The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-11-09
Consider yourself uunoosed from this

Consider yourself unnoosed from thi
time on"
II was while the lover and iho auu
were occupying chairs Gu the verandi
and trying 10 explain matters tina
Miss Nina slipped out OF the hotel ant
took the path past the VOLTS den ant
up the mountain. She wanted to ge
or by herself and think and shed tears
and and probably commit suicide
Yes. that would end all. The aunl
would have TO weep, Jimmie would e
around wishing the moose was around
his peck again, and the papers would
publish her latest photograph and
speak OF the affair as a romance. Sui
eide by all meansl One plunge from
the precipIce. 900 feet high. would dc
the trick.
Miss Nina had left the hotel half q
mile behind and was surveying the
country for suitable precipices when
a sudden sight caused her to scream
out.
Around a bend in the patti came a
big black bear. He halted at sight
OF the girl. She screamed. He was
used TO It. He belonged to an Italian
stroller who danced him from one re
sort 10 another. lie stood on his bind
legs and waltzed while the girl scream
cd. He stood on his head and growl-
cd while she sank down in heap and
family called for help. She forgot
thar she had broken with Jimmie. and
she called on him.
The bears master was resting and
eating lunch a hundred yards behind
the bend. He heard no commotion'
and he did not worry. When young
lady has made up her mind to COM
nit suicide she should not be pariicu-
lar as 10 whether she leaps over n
precipice or Is devoured by bear. But
Miss Nina was Inconsistent. She felt
herself on the point of being devourcd,
and she kept calling for help. Indeed.
she wanted TO live Just as long as that
old fellow referred 10 In all well regu-
lated family Bibles.
II n good looking girl 10 peril calls
for her sweetheart long enough he Is
bound to come In this case Jimmie
had dropped the aunt as soon ms he
decently could and was taking n stroll
In the forlorn hope that the niece
might be met with outside. II was a
very fresh kid with very fresh wink
to his eye that said to him:
"She went OF up that path. aud
she's probably expecting you"
Jimmie didn't exactly hustle until he
heard faint calls for help. Then he
was all lightning. As he came in sight
OF the bear aud the girl be took IN the
peril. There was a dead limb almost
under his feet. and he seized It and
sailed In. The bear came down or bis
head and on to his four feet with
promptness and dispatch. lie had TAX
en- hundreds Of kicks from bis master
and the public. and be took some more
now as being all In the days work.
Jimmie was still on the job when the
Italian heard the rumpus and appear
cd to call out:
"whata you doa? Why you wanta
keel my Joseph lie circus bear. lie
no hurta nobody"
my dear girlv' shouted Jimmie as
be turned TO Nina.
"Is Il you-is II JimmieT
"Of course II is. Thank heaven !
came In time"
"Yes: be was getting ready to eat
me up. Oh. how ! screamed for my
aunt"
"For your auntf"
81 mean for you. Oh, jimmie
"Well?" he asked as he helped her
to her feet and threw quarter TO the
italian to pay the damages.
"Mr. TiIlinghast." With sudden dig.
nifty. 81 have released you from the
moose. Pray excuse my emotion"
And what in cats Is all this talk
about nooses?" he demanded.
"why. aunty says that have noosed
you"
"The spiteful woman. You haven't
noosed me yet. but now Is the time to
do II. ! love you. and saved you from
the bear Don't leave room for me to
jerk my head out. There-thats the
proper moose. and Wen 60 back and
hear the band play Where Is My Aunt
TonlgbtT"