The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-01-09

At this moment he was we'll aroused,
and Liz found herself watching him
with consuming admiration. He no
longer slouched, and his pale eyes,
like polished steel, shot a menacing
gleam. He stepped forward and took
the horse by the bride.
Now" said he to the driver. I've
gin, ye half the road, an if We can't
drive by in that I'm a-going to lead
ye by, 'thout no more nonsense"
Let go that bridle!" yelled the
driver, standing up and lashing at
him with the whip.
One stroke caught the young man
down the side of the face, and stung.
1t was a rash stroke.
Hold the horses head, Liz" he
cried; and leaping forward, he reach
ed into the trap for his adversary.
Needing not at all the butt end of the
whip which was brought down furi-
ously upon his head, he wrenched the
driver ignominiously from his seat,
spun him around, shook him as If he
had been a rag baby, and hurled him
violently against a rotten stump on
the other side of the ditch. The stump
gave way, and the drummer splashed
into a bog hole.
Nothing COWS a man more quickly
than a shaking combined with a duck.
ing. Without a word the drummer
hauled himself out of the slop and
walked sullenly forward. His compan-
ion joined him; and Liz, leading the
horse and trap carefully past the cart,
delivered them up to their owners
with a sarcastic smile on her lips.
Then she resumed her place beside
the cart, the young man flicked the
oxen gently, and the team once more
got slowly under way.
AS the discounted drummers
climbed into their trap, the girl, in the
ardor of her suddenly adopted hero
worship, could not refrain from turn
ing around again to triumph over
them. When the men were fairly seat
ed and the reins gathered up for
prompt departure, the smaller man
turned suddenly and threw large
stone with vindictive energy and dead
ly aim.
Look OUT" shrieked the girl; and
the young cOuntryman turned aside
just in time to escape the full force
of the missile. 1t grazed the side Of
his head. however, with such violence
tn lD,;,,, tD hic 1-nnnc on1 tho
blood spread throbbing out of the long
cut like scarlet veil. The drummers
whipped their horse to a gallop, and
disappeared.
The girl first stopped the team, with
true countryside instinct; and she
was at the young mans side, sobbing
with anxious fear, just as he staggered
blndly to his feet. Seating him on the
cart, she proceeded to stanch the
bleeding with the edge of her gown.
Observing this, he protested, and de-
clarCd that the cut was nothing But
she would not be gainsaid, and he
yielded, apparently well content under
her hands. Then, tearing strip from
her c0lored cotton petticoat, she gent
ly bound up the wound, not artistical-
ly. perhaps, but in every way to his
satisfaction.
'If ye hadn't sin me warnin', Liz,
that there stun'd about fixed me-" he
remarked.
The girl smiled happily, but said
nothing.
After a long pause he spoke again.
Seems to me ye're like what ye
used to, Liz" said he, only nicer,
sight nicer; an y used to be powerful
nice. | allow there couldn't be anoth.
er girl so nice as you, Liz An what
ever's made ye quit lookin' down on
me, so sudden like?"
"Jim-Ed," she replied in a caress'
ing tone, "ef y amt got no paper col.
lar on. ner no glas di'mon' pin, al
low ye'rc a man. An maybe-maybe
ye're the kind of man | like, I'M
Ed"
To even such genuine modesty as
Jim. Eds ties was comprehensive
ShyIy and happily he reached out his
hand for hers. They were both seat
ed very comfortably on the caribbean
SO he did not consider it necessary to