Year: 1878

nappV as well tO-QO Iarmer can De. lie
was no fool either, for he had a good Ii
brary and read it, too-and gained
great deal of useful knowledge. John
was good looking, not a handsome man,
lior there are none) hut tall finely formed
man. But John had one failing in my
eyes he was twenty-six years old and
not married. Nor was there any pros
pect Of any such event happening very
soon, for of all the bashtul meL that ever
wore shirt collar John Eldred was the
worst. The girls in the immediate vi
cinity were strangers to him, John al
ways avoiding everything that wore
dress, save his mother and sister.


Johns mother was quiet, loving wo
man, who ever had uppermost in her
mind the happiness of her children, con
sequently 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 it about
she could not imagine.


In the same neig ighborhood lived Judge
Clark, who had n daughter named Mabel,
and, although he had never betrayed it,
his sister had guessed his secret, and re-
solved to bring about a match between
the two, but just how to do it she did not
know.


1t happened in July, the anecdote Tam
now in shape to relate. Gertrude had in
vited number of girls to quilting
party one afternoon, Mabel among the
rest. She told John they were coming
and then added


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


"But, Gertrude, that patch of timothy
by the north wood must be cut, and as
Jim has gore to stay over Sunday, |
shall have to cut it,"


And so, much to Gertrude's chagrin,
he took his scythe ever his shoulder after
dinner and started for the patch Of timo-
thy. But he fingered around the orchard
until he saw the plump figure Of Mabel
Clark coming, and then heaving u sigh,
he started for his work.


The patch of timothy referred to was a
newly cleared piece of land, nearly sur
rounded by woods, and so full of stumps
and logs that it was impossible to uso the
machine. Here we will leave John now
ing and return to the party.


1t was very warm day, so the girls
had moved the chairs out Of doors in the
shade Of some large maple, and there
they sat chatting, joking and laughing as
only party of light headed girls can.


Meantime John had moved several
times across the patch, and it began 70 be
terribly hot. The sun poured its rays
down with great intensity, and tho thick
wood on all sides kept off any breeze that
might be stirring. John was more than
hottie was fairly boiling and as thirsty
as an old toper. So John, thinking no
one could see him, sat down on log and
took off his shoes and pantaloons and
then, with his long gingham shirt and
wide trimmed straw hat and his socks,
resumed moving. He had moved twice
across the piece, and was picking out the
tall grass around an old log pile, when
right beside him he saw pair Of blue
racers.


John was no coward but he was NOR
tally afraid of snakes. If he had been
warm before, he was lump Of ice row.
With dash of his scythe he cut of 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 glngham
shirt.


He cast one look behind him, and saw
his dreaded enemy streaming out like n
pennant from steamship, and thinking
only Of the terrible fate that awaited him
if he stopped, bounded toward the house
with the speed of an express train.


On, on he ran through the north mead
ow and orchard, and, as he neared the
house the thought of the party flashed
through his mind. But there was no
other way, and so on he ran.


He dashed down past the west end Of
Al ko a1 ha
the whole party Of girls met his view.


"Call man !" he yelled, and then
turned The corner. So great was his mo
mentum that the snake swung around
and struck him on his bare legs like the
sharp sting of a rawbide whip.


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


"Call a 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 he
would yell


"Call a man -


The frightened girls rushed for the
house, and they had hardly got inside
the door as John flew past it with a
shout,


"Cail a man !"


Down across the road he went, ieaping
the gate at bound, and as be cantered
through the flock Of hens, scattering
them in all directions, the shout rose loud
and clear;