The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1906-09-20
Blind Bat
By Martha McCulloch> Williams
Copyright, 1906. by Ruby Douglas
By Martha MccuIIoch> Williams
Copyright, 1906, BY Ruby Douglas

ton girl when she swe.e through il
riding cross saddle To be sure. the
town had been reading this Msg tins
about the divided skirt, but then the
town was also not exactly sure in its
mind that riding its streets even upon
proper sidesaddle was not rather
bold
OF course in the country it was diff
fesent. The very best young women
rode there Moreover, it had come to
he sort of proverb among the plan
tation folk tina. the hardest and most
reckless riders We're town girl visitors.
Very few Of them had any mercy upon
the beasts luckless enough to carry
them-this not because they were hard
hearted, but from sheer ignorance and
the pure animal delight Of finding
themselves unfettered for time. They
frstted not a little. these town bred
riders, when the country folk checked
speed at hills or insisted that horse
should have chance to blow a bit
affex.a hard galiop. 81
Freshly envy, the least touch. gave
edge to their disapproval of Edith
Taunton. Edith had fortune and
thSee ane saddle hQgxes. Az IL that
weSS NOD enough, Bully Drayton fell
into ! way Of sharing her early gaiiops.
j. Cnt1l she came back to the old
homestead Billy had not seen sun
rise -cnce a year It was provokingly
significant, this change in him. He
had been the despair Of the town
mstchmaksrs. Hevwas a governors
xrapdson, rich. good looking, good hu-
Eseed. Furthes. he was a squire OF
iassnes SO nobiy impartial nobody ever
vet had been aba 20 establish
claim to him. The people he regarded
mrst and was readiest to serve were
sneak old iadias who had known his
mothrr and vszy -Ifttie girls.
E6,1h was, be 1nsisted. only a big lit
tie. H. pary lone and loTn In her big
ernufy house what he did not say was
nat he thought her coming back to 1t
something 90 nne and brave be was
hent on helping her fght down the
Usefulness ana make her own social
place.
Tris In he beginning until the town
2casips took to cxaning the neck. shak-
ing the hssd and drawing aside the
ieesx BIT when the girl came amoaG
fhern Billy saw the head shakinx. me
drawing back, long time before sAs
did. She was open and unsuspiclous rs
dsyIixht and had no thought OF tread
iur On the corns Of town proprety In
anything she did But. being also fuli
Of auick intuiftons, after awhile sne
understood
And then. Then only she realty did
st ont to horrify the good geatiewom-
en-. She drove tandem through the
middle of tbs square, sitting Up very
straight. looking neither to right nor
lei, but pulling mp at the corner by
the bank to pick up Biliy and take him
sway win her. Next week II was a
card party wholly masculine in COM
position, except for Edith herself 9nd
the coloriess cousin who served as her
companion There were wine and ci-
xars and a supper Afterwards very
late supper.
The town thrilled with the horror Of
It. But not as it did little later. when
everybody knew that thereafter, upon
sunday evenings, Edith meant to be at
home to her friends.
If Billy had known In time that new
er would have come to pass. But he
had gone away for a fortnight right
after the night at cards, FIRST making
Edith promise TO have NO more such
assemblies until he was there to give
her countenancs 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 nae, else you won''
have rag Of reputation left he said
pretending to shake her hard.
Edith made a mutinous mouth a
him. Suppose we try some other sac
rinciai lamb. Aren't you most too ole
and touxhs 2. she asked, her eyes dane
Ing wickedly.
Billy grinned cheerfuliy. "You car
have carloads of 'em for the taking
nice white baa lambs. bot don't be
lleve they'd be the least ezectual." b
said. "You see, what yuu need, really
IL not a sacrifice, bot a scapegoat
I'm strong enough to have your sin
confessed over my head and thence
forth Imputed to me-
But scapegoats have to be sen
away. out into the wilderness. learn
ed that much at Sunday school, and
can't have you go away" Edith pre-
tested. BESIDES, l am not doing any
thing horrsd shall go to churc
mornings just the same. AS for tn
evenings. you know yourself othe
girls go TO church then, mainly to hav
somebody see them home and stay a
hours aftervard making love to then
really feel Ike missionary the boy
can come here and rest or talk or d
anything they please. AS it is now
they have no choice at all-they mus
either nope at home or go out an
court somebody and that must b
dreadfully wearing"
at is" Billy said fervently, his eye
.av,,in;enan< sspuf my danr GIRL vo