TAKING TOLL.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1935, 17 March 1875, Page 4

TAKING TOLL.

A snow having fallen, the yonng folks of a Tillage got up a grand sleighing party to a country tavern, at some distance; and the interesting Widow Lambkin sat in the same sleigh, and under the same buffalo robe with myself. "O, G, don't? " she exclaimed, as we came to the first" bridge, catching me by the arm, and turning her veiled face towards me, while her little eyes twinkled through the gauze in the moonlight. "Doa't what?" I asked; "I'm not doing anything." " Well, but I thought you were going to take toll," replied Mrs Lambkin. " Toll! " I rejoined ; « what is that ? " " Now, do tell!" exclaimed the widow, her clear laugh ringing above the music of the bells. "Dr Mellows pretends he don't Jcnow what tolLis."

"Indeed, I don't then!" I said laughing in my turn. " Don t know that the gentlemen, when they go a sleighing, claim a kiss as toll, when they cross a bridge 1 "Well, I never!"

. But shall I tell all ? The struggles of the widow to hold the veil were not sufficient to tear it, and somehow, when the veil was removed, her face was turned directly towards my own, and the snow glittering in the moonlight, and the hors« trotting on of himself, the toll was taken for the first time in the life of Dr Mellows.,

Soon we came to a long bridge, but the widow said it was " no use to resist," and -she paid as we reached it. " JBut you won't toll for every span, will you doctor?" To which the only reply was a practical negative to the question.—American Paper.