Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-06-22

gold, but she was not yet his wife
And he had tried so hard to win
her! Year after year the rosest APP
plies from his orchard and the choicest
honey from his apiary had found their
way to Diantha's table; and year
after year the county fair and village
picnic had found him at Dianthas door
with his old mare and his buggy,
ready to be her devoted slave for the
day, Nor was Dantha unmindful Of
all these attentions. She ate the APP
pies and the honey, and spent long
contented hours in the buggy; but she
still answered his pleadingS with her
gentle: Il hain't no call to marry yet,
Phneas,' and nothing he could do
seemed TO hasten her decision in the
least. 1t was the mare and the buggy,
however, that proved to be responsible
for what was the beginning of the
end.
They were on their way home from
the county fair. The mare, head
hanging, was pioddng through the
dust, when around the curve of Tie
road shot the one automobile that the
town boas+od mo nov+ ,,a,,,n,,t tho
whizzing thing had passed, and left a
superannuated old mare looming
through a cloud of dust and dancing
on two wabbly hind legs.
plague take them autymobiles !"
snorlod pbiro,, +l,,,,,rh CO., ta,tt -.
bo sawed NJ +,o roir, ur a,- ,,,,',.,,
TN, s,,ro Diort,,., ~, ,1,1a, ,l,,,,,.
foradI, v.bon th, ,n.ro hnd d,.,,,,n,
to nnsitfnn mara paorlv norn,,1. "h,+
bain,+ No r,a fr. +,o,, ,o,.a aa,,,,.o,
tfons,"
Di,,,4t, c,,,,,,1 GU, ~ e.,-,
ened-and bac,usa sho w,s f,+cbtnnad
she was angry She s,fd tho t4rst
thing thot came into hnr ba.d--,nL
never had she spollpn to phinnos so
sharply.
"If vou'J have some use for 'em
Phineas HoDkins Won wouldn't he
crawlfn' along in a shirtless old RIG
like this. vou'd have one vourself an
be somebody, For my part. I like
'em, an I'm Jest achin ter ride in EN-,
too"
Phineas almost dropped the rpins
! In his amazpment "Achin' ter ride
in 'em," she had said-and all that ne
could give her WAS this "ShiftIpss old
rig" that she so scorned. He rempm-
hered something else. too. and his face
famed suddenly red. 1t was Colonel
Smith who owned and drove that au-
! tOmObilp and Colonel Smith too was
a bachelor. What if Instantly in
Phineas soul rose fierce jealousy.
! like a boss, myself he said, with
some dignity. Il want somethin' that's
awe
Dlahtha IadGhed slyly The dan
ger was past ana she could afford to
oe merry
"Well, it strikes me that you come
pretty near haNlh somethln' that
WA awe jest cause you had some
thlh that was she retorted. "Really,
fhlheaS dldnt spOse Dolly could
move so tast
Phineas brindled
dolly knew how ter move once"
he rejolned grimly. "'Cause nobody
pretends ter say she's young now, any
moren we be- he finished with some
dehance. But he dropped visibly at
Dlantha next words.
why, l don't feel old, Phineas, an
amt old' either LOOK at Colonel
H'nlth' ne 5 jest my age, an mes got
a autymobile. MeObe I'll have one
some daE'
10 Phlneas 1t seemed that cold
hand clutched his heart
"Dianthy, you wouldn't really-ride
In one" he faltered.
Until that moment Diantha had not
been sure that she would. but the
quaver in Phineas' voice decided her.
Wouldn't l? You Jest wait an
see"
And Phineas did walt-and he did
see. He saw Diantha, not Il week
later, pink-cheeked and bright-eyed,
sitting by the side of Colonel Smith
in that hated automobile Nor did he
stop to consider that Diantha was only