Supper being ready, they all sat down and enjoyed it.  After supper Dan took a smoke, Jane went to her accustomed seat in the parlor near her plants, William Cox and John Teed went out to see their girls, Olive put the boys to bed, and Esther sat down on the front door-step all by herself and sang “The Sweet By-and-bye” in a low voice.

The hands of the old fashioned clock in the dining room indicated ten minutes to eight, when a carriage drove up to the gate, and a well built young man jumped out, opened the gate and came in.  As he entered the house he shook hands with Esther, saying as he did so:  “Go and put on your hat and sack and take a ride with me Esther, and I will tell you why I did not call last evening as I promised.”  This young man was Bob McNeal, by trade a shoemaker, and a fine looking young fellow he was, too.  His hair and eyes were black, features, rather handsome, and he wore a small black moustache.

As soon as Esther had received his invitation she ran up stairs, got her hat and sack, ran down again, jumped into the carriage, which was a buggy with room for two only, and off they drove.  Jane came out to the front door and called after them, just as they were driving away:  “You had better put the top up Bob, for it will certainly rain before long.”

Dan, who had been sitting in the dining room in one of the easy chairs, remarked to Jane as he was going up stairs:  “What a pity Bob McNeal is such a wild fellow.  I’m afraid he will never amount to much.  He is a remarkably fine workman too; he has improved in his work since I took him into the factory with me.  Oh well, I suppose it’s all right; good night Jane.”

“Good night Dan,” said Jane.

“I hope your rheumatism will be better in the morning.”

“So do I,” replied Dan.  And up he went to bed, Jane returning to the parlor to wait for her beau.

Bob and Esther drove through Amherst, and turned down the road leading to the Marsh.  They were going to take a ride into the country.  Bob said that was the best road to take, and Esther did not care much which way they went, so she got a ride.

While driving through a small wood, Bob seemed to be suddenly seized with an attack of what lawyers are pleased to term emotional insanity, for he dropped the reins and leaped from the buggy.  Upon reaching the ground, he drew from the side pocket of his coat a large revolver, and, pointing it at Esther, told her, in a loud voice, to get out of the buggy or he would kill her where she sat.  She, of course, refused to do as he requested or rather commanded, and, as it was raining and becoming quite dark, she told him to get into the buggy and drive her home, and not act like a crazy man.  The remark about acting like a crazy man seemed to enrage him past endurance, for he uttered several terrible oaths, and, aiming the revolver at her heart, was about to fire, when the sound of wheels were heard rumbling in the distance.  He immediately jumped into the buggy, seized the reins, and drove at a breakneck pace through the pouring rain to Dan’s cottage.  Esther was wet through by the time they had arrived at the gate.  She jumped out, opened the gate, entered the cottage and ran up stairs without noticing Jane, whom she passed in the hall.  Bob, as soon as she got out, drove rapidly down the street.