The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-08-30

girl had run back home with her tea
the plan had been communicated to
Bert, Mrs. StrongS BROTHER, and en-
tered upon In the heartieSt manner. He
had been Introduced to the Williams
household and. following out the plan,
he crossed the road and spent four
hours talking to Emeline on the We
randa Zebcdiuh saw them from the
cnrnticld. During the first hour he
was easy In his mind. During the
second he wondered II bit. Before the
third was ended he was feeling the
gnawing panGs. He came up to sup
per sullen and mOrose, and now and
then during the evening he flung out
something about that squirt from
Illinois,"
Bert came the next day and the next.
He also came In the evening. He al
most ignored Zeh, while he made every
effort to entertain Emellne. He even
aroused her father from his wonted
lethargy. Zeh wanted to do some
Kicking but fear Of the law restrained
him He wanted to talk to the girl and
tell her what was what, but pride
forbade. He was mad and Jealous, but
there seemed nothing for him to do.
He lay in his bed one night thinking
things over ard grltting his teeth and
wondering why girls made fools of
themselves, when Farmer Strong
reused lin up and told him he'd bet
ter 90 to the barn and see if the horses
We're all right. Farmer Strong thought
he had seen some one proving around.
4 trip to the barn showed that the
gray horse and top buggy were miss
ing When the Williams household
was alarmed, the discovery was made
that Miss Emeline was not In her
room. Her wardrobe had been over
hauled. and she had evidently fed.
The discovery was not Il minute old
when Mrs. Strong came over to report
that her brother was missing
by gum, but it's an elopement"
exclaimed Zebediah as he made for
the barn. IFS an elopement, and I'll
kill that squirt from Illinois If | have
to follow him to Africa"
There was another horse in tb barn,
and waiting only long enough TO slip
OH bride, Zeb mounted and was off
for the nearest village. AS he went
Gathering through the midnight dark
ness he saw red. In his heart he was
murderer ten times over. He did not
have to go to the village. Three miles
from home he met Il boy driving the
old gray mare homeward He had
been paid half dollar by the squirt"
to do so after the young man had
taken the train. The boy was positive
that there was no one with him. The
old mare was put Oh the gallop for
home, and the farmhouse was reached
to find the father and daughter at the
gate Emeline had explained that she
had sat up late fixing over dress and
had finally gone up to the garnet to
hunt for some pieces of cloth. Elope?
She had never even dreamed Of 1t. In
love with the young man from the
west? She couldn't say she even liked
him.
At this point Mrs. Strong came into
the discussion to say that her brother
was very erratic and sometimes did
strange things and that when he took
sudden resolves to go home he some
times borrowed even a horse and bug
gy without consulting the owner. She
hadn't heard him say he was going
home, but he didn't always let her into
his confidence. Zeb heard her out and
then climbed into the buggy.
Where are you going" asked the
farmer
after Jim Smith, the Justice
What fur"
There's going to be wedding here
in less'n an hour"
And there was, and though the
groom was grouchy for awhile he
soon got over 1t and acknowledged that
he was glad of it-that Is. he was glad
he had married five or six years soon
er than he had intended to, but If the
squirt" ever returned to that neigh
borhood let him look out for a broken
neck.