Year: 1874

would not, but went off at spanking pace
with the unfortunate bachelor after him and
the little dog yelping after the bachelor. 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 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,6st into it, stuck it, all dusty and shape
less, on his head. And now he saw the wild
ow's house on the hill, and what, oh what
would he do! 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 that he
got from Squire Moore, and he got it from the
widow, and he took it into his head to stop at
her gate, which Bill had no power to prevent,
as he had not possession of the reins, besides
he was too busy buttoning his coat up to his
chin to think ofdoing much else. The widow
heard the rattle of the wheels and looked out,
and seeing that it was Mr.. Smiley, and as ne did
not offer to get out, she went to the gate to see
what he wanted, and there she stood chatting
with her white arms on the top of the gate,
and her smiling face turned right toward him,
while the cold chils ran down his shirtless
back. clear to his bare feet beneath the buffa-
10 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 trickllng
down his face. She asked him to come in.
No; he was in hurry, he said. Still he did
not offer to 90. He did not like to ask her to
pick up his reins for him, because he did not
know what excuse to make for not doing it
himself Then he looked down the road be-
hind him and saw white.faced horse coming,
and at once surmising that it was that OF
Gus Sackrider coming, he resolved to do or
die, and hurriedly told his errand. The wild
ow would be delighted to go; of course she
would. But wouldn't he come in. No, he
was in hurry he said ; had to 60 on to Mr..
Greene's place.


"Ohw said the widow; you're going to
Green's, are you? Why, I was just going
there myself to get one of the girls to help me
quilt some. Just wait second while l get
my bonnet and shawl, and III ride with you"
And away she skipped.


"Thunder and lightning!" said Bill, "what
a scrapew and he hastily clutched his pants
from between his feet and was preparing to
wriggle into them, when light wagon, drawn
by 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 your socks, Mr..
Smiley, that you left on the bridge when you
wasin swimming"


you're mistaken" said Bill, "they're not
NINE"


"Why," said the boy, "ain't you the man
that had the race after the horse just now r


"No, sir, am not you had better 60 on
about your business" Bill sighed at the loss
of hisSunday boots, and turning to the widow
he said


"Just pick up the lines, will you, please;
this brute ola horse is forever switching them
out of my hands" The widow complied, and
then he pulled one corner of the robe eau.
tiously down, and she got in.


"What lovely evening"" she said, "and so
warm; I don't think we need the robe over
US, do we?'


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


20, my !' said Bill, earnestly, "youll find
it chilly riding, and wouldn't have you to
catch cold for the world"


She seemed pleased at the tender care for
her health, and contented herself with stick
ing one of her little feet out, with long silk
necktie over the end of it.


"What is that Mr.. Smiley-a neck-tie?" ?"


EYES," said he, II bought it the other day,
and must have left it in the buggy. Never
mind il"


"But it was so careless" she said, and stoop-
ing over she picked it up and made a motion
to stuff it in between them.


Bill felt her hand going down, and making
dive after it, clutched it in his and held it
hard and fast.


They went on quite distance, he still hold.
ing her soft little hand in his and wondering
what he should do when they got to Green's,
and she wondering why he didn't say some
thing nice to her as we'll as squeeze her hand,
and why his coat was buttoned up so tightly
on such warm evening, and what made his
face and hat so dirty, until, as they were going
down little hill one Of the traces came un-
hitched and they had to stop.


90 murder!' said Bill "what next?"


"What is the matter, Mr. Smiley? said the
widow, with start that came near jerking
the robe off his knees.


''One of the traces is off," said he.


"Well, why don't you get out and put it
on?"


"I can't" said Bill; "I've got-that is, I
haven't got-oh dear, I'm 50 sick! What
shall l do?"


"Why, Willie" said she, tenderly, "what is
the matter? do tell me" and she gave his
hand little squeeze, and looking into his pale
and troubled face she thought he was going to
faint; so she got out her smelling bottle with
her left hand, and pulling the stopper out with
her teeth she stuck it to his nose.


Bill was just taking in breath for a lightly
sigh, and the pungent odor made him throw
his head so far back that he lost his balance
and went over the low backed buggy. The
woman gave little scream as his big bare
feet flew past her head ); and covering her face
with her hands gave way to her tears, or
smiles-it is hard to tell which. Bill was
fright side up" in moment, and was leaning
over the back of the seat humbly apologizing
and explaining, when Ed. Wilbur, with his
wife and baby, drove up behind and stopped.
Poor Bill felt that he would rather have been
shot than have Ed Wilbur catch him in such
scrape but there was no help for it now, so
he called Ed. to him and whispered in his ear.
Ed was like to burst with suppressed laughter,
but he beckoned to his wife to drive up, and
after saying something to her, he helped the
widow out of Bills buggy and into his own,
and the two women went on, leaving the men
behind Bill lost no time in arranging his
toilot as well as he could and then with great