Year: 1878

rider.


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 GO to the widows that
night, 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
ard waded into the almost icy cold
water, but his teeth didn't chatter in his
head, he only wished they could. Quietly
he waded along so as not 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 hark a.!
What noise is that? "A wagon, and a
dog barking with all his might, and his
horse is starting.


"Whoa! whoa! Stop you brute, you,
stopw


But stop he would not, but went off at
a spanking pace; with the unfortunate
bachelor after him. Bill was certainly
in 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 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 top of the hill, and what, oh
what will he do j.? Then his coat fell out
and he slipped it on, and then making a
desperate squirt he clutched the back of
the seat and scrambled in, and pulling
the buffalo robe over his legs, stuffed the
other things beneath. Now the horse
happened to be one he got from Squire
Moore, and he got it from the widow,
and the animal took it into his head to
stop at her gate. which Bill had no power
to prevent, as he was too busy buttoning
up his coat to his chin to think of doing
much else.


The widow heard the rattling of the
wheels and looked out, and sseing that it
was Smiley and that he didn't offer to get
out, she went out to see what he wanted,
and there she stood chatting, with her
white arms on the top of the gate, and
her face towards him, while the chills
ran down his shirtless back clear to his
bare feet beneath the buffalo robe, and
the water from his hair and the dust from
his hat had combined to make some nice
little streams of mud that came trickling
down his face.


She asked him to come in. No, he was
in hurry, he said, She did not offer to
go. He did not ask her to pick up his
reins for him, because he did not know
what excuse to make for not doing 80
himself. Then he looked down the road
behind him and saw white-faced horse
coming, and at once surmised it was that
Of Gus Sockrider! He rerolved to do or
die, and hurriedly told his errand. The
widow would be delighted to go-of
course she would. But wouldn't he
come in? No, he was in hurry, he said;
and he would 60 on to Green's place.


"Oh," said the widow, YOU'RE going
to Green's, are you? Why, Pm going
there myself to get one of the girls to
help me quilt tomorrow. Just wait
second while / get my bonnet and shawl,
and I'll ride with you" And away she
skipped.


"What scrape," said Bill, and he
hastily clutched his pants from between
his feet, and wriggled into them, when a
light wagon drawn by the white-faced
horse, driven by boy, came along and
stopped beside him. The boy held up a
pair of boots in one hand and pair of
socks in the other, and just as the widow
reached the gate again, he said:


"Here's your boots and socks, Mr..
smiley, that you left on the bridge when
you were in there swimming"


"You're mistaken" said Bill; "they
Ire not mine" -


Why" said the boy, faint you the
nan that had the race after the horse,
ust now?''


"Ne, sir, am not. You had better
% on about your business"


Bill sighed at the loss of his Sunday
'oots, and, turning to the widow, said


"Just pick up those lines, will you,
please This brute of horse is always
witcaing them out of my hands,"


The widow complied; he pulled one
orner of the robe cautiously down as
he got in. t..


"What a lovely evening, she said


and so warm [ don't think we want
be robe over us, do we?''


You see she had on a nice new dress
nd pair of new CATERS, and she wanted
, show them.


"Oh, N.Y." sasd Bill, earnestly, you'll
nd it chilly riding, and I wouldn't have
ou catch cold for the world"