, 1875-11-07


peiehborhood IN which mAde her acquaintance
"a The Listle Mare" Known fan1larty. ad-
mircd greatly, and IN truth must add. cisiiked
extremely, No man mad bestowed name upon
her vet !; indeed, no man had owned her long
enough to take the trouble to give her any other
than the coenomcn which seemed to all Who
c,noe in contact with her to be sufficiently dis
tincsive for her. beautiful and dangerous - she
was,
little chestnut thoroughbred, 15,H hands
high, her 2ln1ost nrtchless beauty nred MS WtIu
the desire to become her o1ner the minute
saw her. It vas all in vain they told me that
she had thoroughly bad reputation Is \ hair
Drained, inehcently brokou. sbifty cresture. l
liked the little msre: and SO bought her, aud
named bar GuinareFe."
At this distance of time there is nothing suIe-
II rain-slorious egotiEticat in my stating that
in those days rods With degree OF skill and
courage that made the task had undertaken Of
tanning Guineyere Al interesting study to every
body who either knew me or understood the
mare. She WAS . perfect picture IN all
the phases in which she showed herself
to tho public. Whether she covered the
fat ID her fong-ssretching ga]Iop. or flew
the stiff break-noek banks and hedges Of the
country like bird whether she "cantered on
si1pence," aa it was her graceful wont to do oc-
cAsionaly, OF sprung like wild cat in spasm
OF spite in the sir. to the detriment OF her eirths
and the danger OF my balance very often, she
wss 1lways perfectly graceful and perfectly in
harmony with her reputation and her appear
ance-
I Became conscious, after willie, that
the retention OF the little mare was grow
ing monomania with me-. She waa not
suited to The country in which I lived; she was
not fitted for the work for which I most FREE
quently wanted hor. Her temper was invariably
bad in the society Of other horses and in the
hunting field her conduct Was e1ecrablo. Never
theless, I cIuug to the companlooship OF the
only trescherous four-foo.ed felioN-c1eature /
had ever met with. and refused TO give ear to
thnse birds Of ill-ouen who crooked out pro-
phet,cal cautions to me to ''baware that moth
lng evil CAME OF my obstluacy. 1 seemed to
bear 3 charmed life IS fsr - she Was concerned,
for her worst feats Of vicious skittiahness never
caused me the slightest lnconyeuisnce IN the
saddle. As for others, did not desire that any
one else should ride her; and it one were rash
enough 10 do 30. rhat rash one must - ware the
lurking devil in her," .hat was all.
The little mare had been tine dominant inter-
est, OF ratLer should say the dominant nmuse-
ment Of my life for about six months. when our
monotonous routine was bfoken up pleasantly
by the arrival Of an old school-fellow
OF mine, who came to be my guost for
q month before her marriage. We had parted
as girls eight years before, when I married
and went to i've down in the country. But IS
NO had kept up toleraby regular and frequent
correspondence ever slice aud a. had honestly
laid bare to her several phases OF feelng, and
changes of temperament and Judgment.
through which / had passed, imagined that
knew Laura Daysteld aa we'll, and UNDER
stood her as thoroughly, 50 OF old.
She had changed considerably in appearance,
decided the i. st moment that my eyes fell on
LEI. The slight girl had merged into hand
some woman. +'Yes, handsome" repeated ad-
yised1r. when my husband disputed the term,
and cavilel at her claim to good looks. Yea
handsome unques:ionaby, kirke. Not beauti-
tul, not pretty, not lovely; not one OF those
terms can Be applied to her: but Laurs Is hand
some"
s'She's great, coarse, loud, horse. godmoth-
er Of woman, and can't understand your en-
thusiastic friendship for her, any more than
can understand any fellow who can avoid the
match involving himself IN marriage with her;
that laugh Of hers would justify breach OF
promise on the part of any man" kirke went on
contesting, and, after the manner Of polite
wife, put the question by for time, feeling
convinced tnAt the charm OF Lau7a'e candor
wonId assert itself over him sooner or later.
But the conviction grew upon me-, attef lew
da7s, that nv friends candoc, complete rs it
was, Was oftent1,nes apt to degenerate into the
most cruel rudeness to any one whom she did not
like OF from whom she had no prospect OF
deriving any benefit. From light sparring, the
friend would frequently take the turn Of angry
rec1lmination. ''She has been accustom-
ed to be battered on in hec fault-fnd-
ing with every ones manners and customs
but her own, by being told that her tongue is as
bright polished. and sharp as rapier OF the
best Milan steel" said
..Mendac;ous hnmbug! Ey husband laughed;
"no one but herself ever said that OF her
tongue; there's good deal Of bluntnesa about
it, that's only just saved from being brutal by
the fact Of har being = lady. No. no, Nellie;
out to be so in time, it am not very much mis-
taken"
'.Nonseuse, Kirke; all possibility Of our ever
clashing is over now, even II It could ever have
man who, if report is to be credited, is as near
perfection as it's possible for an accomplished
man OF the world to be. He's coming to see her
to-morrow-you know thAt, dontyou2'
mo; sbe either thought the fact or her host
the one to the other" KIke replied and fore
bore to say ANYTHING more about Laura
The following day Maj. Barton came, bringing
with him one Of his brother Objects, Capt.
Meredith aud as l saw Lauras glance fall on
the latter, felt, ut once, a presentiment that
Barton had acted indiso1eety in bringing his
friend.
The two men reached our house early in the
morning. They had zuu down from Aldershot
by the night-trnin and slept at tuat station.
therefore they came into our midst before We
were prepared for thom-before We had shaken
OF this sultry auu1ner-morntag 1assitude, OF
mastered the contents Of the daily papers, or de-
vlsed any scheme Of entertainment whereHlth
to beguile the time ct their visit away.
Laura lounged disconteutedly into my room
about halt an hour after their arrival, with
pout on her face that was beginning to under
stand.
What do you propose, Nellie p she began
"No must do something to amuse them"
''lou had better take Maj. Barton for stroll
under the cliffs, and I'll come and talk to Capt
Meredith !" but, though thus disposed Of what
SAN she Was inclined to treat "a difficulty, I
felt confident that she would not be enthusiaatio
about the arrangement.
''Thank you; but. Us shall very soon have
tbs opportunity OF Etrol!lng uninterruptedly
through life with Maj. Barton, won't begin. a.
ready. Why can't We all go for ride?''
There are Eve OF us to 60, aud no have only
three horses" replied.
pony"
''0h! Laura, you wouldn't suggest putting
one Of those plungers On the Kelpie, I laughed.
Inv Ia $o1r tofu IT,.