The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1908-06-04

.H .. SiIu.. that women re-
..!:. i.."i,' yonh so much longer than
,I,A:"
Sc lGiuS..d with her hand on the
eli. q ana looked back. Il think" she
.rH ie,i ihou"htiuily. its because they
+ >is; ua Going youthful things
There i; > again" he thought. with
an Internal gfo;in. He would he obliged
To stat" and Gancc and do all the other
uncomforiahlc things which forty years
ard 80 ponds shrink from. Still aS
Ec watched her move about the room
the burden of il did not seem SO 0ncr-
oUS ;ii:cr I'll.
Therefore lie danced not badly. but
laboriouSly, ali the while admirinS the
graceful ease of Gertrude Ange!l'S mo
tionS
AT least" he determined reSOlutely,
I'll not he caught skating. as | was
dancing. without a bit of practice" 1t
was a. III. when he made this resolu-
tion and issued the command to his
man. Peter. get me up at I-unless.
in sudden inspiration. 1T should be
storming.'
Promptly ut { he was awakened in 4
rebcllious frame of mind. Stiff as Il
cart horse" lie grumbled. Il hope it's
showing like hlaZes.''
The man raised the shade and looked
out. SKY clear as whistle. sir
So. with his sleep cut short two hours
ut both ends Of the night. Merriwether
dragged himself and the pair OF skates.
produced bt\ his thoughtful nephew.
out to the pond behind the hill. For
an hour he skinned his knees, bumped
his head and disturbed the equanimity
of his temper before he was able to
move alone with moderate speed and
keep his feet under him.
When he went in to breakfast he was
thankful for few moments alone III
front Of glowing CRATE tre. he
stretched his aching legs toward the
heat and rubbed the back Of his head
where 4 bump was appearing which Is
not laid down In chronological charts
and pains from which were darting in
every direction He listened idly 10
voices in the hall until his attention
was chained by two comments mad"
lust outside the door.
Isn't she IA perfect delight of chap
eron? And so young too! She cant I've
thirty
The reply was given in a doubtful
tone. why e-e. yes. she must be all
Of thirty
"Forty-one, muttered the listener
doggedly. the light Of his new resolve
shining again in his eyes.
At 10 o'clock the entire party went
out to the pond. and Merriwether skat-
ed md skated and skated until his
teeth were clinched in desperation and
his forehead knitted in his efforts to
hold out as long as Mrs Angel did.
That he was becoming a man Of one
idea he acknowledged to himself that
afternoon on the sleigh ride. What
Gertrude dares, l dare" he told HIM
self in feeble jest. That sleighing par
ty was nightmare to him for days
afterward. The drifts were deep, and
the sleigh was overturned again and
again. generally with Merriwether at
the bottom Of the heap. owing to the
fact that sleighs incline readily In the
direction of 900 pounds. Then. to vary
the monotony Of the up-overs. there
were miles Of hllsides with souther-
ly exposure where the sun had melted
the snow and obliged the party to
walk.
Merriwether toiled up the slopes, hus-
banding his wind 10y maintaining ST.
lence. watching Gcrtrude's elastic steps
ruefully and feeling his resolutions In
respect to youthfulness ooze from his
chilled finger tips.
".All out for our last climb" cried
Roy as the horses stopped at the foot
Of a steep rise. This IL our last hill"
Thank the Lordw said Merriwether
devoutly behind his mustache. He