The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-08-04

when, toward the close OF
-O-l the Civil War, she had q
HOY l9EI perilous drive, and yet one
which am sure any OF you
boys and girls would envy her. one
night, after she had prepared her les
sons for the next girl and had little
thought Of any adventure ii might hold
In store for her. her father asked.
We'll. listle woman, how would you
like 10 drive with me tomorrow 10
I,ouisvilleT'
Now, Louisville was thirty miles
from the little Kentucky town in which
they lived, and there was at that :ime
10 railroad between the two places.
The drive was one full OF danger.
Sarah knew, for the guerillas, a des-
perate band OF plunderers and high
waymen, who did so much harm during
the war, were constantly waylaying
travellers, robbing banks and raiding
the little towns So when her father
proposed tie drive her feelings were
mixture Of surprise, doubt and de-
ilght Our little heroine was always
ready for adventure; and having the
greatest confidence in her fathers abil-
ity 10 defend her, IL necessary. she
seized the chance 10 90 to the city with
him. She cared not TO know his er-
rand, but felt instiactively that il was
an important one, for he was a busy
lawyer. a judge and president of the
bank Of their town.
So. unquestionably Sarah prepared
that night 10 start early the next morn
ing. She noticed her mother was unus-
ually busy sewing on the dress she was
10 wear. although she knew OF no
stitches necessary TO be made on il.
Yet she did not wonder, but with child
ish confidence OF the coming days
pleasure You children who travel so
frequently these days, in which trains
run everywhere at all times, cannot
appreciate the keen delight Of q boy
or girl forty years ago, whose trips
from home were red-letter days.
The next morning found Sarah up
for an early start II was late spring
and the day glorious one. The drive
lay over the state Pike" and led past
grassy fields and woods full OF great
beech and oak trees. whose tender
green leaves were peeping forth. The
country is so exquisitely roaming that
often at the top of gently sloping but
high hill a great panorama Of beauty
lay before them. Along the roadside
ran gray stone fences, and now and
then an only chipmunk would bob up
from q crevice between the stones and,
scurrying along, disappear as if by
magic. The noisy bluejays were dis
cordantly crying in the trees, and the
busy woodpeckers industriously ham
mering, while from time 10 time n gor-
geOus redbird would fly by, and all
the birds seemed inspired by the splen-
dor Of the morning TO sing their sweet
est.
Watching eagerly oil this, and un-
needing any danger that might lie in
their way, our travellers reached Bos-
ton Tavern, midway between Their
town and Louisville. II still stands at
the foot of Boston Hill. and is q long,
low. rambling structure. closely re-
sembling the inns of old England.
coach stood at the door. and its pas
sengers were telling OF an attack made
on them a few miles back by a band Of
guerllas who had stolen their money,
watches and the mail carried 10y the
coach Here Sarahs courage wavered.
for she had heard so much of these
terrible men. But on Ter fther's reas-
boz hat I,
escaping after this robbery 20 modest
them, she was eager to start again.
He must have felt great uneasincss,
but his dughter felt that her father
was all bravery and that nothing could
harm her under his care
And nothing did harm them. although
along the path through big woods lay
mail strewn by the escaping gueril.as.
They reached Louisville in safety. In
spite Of the fact that they were 10 be
there but for the day, Sarah's father
took her 10 hotel. on reaching their
room, he Gravely told her 10 take of
her dress: and not being accustomed
TO questioning him. she wonderingly
obeyed. Reaching out his hand for the
dress and opening his knife. he began
TO rip the skirt from its lining; and TO
our little lady's astonished eyes ap-
peared bank note after bank note,
amounting TO thousands Of dollars. Her
mother had carefully sewed them in
her skirt the night before. that the
money which her father had TO take
from his bank for deposit in the city
might be carried in safety from the
guerllas.
This was the end Of an adventure,
hut the very beginning of n romance:
for that day Sarah met the young man
whom in after years she married; ana
the long drive. which might very easily
have proved so disastrous 10 her. was
i'm the end worth n good husband and
many years Of happinsss.-From Mary
Caldwell LRurens' A Strange Pocket
book" in ST. Nicholas.
KILL WHALES WITH LANCES
The tug WyGdda has arrived at Neah