Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-20

hair had combined to make some nice
little streams OF mud that came trick
ling down his face.
She asked him to come in. No, he
was in hurry, he said. Still he did not
! offer to go on. He did not like to ask
her to pick up his reins for him, because
he did not know what excuse to mako
for not doing It himself. Then he
looked down the road behind him and
saw whlte-fa horse coming and at
once told his errand. The widow wouli
be delighted to GO Of course she would.
But wouldn't he come in? No, he was
In a hurry, he said, and had to go to
Mr.. Green's place.
oh" said the widow, you're going
to Green's, are you? Why, l was just
going there myself to get one of the
girls to help me quilt. Just wait Sec
ond while l get my bonnet and shawl
and I'll ride with you" And away she
skipped.
Thunder and lightning!" said Bill,
what scrapel"
) He hastily clutched his pants from
beneath his feet and was preparing to
wrggle into them when a light wagon,
. drawn by the white-faced horse, driven
; by boy, came along and stopped be-
; side him.
The boy held up pair of boots in one
hand and pair of socks in the other,
. and just as the widow reached the gate
; again he said:
Here's your boots and socks, Mr..
. Smiley that you left on the bridge when
you went in swimming"
: you are mistaken" said Bill, "they
: do not belong to me-"
why" said the boy, "aint YOU the
. man that had the race after the horse
. Just now?"
! mo, sir I am not. You had better
go on about your business"
II Bill sighed at the loss of his new
. Sunday boots and, turning to the Wild
! ow, said:
Just pick up the lines, will you,
please? This brute of a horse is for.
ever switching them out of my hands"
The widow compiled and he pulled
one corner OF the robe cautiously down
and she got in.
What lovely EVENING"" said she
land so warm. 1 don't think we need
! the robe over u.s. do you think we do?''
You see she had on nice dress and
a new pair of CATERS and she wanted
to show them.
"Oh. N.Y." said Bill, "you will find 1t
chilly riding; 1 wouldn't have you catch
! q cold for the world"
Fl She was pleased with his tender care
. for her health. and contented herself
! with sticking one of her little feet out,
I with a long silk tie over the end Of it.
What is that, Mr.. Smiley, a neck
/ tie?"
! Yes" said he; "I bought It the other
!. day and l must have left 1t in the bug
I gy. Never mind it."
But" she said, "it was so careless"
and STOPPING over she made a motion
!. to stuff it in between them.
Bill felt her hand going down, and,
making dive after II, clutched II In
! his and held it hard and fast. Then
they went on quite distance. he still
!. holding her little hand in his and Won
= 4.
to GREEN'S, and she wondering why he
! did not say something nice to her as
. we'll as squeeze her hand, and why his
. ccat was buttoned up on such warm
evening and what made his face and
hat so dirty, until, as they were going
. down little hill, one of the traces
! came unhitched and they had to stop.
oh murder" said Bill; what
next?"
What is the matter, Mr.. Smiley"
. said tht widow. with a start that
. came near jerking the robe off his
knees.
'0ne of the traces is Off" said he.
We'll, why don't you get out and
. put 1t on?"
''I can't" said Bill: i've got-that
is, haven't got-oh. dear, I'm so sick!
What shall I do?"
. "Why, Willie" said she. tenderly.
. what is the matter? Do tell mel" and
! Sne gave MS manu- Il utlle SQueche anu,
. looking in his pale face, she thought
he was going to faint. she got out her
= smelling bottle with her left hand and,
> pulling the stopper out with her teeth,
she stuck it to his nose.
Bill was just taking in breath for
mighty sigh and the pungent odor made
him throw back his head so far that
. he lost his balance and went over the
low backed buggy. The little woman
gave a scream as his bare feet flew
. past her head, and covering her race
. with hel hands, gave way to tears or
. smiles-it is hard to tell which.
Poor Bill "was right side up" in
! moment, and was leaning over the
= back of the seat, humbly apologiZng
and explaining, when Ed Wilbur. with
, his wife and baby. drove up behind and
= stopped. Poor Bill felt that he would
, rather have been shot than have Ed
:, Wilbur catch him in such a scrape but
there was no help for 1t now, so he
= called Ed to him and whispered In
- his ear.
y Ed was like to bust with surprised
laughter, but he beckoned to his wife
= to draw up, and. after saying some
thing to her, he slipped the widow out
-, of Bits buggy and into his, and the
! two women went on, leaving the TWO
i men behind.
= Bill lost no time in arranging his
. toilet as well as he could, and then,
with great persuasion, Ed got him to
i, go home with him, and hunting up
!, slippers and socks. and getting him
washed and combed, had MIN quite
q presentable when the ladies arrived:
: need not tell how the story was all
:. wormed out of bashful Bill, and how
. they all laughed as they sat around
I the tea table that night. but Will con-
!, clude by saying that Bill took the
widow TO the show and soon afterward
: married her, but he never forgot the
> time when the widow thought he was
about to faint and stuck her smelling