The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-10-10

believing the horse would prove as lam
puid as Charles had found all of those
in MIR. Johnson's stable. As / saw the
rapidity of our flight by the frequency
of the fence posts, shut my eyes, but
opened them quickly when the horse
began a tattoo with his heels on the
dasher. After that was demolished
Charles's knees would suffer, and had
an opportunity been given me then to
get ont ! could not have gone. Every
thing my eyes rested on but increased
my horror. Charles looked nearly ex-
hausted. The horse seemed to have
dismissed, all compassion, and to have
determined to destroy us at his earliest
convenience. The fast-turning red
wheels looked like coils of flame, and
the sitting dust made breathing diff
cult.
Just then we went over rough
bridge, and the violencs of our motion
loosened my bonnet, which the breeze
few far behind us. A shower of hair
pins fell into my lap. followed by
abundant hair. l wound it closely
about me, fearing it might annoy
Charles or be caught in the whizzing
wheels, it was SO long.
Faster and faster we went, but
fortunately there was clear road be-
fore us. l almost went over the dasher
Charles had to brace himself with all
his might when the horse abandoned
his wild run and walked deliberately
into pool of water at the roadside,
where horses were in the habit of drink
ing. Anything more delicious than
that stop! The horse drank long. and
seemed to en- .oy the draught, but his
pleasure was as nothing when COM
pared to the happiness of the two
breathless people who had been driving
behind him. We told each other our
thoughts and emotions, and were prop
erly serious and grateful for our preser-
walton.
"Levity seems out of place after such
peril, but truly, dear, You do present
rather funny appearance. My nus
band looked more cheerful than at any
time during the drive.
Anything wrong excepting my
harp" asked, sadly.
''Rather; your bonnet is missing;
your gay gown is very dusty, and
Pardon me. but really you do not look
like my idea of minister's wife. But,
perhaps, when you"
'Oh, Charles! l am so sorry, for L
wanted to look very old and very seri-
Gus. | had q particular reason" 1
looked in the pool in which the carriage
was standing, and saw just what a fail
ure | had made, for plainly, as in q
mirror, L saw myself, and fantastic
enough l looked in my pink gown and
disordered yellow hair. ''Oh dear, I'm
sorry we ever started"
"But you must be glad OF one thing
that the horse felt thirsty and stopped"
Charles took advantage of the rest to
dust himself, put on his gloves, and
make his companion look as respect
able as he could, with a handkerchief
for her only bonnet. ''What do you
say, row, to going on and stopping just
before we reach the parsonage to ar
range your hair?"
Perhaps, if we can go more slowly,
dear"
81 shall be satisfied with less rapid
pace. Now, Deacon-for SO l believe
you are inappropriately called-slowly
is the word" Charles picked up the
re,ns gingerly. The horse turned and
looked full in our faces, as much as to
say: Is it possible you two are not salts
fed vet? | felt that it was tempting
fate to ask him TO move until he made
the suggestion. The only drawback to
the en- ,oyment of the next two hours
drive through the pine woods, with the
waving ferns and bright lady-slippers,
and the odor of the linn9a, was that the
horse seemed exhausted. l never ex-
claimed of the stiffness ard beauty of
our,surroundipgs that he did lot breathe
heavily, as though to chide me for my
forgetfulness of his WEAKNESS. l hesi-
tated to speak, so well he seemed to
understand my speech, and by his be-
havior to show his comprehension.
When we reached the sign board: One
Mile 10 Haytown, | pointed it out to
Charles joyful!y. In spite of my deter
nina ion, though. the horse saw Il. He
walked in his most sedate manner lust
one mile, and when we were in Hay
town and observed by all Mr. May
berry's congre ration, he resumed his
original rate of speed. Again returned
our uneaslness and modification.
My hair again blew streaming be-
hind me. The sound of our tying
brought every one to the windows, ard
people in the streets looked disapprov-
ingly after us, as though we had adopted
such speed from choice and not from
necessity.
How shall we know the house??'
asked, after we had dashed through a
series os weli-settled streets.
"Look out for my hatn' my husband
! answered, irrelevantly. and | caught i.
lust before it fell under the wheel.
A larger group Of people than any
we had ever seen was standing before
what looked like hotel. All eyes
were turned in our direction rs we
emerged from the cloud of dust fan
down the road. The horse was going
faster than his fastest mp to that time,
and we seemed in fair way to be out
of the sound OF the merriment our ap-
pearance caused, when aga n the horse
astonished us by turning into the hotc
yard, and stopping stock-still, his moss
sunk in the stone watering trough.
Evidently that horse had made it a rule
! of his life never to pass by chance tc
get drink. His eyes were keener than
ours. and both our breathing space:
would have been lost had Il depended
on us 10 spy out the drinking fountains,
1t was wonderful, too, what power wa
ter-drink ne gave that beast, The sec.
ond stop was not so delicious as the
stop where the alder-buShes were oul
only observers. To make one toilette
and dust ones husbands face and
clothes within the sight of a do er
loungers was not pleasant. Had they