When within a few yards of the white object--which
seemed to have fluttered back to one side of the road--his right rein
broke: he lost his balance and fell over backward into the bottom of the
waggon, while Dolly, quite unrestrained, dashed on madly.
The professor had just made up his mind that he stood very little chance
of seeing Abbie or his daughters again, when he felt the onward rush
suddenly modified. There were a pawing and snorting, an irregular jerk
or two, and then a dead stop. The old gentleman picked himself up and
descended to the ground uninjured beyond a few slight bruises.
Cornelia and Bressant had been pacing the latter part of their way
slowly, there being a disinclination on both their parts to come to the
end of it. But they had passed the bend, and were within a few rods of
the Parsonage, before Cornelia pressed her companion's arm, paused,
listened, and said:
"I think I hear him coming: yes! that's Dolly--but how fast she's
going!"
As they stood, arm-in-arm, Bressant was between Cornelia and the
approaching vehicle: but, when it swung around the corner, she stepped
forward, thus bringing her white dress suddenly into view. At the same
moment the velocity of the wagon was much increased, and, as it came
upon them, both saw the figure on the seat, easily recognizable as the
professor, fall over backward.
Pages:
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150