The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-12-29
BLIND AS A BAT.


Eastbrook opened its eyes very wide
and caught its breath over the Taun-
ton eirl when she swept througk It
riding cross saddle. To be sure, the
town had been reading this a long
time about the divided skirt, but then
the town was also not exactly sure in
its mind that riding its streets even
upon proper side-saddle was not
rather bold.
OF course in the country it was
different. The very best young wo-
men rode there. Moreover, it had
come to be a sort of proverb among
the plantation folk that the hardest
and most reckless riders were town
girl visitors. Very few of them had
any mercy upon the beasts luckless
enough to carry them--this not be-
cause they were hard-hearted, but
from sheer ignorance and the pure
animal delight of finding themselves
unfettered for time. They fretted
not little, these town bred riders,
when the country folk checked speed
at hills or insisted that horse should
have chance to blow bit after a
hard gallop.
Possibly envy, the least touch, gave
edge to their disapproval of Edith
Taunton. Edith had fortune and
three fine saddle horses. AS if that
were not enough, Billy Drayton fell
into a way of sharing her early gal
lops.
Until she came back to the old
homestead Billy had not seen a sun.
rise once year. It was provokingly
significant, this change in him. He
had been the despair of the town
matchmakers. He was governors
grandson, rich, good looking, good
humored. Further, he was a squire
of danes so nobly impartial nobody
ever yet had been able to establish a
claim to him. The people he re-
garded most and was readiest to serve
were meek old ladies who had known
his mother and very little girls.
Edith was, he insisted, only big
little girl, very lone and lorn in her
big empty house. What he did not
say was that he thought her coming
back to it something SO fine and brave
he was bent on helping her fight
down the loneliness and make her
own social place.
This is the beginning-until the
town gossips took to craning the
neck, shaking the head and drawing
aside the least bit when the girl came
among them. Billy saw the head
shaking, the drawing back, a long
time before she did. She was open
and unsuspicious as daylight and had
no thought of treading on the corns
of town propriety in anything she
did. But, being also full Of. quick
intuitions, after awhile she under
stood.
And then? Then only she really
did set out to horrify the good gentle
women. She drove tandem through
the middle of the square, sitting up
very straight, looking neither to right
nor left, but pulling up at the corner
by the bank to pick up Billy and take
him away with her. Next week it
was card party-wholly masculine
in composition, except for Edith her
self and the colorless cousin who
served as her companion. There were
wine and cigars and a supper after
ward-a very late supper.
The town thrilled with the horror
of it. But not as it did a little later,
when everybody knew that thereafter,
upon Sunday evenings, Edith meant
to be at home to her friends.
If Billy had known in tine that
never would have come to pass. But
he had gone away for fortnight right
after the night at cards, first making
Edith promise to have no more such
assemblies until he was there to give
her countenance and protection.
When he came back and found the
mischief done, he was in sad taking.
81 see just one way out of it-you
have got to marry me, else you won't
have a rag of reputation left," he
said, pretending to shake her hard.
Edith made a mutinous mouth at
him. Suppose we try some other
sacrifcial lamb. Aren't you most
too old and tough?" she asked, her
eyes dancing wickedly.
Billy grinned cheerfully. ''You
can have carloads of 'em for the tax
ing, nice white baa lambs, but / don't
believe they'd be the least effectual,"
he said. ''You see, what you need,
really, is not a sacrifice, but scape-
goat. I'm strong enough to have
your sins confessed over my head and
thenceforth imputed to me-"
"But scapegoats have to be sent
away, out into the wilderness. /
learned that much at Sunday school,
and I can't have you go away" Edith
protested. Besides, I am not doing
anything horrid. Ishall go to church
mornings just the same. As for the
evenings, you know yourself other
girls go to church then, mainly to
have somebody see them home and
stay all hours afterward making love
to them. 1 really feel like mis-
sionary-the boys can come here and
rest or talk or do anything they
please. As it is now, they have no
choice at all-they must either nope
at home or go out and court some
body-and that must be dreadfully
wearing"
cit is" Billy said fervently, his
eyes reminiscent. "But, my dear
girl, you had better give it up. Get
a telegram calling you away. I'll