Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-08-05
Blind as a Bat
But Finally He Got His Eyes
Wide Open.
BY MARTHA NC. WILLIAMS.

and caught its breath over the Taun
ton girl when she swept through it rid
ing cross saddle Ii had come to lie II
sort Of proverb among the plantation
folk that the hardest and most reckless
riders We're town girl visitors. Yer!
few of them had any mercy upon the
beasts luckless enough to carry then
this not because they were hard
hcnrted. but from sheer iynoriln e al'.
from the pure animal delight Of find
ing themselves unfettered for II Ine
They fretted NOT II little. these Town
bred riders. when the countr! foll,
checked speed at hills or Insisted tina;
Il horse should have IL chance to !,ov
4 hit after a hHrd rallop
Possibly envy. the least touch. CAV,
edge to their disapproval of Lditi
Taunton Edith had Il fortune and
three line saddle horses AZ if that
were not enough. Billy nrANtcu fea
INTO Il way of sharing her early @a!,op>
Culil She cl!ut back to the old home
stead nilly had not seen sunrise once
a year 1t WIS lrovokinGlY significant.
this change in uim He had hvcn til,
despair of the town mHtchuEker> He
was Il governors grandson. rich. GOOD
looking. good humured Further. he
was II squire OF danes 50 notify inpar
tal nobody ever yet had been nh,p to
establish Il claim to him The people
he regarded most and was readip>t To-
serve were meek Old ladies who had
known his mother ana very little Girls
Edith was. he insisted. only Il h& lit
tie %irl. very lone and lorn IN hor biz
empty house What he did HOT SAY
was that he thought her coming back
to it something So fine and brave he wa,
bent on helping. her fight down the lone
! lincSS and make her own social place.
This in the he"inning-until the town
"osSipS took to cranin" the neck ~hak
ing the head and drawing aside the
least bit when the girl came among
them Billy saw the head shaking. the
drawing back. n tong time before she
did She wnS open and unsuSpiciouS H.
daylight and had no thought of tread
ing on the corns of town propriety in
anything she did. But, being also full
of quick munitions, after awhile she
understood
And tnen: Then only she really did
set out to horrify the good gentlewo
men she drove tandem through the
middle of the square. sitting up very
straight iookn. neither to right nor
left. but pulling up ut the corner by
the bank to pick up Billy and take him
away with her Next week ii was
card party wholly masculine in com
position. except for Edith herself and
the cOlorleSs cousin who served rs her
companion. There were cigars and
supper afterward-a very late supper.
The town thrilled with the horror of
it, but not as it did little later. when
everybody knew that thereafter. upon
Sunday evenings. Edith meant to be at
home to her friends.
If Billy had known in time that new
or would have come to pass. But he
had gone away for fortnight right
after the night at cards. first making
Edith promise to have no more such
assemblies until he WIS there to give
her countenance and protection.
When he came back and found the
mischief done hr WAS in Il sad taking
Il see just one way out of it-you
have got to marry me, else You won't
have Il rng OF reputation left" he said
pretending to shake her hard
Edith made Il mutinous mouth at
him. "SuppOSe we try some other sac
riiicial lamb. Aren't you most too Old
and tough:" she asked. her eyes dane
ing wickedy.
Billy grnned cheerfuly. You can
have carloads of 'em for the taking
nice white baa lambs, but | don't be
lieve they'd he the least effectual." h
said You see, what you need really
is not a sacrifice. but a scapegont. I'm
strong enough to have your sins con
fessed over my heat and thenceforth
imputed to me-
But scapegoats have to be sent
away out into the wilderness. learn
ed that much at Sunday school, and
can't have you 90 away. Edith pro
tested Besides. | am not doing any
thing horrid. | shall 90 to church
mornings just the same. AS for the
evenings. you know yourself other
girls go to church then. mainly to
have somebody see them home and
stay all hours afterward making love
to them. really feel like a mission
airy The boys can came here and rest
or talk or do anything they please.
AS it is now. they have no choice at
all. They must either NOPE at home
or go out and court somebody. and
that must be dreadfully wearing"
1T is" Billy said fervently. his eyes
reminiscent; but. my dear girl. yon
had better give it up. Get a telegram
calling you away. I'll send j. if your
conscience is against fibbing"-
MY conscience Is not against any
thing necessary, and you know fibs are
necessary" Edith interrupted But !
have much more conscience against
backing out of anything just because
Pm afraid of some old tabby cats and
young ones"
"Tabby cats have claws" Billy SAID
oraculary.
Edith looked at him doubtfully n
minute II Know They try even to
scratch you" she said, and then
quickly. her eyes flaming. They &C
tually came here. three of them. to tell
me about your past
"They did," Billy's voice was dead
ly quiet "And you?"
81 said it did MT interest me to