The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1906-09-19

Blind as Bat
BY Martha MeCulloch>W Williams I
Copyright lald. by Ruby Douglas &

Copyright. 1000. by Ruby Douglas


EastbrooG opened its eyes very wide
and caught its breath over the Taun-
ton girl when she swept through 1t
riding cross saddle. To he sure. the
town had been reading this long time
about the divided skirt, but then the
town was also not exactly sure in It's
mind that riding its streets even upon
Il proper sidesaddle was not rather
bold.
OF course in the country it VAS DIFF
ferent. The very best young women
rode there. Moreover, It. had come to
be II sort of proverb among the plan.
tuition 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 because they were hard.
hearted, but from sheer ignorance and
the pure animal delight OF finding
themselves unfettered for II time. They
frettcd not Il little. these town bred
riders, when the country folk checked
speed at hills or insisted that horse
should have Il chance 10 blow bit
after IL hard galop
Possibly envy, the least touch. gave
edge 10 their disapproyal OF Edith
Taunton. Edith had fortune and
three fine saddle horses. AS il that
We're not enough. Billy Drayton fell
into n way of sharing her early gallops
Until She came back to the old
homestead billy had not seen sun.
rise once year. IL was proVokingly
significant. this change In him. lie
Ind been the despair of the town
matchmaker. lie was governors
grandson. rich. good looking, good hu
mOred Further. lie was Il squire OF
DANES SO nobly impartial nobody ever
yet had been able to establish II
most and WAS readiest to serve We're
meek old ladies' who had known his
mother and very little girls.
Edith was, he insisted. only II hig lii
Tie girl very lone and lorn in her big
empty house. Whit he did not say was
that he thought her coming bnek To II
something 50 fine and brave he was
bent ON helping her tight down the
loneliness and make her own social
place,
This In the beginning until the town
gossps tool, to crnning the neck, shak.
ing the head and drawing aside the
least bit when the girl came among
them. BILLY saw the hend shaking, tho
drawing back, "A long time before she
ono. rNic odn open ana unSuSpclouS ~
daylight and had no thought Of tread
ing on the COINS of town propfiety II
anything she did But. being also full
of quick intuitlons, after awhile she
understood.
And then? Then only she really did
sci out to horrify the good gentlewom
en-. She drove tandem through the
middle of the square. sitting up very
straight looking neither to right nor
left, but pulling mp at the corner by
the bank to pick up Billy aud take him
away with her. Next week IL was u
card party-wholly masculine in com
position, except for Edith herself aud
the col0ress cousin who served as her
companion. There were wine and ct.
CARS and II supper afterward IL very
late supper.
The town thrilled with the horror OF
It, But not MS II did II little later. when
everybody knew That thereafter, upon
Sunday evenings, Edith meant TO be al
home to her friends.
If Billy had known in time that neV.
cr would have come to pass, But he
had gone away for fortnight right
after the night Mt cards, first making
Edith promise to have no more such
assemblies until he was there TO give
her couutcnnncc and protection.
When he came back aud found the
mischief done, he was In II sad taking
Il see just one way out Of it-yon
have got TO marry me, else yonNwon't
have rag of reputation left" helsaldI
pretending 10 shake her hard.
Edith made Il mutinous mouthi nj
him. Suppose we try some other sac
rlfcial lamb. Aren't you most tootold
and tough 2" she asked, her eyes dane
ino wickodlv
nutv ,,riu1,ad ch.nrruIIv "You can
hove carloads or ,em for the taking
.nlce vhlte baaslnmbs Inf l don't be
lieya th,y,d hn.tho Ieaet oNoctual y hc
eaid cyan 700 what vr1 need really
T., mot , .,,rpeao INT - soana,ont
-. ..,,...,,,, ,,,,.,.,,, =. I,,.. ,,o,,,. Gins
oan,.....d ,.,..,,. ~. h.,d and u,ence
,oru, tunn,cd N mo-
"pr, s,..,....,t.. h.,yo ia Lo SON
uyov ont into the wilderness. learn
cd tbut much nj Sunday school. and
can't have Foi ga away" Edith pro
tested "Rcsjtyps am not,dolne any
thiup horrid shall 20 10 church
,no,.niuo4 iust,tha same "A for The
cvnniuos van l-no,v yourself Other
Girls ,,o ia rlnr,.b then mainly 40 have
eo,nnhody see Hem home ond,stav nj
honrs .r,er,vafd =,aalf,,, love 10 Them
roolt,, fool ul,c,o missinnorv tbe how,
can como hor,.=and rcst ar tallf ar Il,
"a j., -,