Year: 1878

buggy, on his way to the widows. He
logged along quietly, thinking of the old |
singing school days-and what a pretty |
girl Susan was then, and wondering in
wardly if he would have more courage to
talk up to her-until at distance of about
mile from her house, he came to a bridge, |
gave tremendous sneeze and blew his
teeth out of his mouth and clear over the
dashboard, and, striking on the planks,
they rolled over the side of the bridge, and
dropped into four feet of water.


Words cannot do justice to poor Bill or
paint the expression of his face as he sat
there completely dumbfounded at his piece
of ill-luck. After a while he stepped out
of his buggy, and, getting down on his
hands and knees looked over into the
water. Yes, there they ;were, at the
bottom, with a crowd of little fish rubbing
their noses against them, and Bill wished
to goodness that his nose was as close for
one second. His beautiful teeth had cost
him so much and the show coming on and
no time to get another set-and the widow
and young Sockrider.


Well, he must try and get them some
how-and no time to be lost for some
one might come along and ask him what
he was fooling around there for. He had
no notion of spelling his clothes by wading
in with them on; and besides if he did, he
could not 60 into the widows that night,
and so he took look up and down the
road, to see that no one was in sight, and
then quickly undressed himself, laying his
clothes in the buggy to keep them clean.
Then he ran around the bank and waded
into the almost icy cold water, but his
teeth did not chatter in his head-he only
wished they could. Quietly he waded
along SO as not to stir the mud up, and when
he got to the right spot he dropped under
the water and came out with his teeth in
his mouth. But bark What noise is
that? A wagon and dog barking with all
his might, and his horse is starting


"Whoa whoa Stop, you brute, you,
stopr


But stop he would not, but went off at a
spanking pace, with the unfortunate
bachelor after him. Bill was certainly in a
capital running costume, but though he
strained every nerve, he could not touch
the buggy or reach the lines that were


dragging on the ground. After a while


his plug hat shook off the seat, and the
hind wheel went over it, making it as fiat
as a pancake. Bill snatched it as he ran
and after jamming his fist into it, stuck it
all dusty and dimpled on his head. And


now he saw the widows house on the tor


of the hill, and what, oh what will he do


Then his coat fell out and he slipped it on


and then making a desperate squirt h,


clutched the back Of the seat and scram


bled in, and putting the buffalo robes owe


his legs, stuffed the other things beneath


Now the horse happened to be one he go
Of Squire Moore, and he got it from tn,
widow, and he took it into his head to stov


at her gate, which Bill had no power t,


prevent, as he was too busy buttoning hi
! coat up to his chin to think of doing much


else.


The widow heard the rattling CT wheel


and looked out, and seeing that it wa


Smiley, and that he didn't offer to get on
=, she went to see what he wanted, and ther


she stood chatting, with her white arms OF
the top of the gate, and her face toward


him, while the chills ran down his shirtles
! back clear to his bare feet beneath tn
! buffalo robe, and the water from his hal
! and the dust from his hat combined I
= make some nice little streams of mud tina


came trickling down his face.


She asked him to come in. No, he wa


in hurry, he said. Still he did not offe
q to go. He did not like to ask her to pic


up the reigns for him, because he did nc
~ know what excuse to make for not doing S
4 himself. Then he looked down the roa
" behind him and saw a white faced hors
Il coming, and at once surmised that it WI
IA that of Gus Sockrider He resolved to d
n or die, and hurriedly told his errand. Tt
d widow would be delighted to go, of cours
Il she would. But wouldn't he come il
,e No, he was in a hurry, he said he had
a 60 on to Green's place.


ut "Oh," said the widow, "you'rs going
lie Green's, are you? Why, Pm going the
IN myself to get one of the girls to help n
l quilt tomorrow. Just wait second whi
es | get my bonnet and shawl, and I'll ri,
e, with you" And away she skipped.
On "Thunder and lightning what
ne scrape I" said Bill, and he hastily clutch
up his pants from between his feet, and W
ID preparing to wriggle into them, when


light wagon drawn by the white-fac
I'd, horse, driven by boy, came along ai
N, stopped beside him. The boy held "
,ut pair Of boots in one hand and pair
W. socks in the other, and just as the wild
ng reached the gate again be said


"IIere's your boots and socks, D
aid Smiley, that you left on the bridge VIII
Ike YOU were in there a swimming"
Ie? "You're Mistaken" said Bill; "they
'ss, not mine."


ne, "Why," said the boy, faint you
J, / Young man that had the race after
to horse, just know?"


"a. "No, sir, am not You had better
ks on about your business"


p.,, .t.l - tba Ioaa of his Cunf