The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-10-24
A Young Amazon,

cts a shame and pity, by JOve J"
and Seth Thomas stamped the butt of
his gun against the ground and scowled
down upon the pleasant valley that lay
at his feet.
Just uhdt was shame anG a pity, an
unenlighted observer would have been
sOrely puzzled to say. The weather
was lovely, and the heat of the declin-
ing sun was tempered by the soft haze
of the Indian summer; the valley itself
was a beautiful gem of handiwork; {;
and Seth Thomas had met with fair
success in his grouse shooting. Yet
those words came from his very heart
Of hearts, and he really felt that he had
Just cause for complaint.
A few minutes before, the young
sportsman's attention had been at
tracted by 1.-the, graceful figure pass
ing along the base of the precipice
which lay at his feet. Despite the dis
figuring sunbonnet of checked ging-
ham, Seth recognized the fair cause of
his tarrying so long in that benighted
region-a back county of Kansas.
In silence he watched her passage
through the knee-deep grass, with a
swift, springy stride so different from
the society pace" " to which he was ac-
customed. He saw her approach a
shaggy, impish-looking Indian pony
which was staked out at the end of a
long trail-rOpe; saw her stoop and pick
up the picket-pin, then, as it seemed to
him, draw the prancing animal towards
her by main strength. He saw her
place one hand upon the mustangs
writhers, then spring lightly upon its
back, maintaining her seat with appar-
emily the utmost ease through all the
side-leaps, buck jumps and other tokens
of mustangish playfulness which fol-
lowed.
All of this vas bad enough for one
raised as Seth Thomas had been, in a
home the atmosphere of which would
have been as a sweet SAVIOR in the nos
trils of the most austere of the Pilgrim
Fathers; but worse was to come.
With one swift glance around her,
the young amazon rapidly changed
her position upon the mustang, for an
other, which is commonly regarded as
sacred to masculine bipeds, Indian
souaws and fair MeXicauas. Thus
mounted, with sun-bOnnet hanging
over her shoulders, with hair broken
from its fastenings, with eyes flashing,
cheeks glowing, the young amazon
put her mustang to top speed, one little
brown hand to her mouth, out of which
issued musical but otherwise admir-
able imitation of the Cherokee war
whoop.
But that musical cry was discOrdant
screech to Seth Thomas. He saw none
of the unstudied grace of that wild pie
ture. He saw only hoydenish Anna
zon where he had hoped, but back
ward glance is a necessity here.
Seth Thomas, ayOung New Englander,
was making horseback tour through
the Western States, for the good of his
health. Two weeks prior to this day
he paused at little farmhouse for Il
drink of water. 1t was handed him by
blushing maiden-a marvel of uncon-
scious grace and beauty. Not dozen
words passed between them, but before
Seth reached the little village, only
two miles away. he knew that he had
met his fate. But little sleep visited
his eyelids that night. Those few
words, so soft, so musical, rung through
his .knAin like the chime of silvery bells,
80 hn.ope shy, upward glance of
= 2Slblack eyes; now