The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-12-14
SUSIE DALTON'S RIDE.

went by with the horses to water at the.
spring grandma said:
"Whyl how much that horse does re-
mind me of B!ucherl' I saw by her
peculiar smile thai Cha recalled some
pleasant "Reminiscences of the long ago.
"Do tell mel" I said coaxingly.
She laid down the scarlet stocking she
was knitting for Pearlie, and let her eyes
wander to the bills, golden with the
October sunlight as she drcamingly went
back over the long stretch of years inter-
vening.
LET me see, it's sixty years and over,
for I was coming ON fifteen and Susie was
two years older. Susie was an orphan
with seven brothers and sisters who had
found places among relatives and friends
living with Weymouth Brewster, her
cousin Pauline's husband, who was q
merchant in Lime Rock. She was a
quiet, capable girl, and they set great
store by her. Her sister Sallie had mar
ried during the summer and gone to
housekeeping over in Massachusetts, and.
Susie had been longing to go and see her
for quite a while. So when it came a.
slack spell on the farm, late in Septcm-
Der, Weymouth told Susie she could take
Butcher a great roam horsc-and go
over to her sisters one. day and come
back the next.
"Susie was wild with delight, as she
ran over to get me to come and help along
with the work during her absence. She
did look sweet, to be sure, as she came
out with her batiste dress of soft, silvery
gray, her jaunty velvet hat, turned up to
show the pearl satin lining, with its os-
trich piumes a-nodding in the wind
You see, that hat was bought on pur-
pose for her in New York, when Wey-
mouth went after goods. There was not
another in town to compare with it.
"Well, the hirel man held the horse
while Weymouth helped her on, and she
was off down the road while we were
calling out goodbye to her. Women in
those days mostly rode horseback when,
they went anywhere, and Susie went on.
happy as a bird, until she got over the
state line, when her ear caught the sound
OF drums and flies, and her horse began
going as though he was "a walking ON
eggs.' Then Susie remembered all at
once that it was general trainin'' day
over in Massachusetts.
"Her horse had been owned by an
officer OF the troopers for several years,
aud always stepped in time to music.
She spied the troopers now on a cross
street making for the main street. If
they only would pass before she reached
theml She tried to restrain her horse,
so that he would not overtake them, but
he heard the martial strains, and as
though the sweet elixir had filed all his
veins with life, he pricked up his ears
n swept on like the overwhelming leap
of a cataract, to join them. On he went.
never pausing at the rear of the glittering
column, on, past the array of men sitting
so proudly within their saddles, on, to
the very front, and there, beside the tall
form of the gallant captain, he deigned
at length to form in line and sweep on
to tho martial tread of inspiring strains;
for, lol he would have his accustomcde
placed
"Poor Susiel what should she doe
She longed for q moment to have the
enrth open and swallow her up, as it did
Korah of old. There was q perceptible
smile on moro than one lip, as the men
glanced at their perturbed captain, who
was an old bachelor of the most ortho-
dox kind-rich and hard hearted-yet
terribly afraid of all women. When
Captain Drew saw how terribly fright
ened Susie was, and that, try as she
would, she could not make that incorrig-
ib!c horse bulge, he pitied her, and
essayed to say something comforting.
"He saw, too, that she was very come :
ly to look upon, and modest and very
t~astefully dressed. He kept looking
more and more. Finally, a bright thought
came to him, and he said, very respect
fally: Miss. if you are willing, 1 will
exchange horses with you, as mine I am
using for the first time in this way, and
he has not become so attached to martial
music as yours.' So, helping Susie off,
and exchanging saddles, he inquired her
name and place of residence that he
might come to exchange them again.
swell, Susie went on and had her WIS.,
1t out. We all wondered q great deal
when she came back on q strange horse,
yet she never tried to enlighten us any.