Waterbury Democrat., 1901-11-30

house. He had called to see Mandy, leading the horse, and had bragged of his feat, saying that Abe Howard would have to follow him and get hurt or play the coward and lose his horse. Mandy felt pride in her lover, and her father had nodded approvingly.
 Two hours later Abe Howard rode up to the cabin on borrowed animal, seized his own animal and in spite of Sam's threatening rife had led it away. He even stopped long enough to cut the brid1e reins of Sam's horse, which stood near his own, and he also hurled at his enemy several insulting epithets at that time fashionable in the mountain districts Sam had stood in the cabin door, his rife point ed at Howard, but he did not fire, and his host had noticed certain agita- ton in his manner that ruined him 1T. his estimation.
 He's a coward" he muttered, and he did not ask him to stay to supper.
 Mandy, as she washed the breakfa st dishes, thought over the incident of the day before. She tried to find ex- cuses for her lover, but could not. He had certainly shown the white feath- CT. @s.s''
 T felt so sorry for him." she mur mured, land that low down Abe How ard hollerin' coward and .hoss thief at him, but maybe Sam will fix him yet,'' and she took some comfort in the thought.
 After dinner she concluded to run over to her aunt's, just beyond the, ridge, for little visit, and, telling her father, she started. Her way lay through notch in the ridge, which made a very fair road. She had gone 8 mile or so when she saw horseman coming, whom she easily recognized as Abe Howard. They were quite we'll acquainted, but being engaged to Abe's enemy, it was the custom of the mountains under such circumstances to ignore his existence, so she kept on her way, with her .sunbonnet turned so as to hide ihes. face from him.
 Presently she heard the sharp re- port of rife, and, looking, she saw Abe throw up his arms and tumble from his horse to the ground, where he lay as if dead. A thin puff of smoke among the trees at the roadside showed from whence the deadly bull let had come. The form of man came from behind the smoke, and she saw Sam Williams emerge and move to- ward the body of his fallen enemy.
 Suddenly the apparently dead How ardsprangto his feet. Like the Leopard Knight in Scott's "Talisman,' he had pretended to be dead in order to draw lis enemy within his reach. He was apparently nnarmed, but he did not hesitate to rush on his enemy.
 Sam presented his rife, but it was seized by the muzzle, jerked from his hand, and broken against tree. Sam turned and fled. Howard sprang on his horse and followed, fourishing the. re1-aifis of the rife.
 Mandy shrank to one side of the road, and her lover, his face livid with terror, darted by without seeing her. She determined to aid him to escape, and sprang into the road in front of his pursuer, shouting and waving her arms. Howard checked his horse and brought him to a standstill.
 Please let him go, Abe, he's so scared" pleaded Mandy.
 ''Sartin, if you ask it, Mandy and he grinned and threw away the broken gun.
 She looked up and saw stalwart form clad in homespun shirt and trousers, a straw hat, and one yarn suspender.f His brown eyes had a merry twinkle in them, and his sun. burned face was far from forbidding.
 
 thought Mandy. "And he's got lots of sand, sure.,' .
 While she was lQpking at him he was admiring her.
 Shes as pufty as a Kentuck fllysN he said to himself, as he noticed heS