The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-04-10

III auS -
Tbev went in the buggy, MISS Lucinos
IT, arriving. Il wouldn't risk 1t uniesS
Ala drive" she said. why there -
M bottom 10 the roads after THESE ."o
last warm days" Sarah was
unset. She had expected 10 go
fauilv carriage, with driver and loolhian'
ona Iobn on horseback riding pes.ue'
She did not know the strength Oh "
Iucindv-Tom's principles. Inc eaiii
could not have gone, by her consent -
| 10 her own funeral, unless the "e''A
had been fair, ana the roau9 -
FOR reasons purely financial the E"lhss
"a 10 carriage. Miss Marticia had been
content with a buggy ever since ne
fo+bor,s carriage wore out. Marcia hau
= nacine horse and a handsome s2dule'
h,1 most times she went abroad slttins
o+ Miss Marticia's elbow. SO IL zen ou'
that lust as Miss Lucindy-Iom grove oh'
s;ttine very upright, and ficking the
borse with her whip, Miss Martlcla
40 n,horad into her own vehicle, settled
Marcia snugly under the robes ana LOON
~ her reins with an air OF indeclslon.
(Which way would you go, Marcia:
she asked: straight =
turnpike?
straight. It's three miles the snort
est way-and we would only have a niue
niece of pike" Marcia said.
..StilI I believe I'll try it MISS Mar
ticia said. clucking TO her horse, Merry
Tom does hate mud, and so do l.
Thus it happened that two vehicles
bound for the same place, set out LOT II
in almost opposite directions. Nelther
went by the front way. MISS LuclhuS-
Tom headed for Griggs' lane, when ran
along the south side Of her farm, ana
was reasonably dry. 1t also ran beside
-, - -, n 1jttln hPVGn6 winch IL
merged into a mill road, rocky and rut-
ted but still passable. AT the mouth or
he lane. back of the Warfield farm, was
the turnpike. Miss Lucindy-Tom would
unhesitatingly have chosen that route
only that she knew she would have to pay
at two tollgates for travelling very bttle
more than five miles.
The lane was narrowish, but vehicles
could pass in it, unless they met at the
big mud hole. There the fences were not
closer than elsewhere, but it was the
footing Of which you had to beware. The
mud hole stretched from fence to fence,
it was soft and semifiuid on top, but got
thicker and sucker the deeper you went
down IN it. So long as it was not more
than knee deep riders and drivers strug-
} gled through it. When it got over hubs
and up to saddle skirts something had to
l be done. The Griggs boys and their
: neighbOrs did not bother with road com
l missioners. Instead they went to work
and built a stout crOss-wayed bridge.
r 1t was amply wide for one set Of
wheels. TWO could by no possibility pass
each other Oh it. But that did not matter
anybody crossing it was bound to see
anybody else on the other side. Nobody
need wait longer than half a minute
and nobody could possibly be SO foolish
as to refuse to wait.
When the unexpected happened there
was really some excuse for Miss Mar
: ticia. She was driving southwesterly
with the sun at four o'clock full in her
j, eyes. It blinded her to the nearness OF
the approaching vehicle-she thought she
had a clear right of passage, and drove
Merry-Tom boldly upon the stout timbers.
, Her heart gave a startled leap as shG
:. saw the other horse come on, and recOg-
. nized it as Miss Warfeld's Blixen.
= Merry-Tom and Blixen rubbed noses
: amicably when they met in the very miG
: die of the bridge. For a long time no
Il body said a word. Miss Lucindy-Ton
glared at Miss Marticia; Miss Marticia
L eIared back unwinking. Sarah and Marcia
e studied each other covertly. They hat
| met more than once before the break. but
e then there was no need for appraisal o
rival charms.
[ Sarah, l do wonder how long We
t will have to wait before those-ahem-
T persons find out it is their place to bacl
S and let US get by" Miss Lucindy-TOn
said at last. Marcia giggled softly. Tho
q humor Of the situation overcame her. Sh'
e knew we'll Miss Marticia would spend thu
night where she was rather than give
h in.
y I'm glad it's warm-but a warm Feb
ruary day is a weather-breeder." Mis-
IS Marticia said to Marcia. Shouldn't b.
surprised if it was showing hard b,
morning. do wonder what makes som
n people so hateful! That buggy yonde
-e is on the down side-it would go back o
itself if only the driver hadn't cut tn
le wheels"
~ 90, do please let them pass Marcii
ID entreated half an hour later. Don
SIS put yourself on their level, Aunt Marty
9 It-it-is not nice to be standing here.
g feel perfectly idiotic."
4 won't back my horse, That's fiat,
ID Miss Marticia said loudly. Under he
breath she added: 'Il show Lucindy
Tom Warfield there is somebody in thi
is world she can't run over if 1 die for it.
ID Sarah, l wish you'd sing something,
! Miss Lucindv-Tom said. q
Its lucky Merry-Tom never wa
afraid of noise" Miss Marticia said t
m the universe.
,s %, do go back-or else drive 0
"a through The mud does not look so yer
N deep" Sarah entreated, in a fearful whis
per. Miss Lucindy-Tom shifted audibly
That shows how much you know,' sh
said. It's over the hubs-even if W
didn't get stuck it wofuld be certain t
run in the buggy box and ruin your ne
dress"
4 don't care! You must go on, I wis
| was dead. | shall die unless you TAX
ME homet' Sarah protested, still tearfu
Miss Lucindy-TOm struck up a hymn an
sung loudly through three lines of i
suddenly she checked herself-she hear
somebody coming rapidly up behind.
Why! What is wrong?' John begal
checking his horse at the end Of tn
bridge. Then he whistled softly.
A glance across had told him the Who'll
story. This will never do, Tanty, Yo