Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-10

tears, when Fate stepped in to save her from
such modification.
Fate goes about in many merry DISCUSSES. At
TINS Juncture she presented herself under the as
pect of two halftipsy commercial travellers driv-
ing a single horse in light open trap. They
were driving in from the Settlement, in haste to
reach the hotel at Bolton Corners before night
fall. The youth hawed his team vigorously till
the nigh wheels were on the other side Of the
ditch, leaving a liberal share Of the road for
them TO pass in
But the drummers were not satisfied with this.
After glance at the bashful face and detected
attitude Of the young man on the ox-cart, they
decided that they wanted the whole road. When
their horses head almost touched the horns Of
the off OK, they stopped.
Get out Of the way therel" cried the man
who held the reius, insolently.
At any other time Jim-Ed would have re-
sented the town mans tone and words; Just now
he was thinking about the way Liz had changed.
1--WE gin We the best half O. the road, mister" /"
he said, deprecatingly, an l can't do no better
fer we than that"
Eyes, you can, too" shouted the driver Of the
trap; you can give us the whole road. 1t won't
hurt your old cart to go out in the stumps, but
we amt going to drive in the ditch, not by a
jugful. Get over 1 tell you, and be quick about
To this the youth made no immediate reply;
but he began to forget about the girl, and to feel
himself growing hot AS for the girl she had
stepped to the front, resolved to "show off" and
to make very manifest to the city men her scorn
for her companion Her cheeks and eyes were
flaming and the drummers were not slow to re-
spond to the challenge which she flashed at them
from under her dropped lids
"Ah, there, my beauty" said the driver his
attention for moment diverted from the ques
ton of right of way. His companion, smallish
~, ,noJ and fayyn -COlOred oNor.
coat sprang lightly out Of the trap, with the
double purpose of clearing the road and amusing
himself with Liz The saucy smile with which
she met him turned into frown however, as
he began brutally kicking the knees of the oxen
to make them stand over.
The patient brutes crowded into the ditch.
"Whoa, therel Gee, Buck! Gee, Bright
ordered the youth, and the team lurched back
into the road. At the time be stepped
over the caribbean and came forward on the off
side of the team.
eyed better quit that, mister!" he exclaimed,
with threatening note in his voice.
"Give the lout slap in the mouth, and make
him get out Of the way, cried the man in the
trap.
But the man in the fawn-colored overcoat was
busy Liz was much to his taste
"Jump in and take ride with us, my pretty"
said he.
But Liz shrank away, reretting her provoca-
tive glances now that she saw the kind of men
she had to do with
"Come. come" coaxed the man, "don't be shy,
INV blooming daisy. We1l drive you right in to
the Corners and set up good time for you.
And. rraspng her hand, he slipped an arm about
her waist and tried to kiss her lips. As she
tore herself iercely away, she heard the man in
the trap laugh loud approval. She struck at her
insulter with cnched hand; but she did not
touch him, for just then something happened to
him. The long arm of the youth went out like
a cannon-ball, and the drummer sprawled in the
ditch. He nimbly picked himself up and darted
upon his assailant, while the man in the trap
shouted to him encouragingly,-
eGive it to him pretty, Mike"
But the young countryman caught, him by the
neck with long, vice-like fingers inexorable, and,
holding him thus helpless at arms length, struck
him again heavily in the ribs, and hurled him
over the ditch into blueberry thicket where
he remained in dazed discretion