins - sat
stone still, resolute, waiting for death.
They were close upon the buggy
now. Her arms seemed to be
wrenched from their sockets. She
shut her eyes. A prayer of her baby
hood days came to her lips.
Dear Cod" she began.
Then she was dimly conscious that
the speed was less rapid. The strain
on her wrists was not so agonizing.
She opened her eyes. Something black
was hanging from the head of the
horse on the left-was swaying back
and forth.
time.
"You will be killed." she tried to
shrek. "You are mad! Let go! You
will be killed." But she knew that no
word passed her dry lips.
Ten t-fifteen-twenty!
Snorting, sweating, trembling, the
conquered beasts stoou still. And the
men who had risked his life to save
woman's looked bewildered into that
woman face.
"Lila!" he painted. "Lila-is it
you?"
He was covered with dust. His
clothes were torn. His hands were
bleeding. She dropped to the ground
came and stood beside him. Her
lips quivered. Still she could not
speak.
II was wandering over there" he
said, indicating the desolate fair
grounds. 81 often come here. / have
no home, you know" The simplicity
of the bitter confession hurt her. NO
homeland but few friends. saw the
runaway. l did not dream you were
the woman. VINO was with you?
Where is he?"
She found voice fast enough then
voice and indignant utterance.
Burton Dildine was with me. And
he jumped to save himself-the
coward!"
"Hush! Here he is now!"
He came up, begrimed as to at
tire, solicitous, apologetic, eXplana-
tory, but unhurt.
Lila turned from his self-exculpa-
| tory torrent of words with uncon-
cealed disgust
"Will you take me home, Mr.. Clar-
endon?" she asked.
They had to walk quite distance
to get a carriage. Lila noticed that
several times he WINGED and hesitated.
| She noticed, too, that he useu only his
left arm in helping her into the We
hicle. But it was not until-refusing
to come in and allow her father to
thank him-not indeed, until the next
day did she learn that in his desper-
ate struggle his right arm had been
broken.
That he should act as her fathers
secretary for some time to come was
obviously impossible. But one may
fancy that those days OF helplessness
which followed were the happiest Max
Clarendon had ever known.
When lie was able to resume his
duties he found that Burton Dildine
was no longer partner of John Wills
berg.
"Papa bought out his interest" Lila
explained. "My father could not for
give him-and would not receive
him"
The routine of life seemed to have
settled down into its old groove. But
withal there was a difference. Clar-
endon was made much of y the mas
tar of the house, who daily came to
depend more and more upon him. 1t
was he who broke down the barriers