Year: 1879

"How on earth, Simpson" said I the


other day to rural friend ofmine whom
I was visiting-"how on earth did q
backward, difident fellow like you ever
manage to say, viii you? to witty,
saucy, self-poised woman like your
wife?"


| Ireally was curious to know. Simpson
was such slow, sedate person, and his
wife was such little FREELY, that there
always seemed to me something funnily
ncongruous in their union.


Simpson made his usual deliberate
pause before answering. "Wel, I
reckon my friend is a Hoosier-"I
reckon it was queer I ever asked her,
and the way it happened was queerer
still"


We had carried our chairs out into
the front yard, in order to smoke in
greater comfort; and / now tilted mine
back against tree, knowing that the
story that was brewing in my friends
mind would not be over in hurry. I
condense it for the benefit of those
readers who may not have as much
leisure and patience as 7 mad:


"You see" he began aldwly clearing
his throat aaa crossing his legs, ''I was
always rather soft-ike about Susie, from
the time I used to sit by her in school
and work her sums. She hadn't par
ticle of head for figures, and had, so
we suited pretty well as long as school
lasted; and Susie, though she laughed
at me more than any of the girls, liked
me little, too; for it isn't in human
nature not to like the person that works
your sums. [ know, because that was
about all the way I had of making
friends, when I was boy, and made a
good many. But when our school days
were over most of them forgot, but
Susie never did. She was the prettiest
and most popular girl in the country,
and had no end of beaux, but she al
ways had, God bless herl as bright
smile for slow Ben as any of them. I
knew I wasn't as brisk and lively as the
best of them, and when I saw that she
didn't make any difference, it went right
though and through me, and I'd have
died for her any minute; but couldn't
tell her so. Seemed ike.I was slower
and dumber with her than anybody else.


For this reason I didn't often call
on her or ask her company to parties
and the like; but when I did she was
always so kind and pleasant-ike that
I was happy for month afterwards.


Well, there was party one night at
Squire Coon's; and, as it wasn't far,
and Susie would only have to be bored
with me going and coming, asked her
to go with me, and she said Certainly
and smiled as if it was the greatest treat
in the world.


AS the 'Squire's was only half a mile
from Susie's home, and there was
nice, dry path through the woods, we
walked. 1t was about the middle of
October, and the path we took was
heaped with dry leaves that made a
pleasant rustic under our feet. A
watery moon and a slim turnout of
stars gave just light enough to make
the tree trunks on either side of the
path look like anything else but what
they were.


The only remark I remember to
have made on the way to the 'Squire's
was that it was going to rain before
morning, and that hoped it would. l
little thought how much reason I had
- hc-l4


/ don't reconect mucn aDouT Un1
party, except that I sat most of the time
in a particular corner, and watched Su-
sic as much as dared.


When the party had broken up,
and we were starting home, / noticed
that the sky was thickly clouded and
the night dark. The Squire, who was
sitting on the front porch smoking a
late pipe, called after us: Better stay
all night, Benny, it's goin' to rain But
we thought not. When we got into the
woods, however, we began to find out
that it was dark and no mistake. The
farther we went, the deeper became the
darkness. knew the path we had to
follow, every crook and curve in it.
But the carpet of dead leaves bothered
me. I had to stop two or three times,
and grope about on either side, to make
sure that L was in the right track; and
the last time I found I was not in it
and. what was worse. couldn't find it.


"I kept up the search as long as pos
sible, dreading to tell Susie of the stu
mid hlnndar T he'd committed. Rut the
truJn nRu TO come OUT az IssSJ; anu, %
to make matters really serious, it began
to rama dull, pattering fall, that would
probably last till daylight, and
Susie exposed to it. She tried to
make joke O4 Ab ab ISGS Dub,
as the rain came more and more steadily,
she became frightened and nervous. I
found her the best shelter could at the
roots of great tree, but the rain reached
her even there. She had nothing round
her but light shawl-for the evening
had been unusually warm for the season
and I knew she would soon be thor
oughly chilled; SO, being very tough
myself, and used to all sorts of expos
ure, just took off my coat and begged
her to wrap it round her shoulders, but
she would hear to nothing of the sort,
and bade me quite brusquely to put on
my coat. But the rain increased, and
the night grew damper and colder. I
resolved to take matters into my own
hands. Without saving word -
71appe0 the coat around ner snouideTa
myself, and, for fear she wouldn't take
it, said, by way of apology, you see,
I'd give my life for you any minute,
Susie, and it don't stand to reason I
shouldn't give YOU nv coat