Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-20

little streams OF mud that came tricS-
| ling down his face.
She asked him to come in No -
was I'm hurry, he said. Stlr he did W.
! offer to go ON. He did not like 10 as,e
her to pick up his reins for him. becousN
he did not know what excuse to mai
for not doing II himself. Then bo
looked down the road behind him ara
saw whlte-faced horse coming, and at
once told his errand. The widow wo,,S
be delighted to go, of course she would
But wouldn't he come in? No, he wes
In hurry, he said, and had to 60 to
MIR. Green's place.
"Oh," said the widow, you're going
to Green's are you? Why, | was lust
going there myself to get one OF the
girls to help me quilt. just wait Sec
ond while | get my bonnet and shawl
and I'll ride with you" And away she
skipped
Thunder and lightning!" said Bill,
what u scrape"
He hastily clutched his pants from
beneath his feet and was preparing to
wriggle into them when n light wagon,
drawn by the white-faced horse, driven
by n 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?"
NO sir | am not. You had better
; go on about your business"
III 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 n horse is for
ever switching them out of my hands,
, The widow complied and he pulled
! one corner of the robe cautiously down
and she got in.
What lovely evening"" said she.
land so warm. | don't think we need
| the robe over us; do you think we do?''
You see she had on a nice dress and
a new pair of gaiterS and she wanted
to show them.
"Oh. N.Y." said Bill. "you will find it
chilly riding; l wouldn't have you catch
a cold for the world
She was pleased with his tender care
for her health. and contented herself
. with sticking one of her little feet out
. with long silk tie over the end Of it,
What Is that, Mr.. Smiley, a neck
tie?"
Yes" said he; "I bought 1t the other
. day and | must have left 1t in the bug
. Ey 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 nand going down, and,
/ making a dive after it. clutched it in
. his and held it hard and fast. Then
they went on quite distance he still
. holding her little hand in his and Won
! dering what he should do when he got
! to Green's and she wondering why he
did not say something nice to her as
. well 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 a little hill, one Of the traces
came unhtched and they had to stop.
: "Oh. murder!" said Bill; what
: next?"
What is the matter, Mr.. Smiey?"
, said thl widow, with a start that
; came near jerking the robe off his
: knees.
"0ne of the traces is Off" said he.
"Well. why don't you get out and
put 1t on?"
II can't" said Bill: "Tve got-that
is 1 haven't got-oh, dear, I'm so sick!
What shall do?"
"Why, Willie" said she, tenderly.
what is the matter? Do tell mel" and
she gave his hand a little squeeze and,
. 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 face
with her 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 apologizing
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 scrape, but
there was no help for 1t now, so he
=. called Ed to him and whispered In
: his ear.
i, Ed was like to bust with surprised
laughter. but he beckoned to his wire
!, to draw up, and, after saying some
thing to her. he slipped the widow out
of Bills buggy and into his, and the
: two women went on, leaving the two
men behind.
Bill lost no time in arranging his
:, toilet as well as he could, and then,
with great persuasion, Ed got him to
go home with him, and hunting up
slippers and socks. and getting him
washed and combed, had him quite
presentable when the ladies arrived.
: l need not tell how the story was all
:. '. wormed out of bashful Bill, and how
, they all laughed as they sat around
! 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
7 time when the widow thought he was
about to faint and stuck her smelling