Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-09-21

wen, to the front of the Ocean House to
awai. the team Il came, but the stable
| help in charge seemed 20 have something
| on his mind. He looked uneasy, and then
said, as approached 10 look at the horse
and inspect the harness, Who shall this
be put down to. Mr. P was over
tnis morning and paid his bill, and said he
was going off the leland tomorrow, and
didn't say nothing about his sister s
having any team. She sent over about an
hour ago. an the boss says he s'poses il s
all right, but wimmen is forgetful, and
mustn't let them go without knowing who
was to have il" / gave my name but my
dealings having been with the Other
stable, il made less impression than it
should have done. Perhaps" said he,
"you wouldn't mind settling now ia ad
vance n fact, it o charged to me anyhow /;
and for the afternoon it'll be three dol
lars. And then you can stay at the Shore
3 long g you like"
saw Miss P at the top Of the stairs,
and felt must act quickly. "Can you
change thiss" said /, taking out the
twenty. "No, see you can't. Very
well, don't keep the lady waiting, but
they IL pay you q, the Office" And, be-
fore he had time to accept the situation, l
had put Miss P into the buggy and
was driving away.
1t is not exciting to drive in Nantucket
unless over the trotting course. The roads
are trifle sandy and are deeply rutted, so
that your hoIse travels ia a groove, and
your wheels do the same Dexter himself
could hardly run away, and you are as fast
tied to the track as if in city street-car.
But once out on the broad, breezy
downs and it is very enjoyable. The air
is fragrant with the warm and aromatic
smell Of the bayberry bushes and the
balsamic breath Of the pine trees, the
talest Of which tower full seven feet in
air Behind is the clean quiet town, and
before dark blue line on which here and
there glitters the sunshine, while white
flash Of surf springs up ever and anon
above the low sand drifts on which grow
the sparse tufts Of beach-grass.
Nobody can long feel blue on those
plains of Nantucket beside that. had
project which was to put me all right.
So / chatted with Miss Minnie, and
never had enjoyed myself 80 much. 1t
might have been fancy, but thought she
was little distrait Could it be that
had made an impressionS If so all will
be well, thought I; and then wished the
Shore thirty miles of, instead of three.
As it was, we reached the end OF our
drive before felt quite certain enough to
commit myself 1t would be awkward 20
be refused and have to drive her home
A solitary stroll on the beach might -
but it was not solitary. There was some
one there A man, a wretch with long
handled white umbrella, like huge mush-
room, stuck up in the sand, and under 1t he
was sitting, sketching.
A little way from where my horse
was to be tied was his horse and bug
w. Somehow, he seemed to expect
Miss P, for he rose up and came to
lIeet her as soon as had helped her to
.light; and before l could secure my
,teed Miss P and the stranger seemed
% have got wondrously well acquainted
did not remember to nave seen him on
he island, and he certainly did not come
N the boat while l was there, for the event
If the day was to see the passengers land /;
md beside that, where would he go but to
he Ocean Houses
Miss Minnie introduced me to her friend |
10 came up to them. 1t was Mr.. C,
the artist He aoas handsome, there was
no DENYING that, with his broad wideawake
should have much preferred TO see his
beauty in the distance, say picturesquely
half mile off; but he was 30 pleasant
and gentlemanly, that couldn't quarrel
with him.
Presently Miss P begged him TO go |
IN with his work and then she said, as
she looked over his shoulder, that he |
ought to put in figure or two; and how |
t came about don't know, but found |
myself standing at the edge OF the surf |
in imminent peril of wet feet and pre- |
ending to throw bluefish- line into the |
breakers
It was hardly consolation to think of
being part of a famous picture, when that |
.equired one to stand with ones back to |
was much worse to be reused by shout |
rom the wretch, and to see my own horse
walking leisurely away to ward the town. |
know fastened him securely.
/ hurried up the beach, and the rufiian |
net me with look Of pretended sympa-
Thy on his features.
"This is too bad" he said. II am afraid |
you will have to leave Miss P to my |
care. will stay with her while you bring |
your horse back If you shouldn't over
lake him, added the ogre, g will see that |
she gets home; but really ] can't leave
Just yet, have got such asplendid chance
which have been waiting for all summer;
such a surf and such light on it
1t did not occur to me then, though it
did afterward, that the miscreant might
have offered me his team. Instead of that |
he hurried me of, bidding me run, which
l did So did my horse, just quickening
his pace till he got far enough away to
Craze, and then starting on as got near
him. l had to foot it the whole way to
town. The beast went safely enough till
he reached the stable; but there he pushed
right into it, and, catching the buggy
against the Intel, smashed the top COM
pletely. Twenty dollars would not make
good the damage, the stable folks said.
told them TO send up to the MOTEL at half
past nine and get their pay, after the loss
had been properly estimated.
One thing seemed little odd. had
unbuckled the check rein to use as hitch
ing.strap. 1t was found buckled all right,
but not checked, which makes me think that
the horse had learned to unhsrness him
self They are knowing animals, the
Nantucket horses
Then l went to the clerk of the hotel.
told him | thought would give pub
lie reading that evening, Could | have