set off.  She run like wild fire, they say.  She headed right f’r town ‘n’ down the main street.  She come into the square lickety-split, ‘n’ the town committee was in the middle of it examinin’ the band-stand where Judge Fitch says ’t it shakes when he has to stamp ‘n’ pound in his speeches.  She come on the committee so sudden ’t they did n’t even know what it was.  She knocked Deacon White over on his back, ‘n’ threw Mr. Shores so hard ag’in’ the waterin’-trough ’t all his suspender tins come out before ‘n’ behind.  Gran’ma Mullins was comin’ across with six new teacups done up in each hand.  Ed was comin’ along after her with the saucers, but she’d told Mr. Kimball right out to his face as she would n’t trust Ed with nothin’ as had handles ‘n’ so she’d carry them cups home herself.  The cow hit her cornering, ‘n’ them cups ‘n’ her false teeth went all over the square.  Some o’ ’em hit Deacon White in the face where he lay gaspin’, but the cow never stopped.  She jus’ flew.  Mr. Fisher was hurryin’ along to join the rest o’ the committee ’t the bandstand, ‘n’ he met her next.  She lowered her head ‘n’ jus’ gouged Mr. Fisher’s three-quarters around him ‘n’ tore right on.  She took the crick road, ‘n’ Polly Allen ‘n’ Sam Duruy was out walkin’ ‘n’ see her pass.  They say greased lightenin’ was donkeys to the way she went.  The minister ‘n’ the six childern was jus’ comin’ home from Mrs. Brown’s, ‘n’ the five childern at home was all come runnin’ to meet them.  The cow charged right into the middle o’ the bunch, ‘n’ the minister ‘n’ all them eleven childern is laid out f’r one spell.

“Well, ‘n’ even then she did n’t stop.  Seemed like ploughin’ through the minister’s family only give her fresh strength.  She kept right straight on down the crick road, ‘n’ jus’ by the ditch she come on Mr. ‘n’ Mrs. Jilkins.  They was comin’ up to town to spend the night with the Whites, ‘n’ they had the green ‘n’ yellow parasol all done up to send to Mrs. Jilkins’ niece along with ’em.  The cow was ’s unexpected to them as to every one else, ‘n’ she hit the parasol right square in the middle.  It broke, ‘n’ the wires all bust out ‘n’ punched Mr. Jilkins full o’ holes afore he had time to point it at his wife.  She got her share anyhow, though, f’r that dog’s nose handle caught her right aroun’ her leg ‘n’ throwed her head foremost into the ditch.

“‘N’ the cow did n’t stop then!  She rushed right along, ‘n’ on the first bridge was Mrs. Macy.  She was standin’ wonderin’ what was to pay up the road, ‘n’ then she see it was a cow.  Well, Mrs. Lathrop, you know what Mrs. Macy is on cows.  I hear her say one day as she ’d rather have a mouse run up her skirts any day ’n a cow.  She told me ’t she often go ’way round by Cherry Pond sooner ’n be alone with one in the road, ‘n’ such bein’ the case, you can’t suppose but what she was mortal scared.  Her story is ’s she only had time to see its horns ‘n’ the wildness of its eyes afore she never will