The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-02-14

Yes was the reply. Gle was
luildin' Il fence jest beyond the barn
Is II all off between Milly and him.
Cant say whether It's or not. Did
you ever know our old gray mare to
run away?"
Lands. no! Nothin' on earth would
scare her"
But if somethin' did, John? If Milly
was drivin' her to town and she ran
away, what would happen?"
Shed probably stop for breath after
goin about five rods" laughed the hus-
band.
"She wouldn't kick the wagon to
pieces or kill Milly?"
''She might fetch up in a fence cor
ner and bump her own head, but |
guess that would be the worst of it.
What's up, Nancy?"
''Nothin' for you to know. You Jest
keep quiet and femme work this thing
out by myself. Millys goin' to town
after a darnin' needle and spool of
black thread after dinner tomorrer, and
she'll drive the old mare"
After dinner next day the horse was
hitched to light wagon and left
standing under a shed in the barnyard
until wanted. When Milly was ready
for her trip, the mother brought the
outfit around taking much more time
than seemed necessary. Moreover.
when the old mare, who had passed
her twentieth birthday, was brought
up at the gate she was what AIilly call
ed 'wriggly'-that is, she was nervous
and restless and evidently full of 60
She had to be held by the bit until the
girl got in and secured the lines.
"She acts real colty today" said the
mother as she patted the mares nose.
''but she'll steady down before you get
to the schoolhouse. She has never run
away in her life but if she should do
so now
81 guess won't 60" interrupted
Milly.
You go right along. AS l vas sayin'.
if she should run away you hold her
steady in the middle of the road ard
ST. am wi llNlB. ANON ltl uti ! ldil-.
The Old gray mare moved off with n
rush, and for quarter of Il mile she
maintained pace to surprise her driv-
er. Then she suddenly gave Il squcal
and broke into Il run. Milly dropped
the lines and chung to the seat. and she
also remembered her mothers injunc-
ton to scream. SilaS Johnson was still
working on the fence Jest beyond the
barn. He was also calling himself Il
fool and thinking he would give five
years Of his life to make up with Milly
when he heard screams and Il clatter
down the road. He grasped the situa-
ton at glance.
1t is none of the readers affair
whether he resolved to do or die.
whether he made hero of himself or
not, whether the ''wriggly'' old mare
was glad of an excuse to stop or made
frantic efforts to continue her wild
fight. 1t is sufficient that he stopped
her, that the screaming Milly fell into
his arms, that after time he drove her
back home and didn't return to his
fence building again that day.
The main point of interest shifts TO
that side veranda again. Nancy is sit
ting there alone with smile of tri-
umph on her face when John comes up
from the barn and holds up to view a
dozen burs and innoccntly says:
"Nancy. this is mighty curious.
found all these burs under the harness.
and they must have been what made
the old mare run away"
every likely" she replies without
looking up.
"And somebody must have put 'em
there"
"Yes."
nd-and-it-was"-
''Silas says he thinks they ought to be
married next month";" says Nancy as
she looks up and almost winks at the
puzzled face above her.