Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-12-30
nv HrMnY T. ARCHIBALD

eD@S~~ss@s~~~~Nf~~~--Ass SSs.~~'~~rasS-sr@->~o
'epaaking ahcut thsss dana bursting
and destroying people," said citizen
OF Colorado, ''rapainds me OF case of
fiood out hare In this state. OF course
the coo refer TO didn't destroy hun
\ dnads IL BONES and lots Of people. but
to thcss conesrnsd In It IL was
mighty important affair"
what Good DO you refer to. silsby"
asked wilkins, sitting with his feet on
thu iron rail ancircling the stove and
intanded Tor foot rest
IL Tn going TO tell you the story
TN have To bring the different events
In a. thay happened" replied silsby;
''ctharwiss I'd get It all mixed up. To
bsein with. Molly McGregor was the
prettiAat girl in - county. and not
only the prettiest girl. but the biggest
nadcap. But you ought to zee her
now. Shes tho Quistsst little woman
IN thu world and afraid OF her own
children. the Oldest
ooh. cut that shortf' cried tho man
On tho other side OF the stove. You're
putting In the end before the begin
ming. thought you said you were 60
ing to proceed In order"
'Tf you can tall tho story better
than'-
"oh. 10 onr" said the other foot
warmers In ono voice.
CAS- was saying" continued the
narrator. Molly McGregor was the
marriaat madcap In the county. She
had all the men In love with her. from
the richest ranchman to the meanest
cowboy. McGreHor. her father. was
Gcutchman. who was about as hard to
move when he took position as Pixies
peak. and the position he took with
Molly was that she was to marry the
man no selected for her.
'~rha old man didn't worry much
about her not doing as he intended
when the time came. for she had one
man dangling about her one day and
another tho next. and sometimes they
were thick as dies about q sugar bar
rel. So long az that kind of monkey
ahinas was going ON her father knew
that there was nothing to fear. and
even II his daughter should fall In love
with some one of her admirers he had
no idoa that Molly would marry any
ono except the man he picked out for
bar"
Fl thought" interrupted the man on
the othsc gide OF the stove. you were
goinG to tell US something new. That
sort of STUFF In to be found In nine
tenths Of al the stories in the world"
'.shut up. wilkins" said one Of the
Listeners. "and let's have the yarn"
"Y'm not going to spoil 1t for him."
Rrunted Silsby "It was old McGregor's
confidence that was his undoing. 30
Ear as his daughter was concerned.
hut. tall you. my friends. 1t doesn't
do any good TO watch girl You
might m well watch soldier ON the
Geld of battle with a view of pulling
him out Of tho way from the bullet
that's going to kill him. Before you
know It he doubles up. 30 does the
girl. A certnin fellow gives her look
and shs drops.
"Tha man that looked at Molly Nc
Gragor when she surrendered was Ned
D&afia. who was nothing but a cow
boy. Ned was Very good fellow. but
he had nothing laid up. while the own
or OF q gold mine that was yielding
$1,000 TO the ton was dead stuck on
the girl.
"Flrst thing Old McGregor knew that
bis daughter was going to 60 back on
his matrimonial plans for her was
whan Bryant, the mine owning suitor.
rode up 10 tho ranch one morning and
sid:
"'Say. old man, met your daughter
just now driving that automobile you
bought her last Christmas. with Ned
DaAns sitting beside her. AS they
ws&it by caught sight of a valise IN
der their feet. and l reckon they're
running away
"'whatr exclaimed the Scotchman.
his eyes bullying out OF his head.
"'Bet you $50 It's an eiopement'
''McGregor never did anything fast
In his life TIL that moment. 1t wasn't
Eve minutes before he was In one Of
the autos he kept on the ranch. and I
tall you the hand on the speed gauge
Just spun around from zero to fifty in
mo time At all"
"Oh, he's going to give us a runaway
couple I'm an auto chased by her father
In another auto" interrupted the crit
icsl wilkins. "That's hackneyed-"
BET you ten that Isn't the point Of
the STORY" said siIsby.
wilkins failed to come mp. and Sils-
BY prcceeded: -
"McGresor doesn't come into the
story or my version Of It at oil. except
that there was big chase. I'd tell
you something about that only my
friend ON the other side of the stove
considers It WORKOUT story material.
One thing must mention. and that is
that while. the race was going on the
clouds were thickening and there was
.muttsring OF thunder Just before
the lovefs reached the turn Of the road
where II goes down into one of the
nafrowest canyons In Colorado they
heard report behind them and. look
ing back. saw that busted tire had
sent the pursuing auto or over level
space beside the road. II didn't upset.
but Molly knew the race was over: her
father couldn't hope to catch her on
foot"
sfisby paused to HIGHT a pipe. and