Now and then he stopped and bitterly hurled a stone at a piping bird on a fence, or gay Bob White in the fields.

At noon the patient figure was still waiting in the corner of the court-house yard, meekly twisting the golden ring upon her finger.
But the flushed young man who had spoken thickly to her deserter drew an envied roll of bankbills from his pocket and began to bet with tipsy caution, while the circle about the gamblers watched with fervid interest, especially Mr.Bardlock, Town Marshal.
From far up Main Street came the cry "She's a-comin'! She's a-comin'!" and, this announcement of the parade proving only one of a dozen false alarms, a thousand discussions took place over old-fashioned silver timepieces as to when "she" was really due.

Schofields' Henry was much appealed to as an arbiter in these discussions, from a sense of his having a good deal to do with time in a general sort of way; and thus Schofields' came to be reminded that it was getting on toward ten o'clock, whereas, in the excitement of festival, he had not yet struck nine.

This, rushing forthwith to do, he did; and, in the elation of the moment, seven or eight besides.

Miss Helen Sherwood was looking down on the mass of shifting color from a second-story window--whither many an eye was upturned in wonder--and she had the pleasure of seeing Schofields' emerge on the steps beneath her, when the bells had done, and heard the cheers (led by Mr.Martin) with which the laughing crowd greeted his appearance after the performance of his feat.
She turned beamingly to Harkless.