Year: 1874

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understand he thinks Of taking
the Widow Watson TO the show
He's been hanging around q gooC
deal of late, but I'd just like to GU
him out, / would. Susan is nice
little woman, and deserves better
man than that young pup Of tel
low, though 1 wouldn't blame hei
much either if she takes him, fol
| she must be dreadful lonesome
and then she has to let her farm
out on shares and it isn't hall
worked, aud no one else seems to
have spuuk enough to speak up to
her. By jingo! IfI were sin
gle man Id show him u 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 car
to o knot-hole and listened, know
ing that the bachelor had i habit
of talking to himself when any
thing worried him.


"Coufound that young Bagrl
der! !" said Bill. "what business has
he then, I'd like to know. Got 3
new buggy, mas he? Well, so have
I, and new harness, too, and his
horse can't come in sight Of mine
and ! declare I've halfa mind to
Yes, I will III 60 this very
night and ask her to 60 to the show
with me. I'll show Ed. Wilbur
that I ain't such a calf as he thinks
| am, if did let old Watson get
the start Of me il the first place
Ed. could scarce help laughing
outright, but he hastily hitched
the bags on his shoulder, and with
low chuckle at his success,
started home to tell the news to
Nelly; and about FIVE o'clock that
evening they saw Bill go hy With
his horse and buggy on his way TO
the Widows. He logged along
quietly thinking Of the old singing
sclool days-and what a pretty
girl Susan was thcn-and wonder
ing inwardly if he would have
more courage now to talk up to
her, until at the distance of about
a mile from her house be came to
bridge-over large creek-and
it so happened that just as he
reached the middle Of the bridge
be gave q tremendous sneeze,
and blew his teeth out of his
mouth, and clear over the dash
board, 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-complete!y
DUN bfounded at this startling
piece of i'll luck. After a while be
stepped out ofthe buggy, and get,
ting on bis hands and knees look
ed over into the water. "Yes,
there they were," at the bottom,
with little crowd Of little fishes
rubbing their noses against them,
and Bill wished to goodness that
his nose was as close for one sec
ond. His beautiful teeth that had
cost him so much, and the show
coming on and no time to got ano
ther set-and the widow and
young Sackrider. Well, he must
try and got them somehow-and
no time To lose, for some one might
come along and ask him what he
was fooling around there for. HI
bad no notion of spelling his gooc
clothes by wading in with then
on, and besides, if he did that ht
could not 60 to the widows thai
night, so he took a look up anc
down the road to see that no one
was in sight, and then Quickly un
dressed himself, laying his clothe:
in tho buggy to keep them clean
Then he ran around to the bank
and waded into the almost icy
cold water, but his teeth did no
shatter in his head, he only wisE
they could. Quietly he waded along
so as not to stir up the mud ant
when he got to the right spot h'
dropped under water and came
up with the teeth in his hand ant
replaced them in his mouth. Bu
bark! What noise is that? A wag
on and a little dog barking will
all bis might, and his horse i
starting. "Whoa! Whoa" sai'
Bill, as be splashed and foundere'
out through mud and water, "con
found the horse. Whoa! Whoa
Stop, you brute you, stop" bu
stop he would not, but went off a
a spanking pace with the unfor'
uuate bachelor after him and th


little dog yelpiug after the bache


lor. Bill was certainly in capits


running costume, but though h


strained every nerve he could no


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