Year: 1878

en- who was dead. They were IN excellent
circunstanced, and John was no fool, either,
for he had good library, and read it, too,
and gained great deal of useful knowledge.
John was good lookiug-not q handsome
man. for there are none, but tall. finely
formed man But John had one failing in
my eyes-he was tweuty-six years old and
not married. Nor was there any prospect of
any such event happening very soon, for &
all the bashful men that ever wore a shirt
collar John Eldred was the worst. The girls
in that immediate vicinity were strangers TO
him. John always avoided everything that
wore dress, save his mother aud sister.


Johns mother was u quiet, loving woman,
who ever had uppermost in her mind the
happiness of her children, consequently she
had for some time secretly wished that John
was married.


Gertrude, Johns sister, was very pretty
young lady, and also shared her mothers
wish But how to bring i. about she could
not imagine. In the neighborhood lived
Judge Clark, who had daughter named
Mabel. Now John had for long time se>
cretly admired Mable, and although he never
betrayed it, his sister had guessed his secret,
and resolved to bring a match between the
two. But just how to do it she did not
know.


1t happened in July the nnccdote I am
now 10 shape to relate. Gertrue had invited
a number of girls to a quilting party one
afternoon, Mable among the rest. She told
John that they were coming, and added:


"Now, John for my sake, do come in to
tea this afternoon. You know all the girls
that will be here, and"


But Gertrude that patch of timothy by
the north woods must be cut, and as Jim has
gone home to stay over Sunday, shall have
to cut it."


And go, much to Gertrude's chagrin, he.
took his scythe over his shoulder after din>
ner, and started for the patch of timothy
but he fingered around the orchard until he
saw the plump figure of Mable Clark COM
ing, then heaving sigh, he started for his
work.


The patch Of timothy referred to was
newly cleared piece of land, nearly sur
rounded by woods. and SO full of stumps aud
log piles that it was impossible to use the
machine. Here we will leave John moving,
aud return to the party.


1t was very warm day, go tho girls had
moved the quilt out doors in the shade Of
some large naples, and there they sat, chat
ting, joking and laughing ss only party Of
light hearted girls can.


Meantime, John had moved several times
across the patch, and it began to be terribly
hot. The SUP. poured its rays down with
great intensity, and the thick wood kept off
any breeze that might be stirring. John was
more than hot, he was fairly boiling, and as
thirsty as an old topper. So John, thinking that
no one could possibly sec him, sat down on a
log aud took off his shoes and pantaloons,
and then with only his long gingham shirt,
a wide>rinmed straw hat, and bis socks re-
sumed bis moving. He had moved twice
across the piece. and was picking out the
tall grass around old log pile, when right
beside him he saw pair Of blue racers


John was no coward, but he was mortally
afraid of a snake. If he had been warm be-
fore, he was a lump of ice now. With a
dash of his scythe he cut off the head of one
OF them, and the other one raised his head
and darted toward him. John dropped his
scythe, turned and jumped just as the
hooked teeth of the snake caught above'the
wide, firm hem of the rear end of his ging-
ham shirt.


He cast one look behind him and saw his
dreaded enemy streaming out like the pen
nant of steamshp-and thinking only of
the terrible fate that awaited him if he
ekOpIHu, DOuuueu lOHdIu IilC uOOsC win Tue
speed of an express train.


On, on he ran through the north meadow
and orchard, and as he neared the house the
thought of the party flashed on his mind
But there IVES no other way, SO on he
ran.


He dashed down past the west end of the
house, and as he rounded the corner the
whole party of girls met his view.


IL.
the corner. So great was his momentum
:hat the snake swung around and struck him
on his bare legs like the sharp sting of raw
hide whip.


The girls screamed and jumped, and the
quilt went over on the ground. The Viz
sion sped around the corner and once more
came the cry


.'tCall man !"


No quicker did he disappear around the
corner of the house than he would appear at
the other corner. Every time he turned
the corner he would receive terrible blow
from the cold, Shiny snake. which would
raise him from the ground at least four feet,
and at every blow be would yell


'Csll g man ~


The frightened girls rushed for the house,
and they had hardly 60. inside the door as
John few past it with the shout


"CaiI man ~


Down across the road he. went, leaping
the gate at bound, and as he cantered
through the flock of hens, scattering them
in all directions, the shout rose loud and
clear


"Call man !"


Around the barn, back again toward the
house, went the strange pair, and as the