Middletown transcript., 1910-04-23

the others and just as the WidoI
reached the gate, he said:
Here's your boots and socks
Mr.. Smiley, that you left on th,
bridge when you were swimming
You're mistaken, said Bill, the,
are not mine.
Why, said the boy, amt yol
the man that had the race afte.
the horse just now?
No, sir, l am not ! You haC
better go on about your business
Bill sighed at the loss of bis
Sunday boots, and turning to tht
widow, said:
Just pick up the lines, will you
please; this brute of o horse i:
forever switching them out o.
my hands. The widow complied
and then he pulled one corner Of
the robe cautiously down, and
she got in.
What a lovely evening, said
she, and SO warm, I don't think
we need the robe over us do we
(You see, she had on a nice dress
and pair Of new CATERS, and
she wanted to show them.)
Oh, my, said Bill, earnestly,
you will find it chilly riding.
wouldn't have you catch cold fol
the world.
She seemed pleased at his ten.
der care for health, and contented
herself with sticking one of heI
little feet out, with a long silk
necktie over the end of it.
What is this, Mr.. Smiley! q
necktie !?
Yes, I bought it the other day,
and I must have left it in the
buggy. Never mind it.
But she said, it was so careless
and STOPPING over picked it up
and made a motion to stuff it be.
tween them.
Bill felt her hand going down,
and making a dive after it clutch
ed iu in his and held it hard
and fast.
Then they went on quite a dis
tance he holding her soft little
hand in his and wondering what
he should do when they got
to Green's, and she wondering he
did not say something nice to her
as we'll as to squeeze her hand,
and why his coat was buttoned
up so tightly on such a 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 unhitched and
they had to stop.
o murder !! said Bill, what
next!
WHAT'S she matter, Mr.. Smiley?
said the widow, with a start that
that came near jerking the robe
off his knee.
One of the traces is off, said he.
Well, why don'tyou get out and
put it on ?
! can't said Bill; I've got-that
is haven't got-oh, dear, I'm so
sick. What shall l dof
Why, Willie, said she tenderly,
what is the matter, do tell me !?
and she gave his hand a little
squeeze, and looking into his pale
and troubled face, she thought he
was going to faint; so she got out
her smelling bottle in her left
hand, and pulling the stopper out
with her teeth she stuck it to his
nose.
Bill was just taking in breath
for a mighty Sigh, and the pun
gent 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 little scream as his big
bare feet few by her head; and
covering her face with her hands
gave way to tears or smileS-it
was hard to tell which. Bill was
right side up in a minute, was
leaning over the back Of the seat
humbly apologizing, when Ed.
Wilbur and his wife and baby
drove up behind and stopped !
PoorBill felt that he would rather
have been shot than have Ed.
Wilbur catch him in such a scrape
but there was no help for it now,
so he called Ed. to him and whis.
pered in his ear. Ed. was like to
burst with suppressed laughter,
but he beckoned to his wife
to drive up, and after saying
sometime to her, he helped the
widow out of Bills buggy into
his, and the two women went on
leaving the men behind. Bill
lost no time in arranging his
toilet as we'll as he could, and
then with great persuasion Ed.
got him to go home with him, and
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