The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-06-03

ana all the men louhlug At hS VIII uiihe
me feel embarrassed, but I'll send Jim to
the front and keep him there if | have to
shut my eyes and hold my breath all the
way | wish it was tomorrow.
Next Wednesday at o clock, gal, and
now we want to 90 around on tip-toe and
not let your mother get hint of it. Lord,
but wouldn't She cnrry comb me down If
She knew Of it, She wouldn't think Of
them two coats of paint on the meetin
house, hut only of the wickedness of comm
out ahead in a boss race
When Wednesday morning came at last
Farmer Harper lmped as he went to the
barn to do the chores, and he hmped worse
when he came in with the milk pail
II think I'll let Lucy take Jim and
drive into town this afternoon aud get a
bottle of that Lightnin' Liniment, he
finally observed .'You know how it
helped me last time ?
/ Guess the hot flannel an the rubhin
did more GOOD than the hniment, replied
the wife; but she can 90 after it if YOU
want her To. It'll be two more shillinss
paid out for carelessness, but it don do
no good to talk to you
When dinner had been eaten, father and
daughter went to the barn to hitch the
PAGER to the cutter, and as soon as they
were concealed from the house he said
Now. gal I've been rubin Jim
legs and lookin out for his feed, and he
feeliu like new fiddle Let him take his
own gait into town. aud when YOU Get there
drive right to the river and walk him up
and down The felIers who know what
Jim can do may thy to >keer you of, but
don YOU be skeered by nobody nor moth
in
No daddy
lit i be- a race Of mile straight away
bon rush things Tor the first half then
aive a pull ON the lines, a cluck or two, and
let him hump You u think You are Hy
IN bu, keep steady pub and euol
head
"Tll remember everything yen tell me,
daddy
''Oup thing more. he said, 3 he tucked
the buffalo u,he around her and gave her
a kiss Over there Is meeIiu house
that mighty nigh worried the life ont Of
me II needs two coats Of paint
And a hundred dollars will do It,
Goodbye, daddy
lie watched her flr 4 mile down the
snowy rad. aud then went into the house
TO at down. AMI stand up and walk around
and act - queerly. that his wife finally
noticed Il and said
Moses. ii You was few years younger
I i think you was cumiu down with
measles or chicken ex You aet like a
strange eat Got headache or any
paius
''Noap I'm jest wonierin If l.uey
win get ai.ng al right with jim He
hash had much ariyin' lately.
A. the PAGER Jim left the harnyard he
struck 4 gait and never broke 1t until b.
entered the town. SIX miles away, and Lucy
drove him down 90 the ryer. as directed
4 doaen n more horses were being exer-
css,-i. and more cnminr and her advent
WIS greeted with anything but words Of
welcome The PAGER was known far and
wide hut the contestants were banking On
the fact that Farmer Harper belonged to
the church and wnuldn dare speed his
horse Tor a purse Most Of them knew
that he had : daughter Lucy bat that she
would appear With the lines in her hand
never entered into their calculations. They
could keep the s'rl cut bat they put their
heads together in conspiracy, and, A. the
Geld of 80 finally moved up the river to the
starting point. there were many nods and
I smile, and winks passing about Some 1t
the men wr-,. moi satisfied with that, but
passed remarks calculated to rattle the girl,
( Who already i,.l, as Il she were goiEx tn the
/ dental char 10 have half a dozen teeth
pulled She heard and saw. but she set
I her Jaws and chaked tack her feelings. and
{ mineuyer,-i TO yet fair start She was
crowded from all directions n vas on the
programme, and, when the word Go
wa given. scog- Of horse were before
her
During the first half mile the girl grad
ually picked mp one after another Of the
I leaders. mail. A. she was ready for that
pnll on the lines aud eluck or two there
we're only four or five in her path. These
/ closed together to keep her IN a pocket,
and the scheme succeeded for few hun
dr,i feet Then came al opening between
two Of the cutters wide enough for a dog
TO enter. and she sci the PAGER at 1t, shut
/ her teeth hard aud thought VI daddy and
the meetin house Like bullet from a
gun the horse shot into the opening
crowded to the right-to the left-ripped
an iron step of on one side and sphntered
a dashboard ON the other and then he was
in the lead and humping himself The
defeated and chagrined horSemea yelled
and whipped and tried TO break him, but,
swinging from right to left ike pendulum
and tearing ahead all the time ike a West
err cyclone, Jim never missed step, and
came in winner by five lengths
Farmer Harper had nailed the loose
boards on the hog pen, fixed the latch on
the hen house door, and had chored around
until he could find nothing more to do.
Then he went down and leaned over the
gate and watched the road TO Honesdale.
His good wife called to him from the side
door that he was catching his death Of
cold. but he was deaf TO her words
That Lucy and JIM he finally said
with gasp, as he caught sight of the rig
a mile away. 'Mebbe it 5 wicked to boss
race and win hundred dollars, but there
stands that metin' house without any
paint --
Coming at a gait of seven or eight miles
an hour, with his head up and steam
blowing from his nostril, the PAGER was
soon within 40 rods of the waiting and i'm :
patient man. The flesh and blood could
stand it no longer, and Farmer Harper
waved his cap around his head and cried
out
''How is it, gal-how is it?'
"Why, daddy, dear, it 5 just this way,
replied Lucy, as the PAGER dashed up and
came to a halt, and she put new hun
bred dollar bill into her father hand.
"And jim w-wonr' he gasPed.
''As easy as pie
.'And-and is your mother looking out