The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-08-15

'hO ONoh' ichu anu TOuRn-nalreO
one OF them carroty red, the other
brindle and white, were slouching
'tnertly along the narrow backwoods
road. From habit they sagged heav.
lily on the yoke, and groaned huge
windy sighs, although the vehicle
they were hauling held no load.
This structure. the mere skeleton
of cart. consisted of two pairs OF
clumsy. broad-tired wheels, united
by a long tongue of ash, whose tip
was tied with rope to the middle OF
the forward axle. The road looked
innocent OF even the least OF the
country road-master's well-meanng
attempts at repair--a circumstance.
indeed, which should perhaps be set
to its credit. It was made up OF
four deep, parallel ruts, the two out.
ermost eroded by years OF Journey.
Ing cart wheels, the inner ones worn
by the companioning hoofs OF many
yoke OF oxen. Down the center ran
high and grassy ridge, intolerable to
the country parson and the country
f'octor, compelled to traverse this
highway in their one.horse wagons.
From ruts and ridges alike protrudcd
the imperishable granite bowlder,
which wheels and feet might polish
but never efface. On either side of
the roadway was traced an erratlc
furrow, processing to do duty for a
drain, and at intervals emptying
playful current across the track to
wander down the ruts.
Along beside the slouching team
slouched tall, lank, stoop,shoul
dered youth, the white down Just
beginning to stiffen into bristles on
his long upper lip. His pale eyes
and pale hair looked yet paler by con.
trast with his thin, red, wind-rough.
ened face. In his hand he carried a
long-handled ox-whip, with short
goad In the butt of 1t.
Gee, Buck!" he drawled prod.
ding the near OK lightly in the ribs.
And the team lurched to the right to
avoid a markedly obtrusive bowlder
"Haw, Bright" he calculated min
ute later, fiicking with his whip.
the off shoulder OF the farthest OK
And with sprawling legs and sway
ing of headquarters the team swerved
obediently to the left, stunning
mire-hole that would have taken In
the wheel to the hub. Presently, com.
ing to a swampy spot that stretched
all the way across the road. the youth
seated himself sidewise on the narrow
tongue connecting the fore and hind
axles, and drove his team dry.shod
II was a slow and creaking prog
ress; but there seemed to be no
hurry, and the youth dreamed gloom
lily on his iolting perch. His eyes
took no note. of tie dark.mossed
scrubby hillocks, the rough clearings
blackened with fire, the confused and
ragged woods, as they crept past in
somber procession. But suddenly
as the cart rounded turn in the road,
there came into view the figure of a
girl travelling in the same direction,
The young man slipped from his
perch and prodded up the oxen to a
brisk walk
AS the noise OF the team approached
her, the girl looked around She
was good to see, with her straight
vigorous young figure in its blue
gray homespun gown. Her hair in
color not far from that of the red OK,
was rich and abundant, and lay in
coil so gracious that not even
the tawGry millinery of her cheap
store hat could make her head
look quite commonplace. Her face
was freckled but wholesome and
comely. shade of displeasure
passed over 1t as she saw who was bo-
hind her, and she hastened her steps
perceptibly. But presently she re-
membered that she had good five
miles to so ere she would reach
her destination; and she realized
that she could not hope to escape by
Night With a pout of yexation
she resigned herself to the inevitable,
ans dropped back into her former
.--- 49, ArAss5