Year: 1877




jingo! if were single man I'd show
them trick or two"


So saying, Ed borrowed some bags
and started around the corner of the
barn, where he had left Bill sweeping
and put his ear to knot hole and
listened, knowing the bachelor had q
habit of talking to himself when any
thing worried him.


"Confonnd that young Sockrider!"
said Bill, "what business has he there
I'd like to know2 Got a now buggy
has he? Well, so have l, and new
harness too; and his horse cart get
sight of mine; and 1 declare I've half
a mind to-yes, I will I'll 60 this
very night and ask her to go to the
show with me. I'll show Wilbur that
Pm not such calf as he thinks am,
if I did let old Watson get the start
of me in the first placer


Ed, could scarce help laughing
outright, but he hastily started homo
to tell thcnews to Nelly; and at about
five o'clock that evening they saw
Bill 60 by nth his horse and buggy
on his way to the widows. He jog
ged along thinking of the old sing>
ing school days--and what o pretty
girl Susan was then, and wondering
inwardly if he would have moro
courage now to talk up to her, until
at distance Of about q mile from
her house, he came to bridge, he
gave q tremendous sneeze and blew
his teeth out of his mouth, and clear
over the side of the bridge, and they
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
dumtounded at his startling piece of
i'll luck. After while he stepped
ont Of his buggy, and getting down
on his knees, looked ovor into tho wa
ter. Yes, there they were at the
bottom, with a crowd of little fishes
rubbing their noses against them and
Bill wishing tn goodness that his nose
wSs s3 oiuse lur one second. His
beautiful teeth that ha1 coet him 80
much and the show coming on and
no time to get another eet, 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 tooling around there for. He
had no intention Of spelling his
clothes by wading in with them on;
and besides if he did he could not 60
to the widows that night, so he took
q 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 thoy could.
Quietly he waded along 80 as not to
stir the mud up, and when he got to
the right spot he dropped under the
water, and camo out with his teeth in
his hand, and replaced them in his
mouth. But harkl What noise is
that2 A wagon and a dog barking
with all his might, and his horse is
starting. "Whoa! whoai Stop you
brute you: stopp But stop he would
not and wont off at a spanking pace
with tho unfortunate bachelor after
him. Bill was certainly in capital
running costume but though he
strained every nervo' he could not
touch the buggy or reach the lines
that were dragging on the ground.


After a while bis plug hat ehot of
the seat, and the hind wheel went
over it, making it fiat as pancake.
Bill snatched it as he ran, and after
ljamming bis fist into 1t, stuck it, all
dimpled and dustys on his head. And