The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-07-19

out with aggressive steps. She saw
Tillie and Mr.. Ripley at the gate while
she was yet long way off She walked
straight UP to them and observed that
it was a beautiful evening for seeing
the mill dam and bore the stranger
away. When the pouring waters of
tie dam had been sufficiently admired
the young man was walked to the Hal
liday homestead and kept busy quot
ing poetry and drinking cider until II
o'clock.
In tie course of Il couple Of weeks
at least half a dozen girls were intro
duced to Mr.. Ripley by the landlords
wife, and each and every one of them
set out for a Irritation with him. EACH
and every one of them came to grief.
however. Sarah was in evidence, and
when she butted in the Others had 10
butt out. At the end of fortnight she
felt herself as good as engaged. Mr..
Ripley had praised her strength and
skill in rowing, her luck in fishing and
her emotional temperament, and she
had several times caught him glancing
at her as man only glances when his
admiration is aroused He had been
asked to tea three or four times, and
the two had bOated and fished every
afternoon, and all was going well.
"How's it coming out, Sarah" asked
brother Jim one morning at the break
fast table
There's only one thing needed" she
replied Haven't you noticed that he
is always talking about heroes and
heroines?"
Yes"
IF l were a heroine he'd pop the
question inside of twenty-four hours"
But how can you be?'
Il can't say just now, but I'm going
to think it over during the day.
That afternoon she received a note
from Mr.. Ripley eXcusing himself from
calling on the ground of a slight i'll
ness. and two hours after she had read
the note she med that he was sit
ting on the piazza with the Widow
Phelps, who had had two husbands
and wanted a third.
Sarah planned fast from that time
on. Sarah had learned that Mr. Ripley
arose and breakfasted at s o'clock. He
then spent an hour on the veranda
smoking and reading. The mill dam
was net a hundred feet away and in
plain view.
Next morning as the young man on
q vacation sat smoking, he heard some
one calling his name. He looked up,
and there was Sarah Halliday in an
oarless boat floating down upon the
dam. She cried to him again and again,
and it was plain to him that she must
be swept over the falls and drowned.
The best thing he could do, however.
was to fall over his rocking chair and
roll down the steps. Right under his
eyes the boat went over the dam, and
right under his eyes a sawmill man,
who had never longed to be a hero,
fished Sarah out with a long pole. She
was a heroine, but insensibe They
rolled her on a barrel. They dragged
her around in the sawdust They car
ried her home on a slab and sent for
jim and the doctor. She was wrun9
out and put to bed, and it was two
days later when Jim was permitted to
ask:
Now, then, what in the old Harry
were you doing in that boat at that
hour in the morning?'
Rowing" she answered.
How came you to lose the oars?'
Il wanted to be rescued"
"Oh, l see. You wanted to be a hero
inc, ell, and you wanted to give Ripley
& chance to play the hero"
Has he sent me any flowers?" she
asked, avoiding 9 direct reply to his
question.
"Naww
But he surely called?"
How could he call when he took
skate that very forenOon?" bluntly re-
Piled the brother
Did he see me all wet and wopsy?"
"Of course. and that's why he
skated"
Poor Sarah! She had hustled, but
she had lost.