The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-03-17
MILLY'S MUSTANG.
A Trying Beast, and Yet Twas
He Who did It."

he VINO "D1Q IL.
1t is not "sixty years SINCE" although
perhaps half that number of months
may have passed, one lovely April after
noon a young man might have been
seen to descend from one of those state
ly brown-stone mansions which at that
time adorned the lower part of Fifth
avenue, and join the moving throng of
promenaders. That young man was
the present writer, Frederick Benthuy-
sen Vanderheyden, and as l sauntered
on, enjoying the pleasant air, and now
and then acknowledging the greeting of
friend, or doffing my hat to some fair
acquaintance, / felt what pleasant
thing life is to one who is fortunate
enough to be young and free, with
good digestion, good spirits, fair share
of good looks, and a reasonable portion
of this worlds goods. But
Knocks at the palace and the cottage gate"
and even then the lame goddess was on
my track. Some hours later / retraced
my steps an abject bondman, and as ut
terly, and. for the time hopelessly, mis-
cradle as any one possessing all the
above ct ceteras could well be. The
cause of this transformation-well, that
is what ] am about to tell.
Already l had reached Fifty-third
street, and was turning to cross the
other side of Fifth avenue, when I was
Joined by my friend Bob Van Rensselaer,
Jones, who proposed that l should go
with him to look at horse which he
had just purchased and installed at
Dickel's Riding Academy. Never hay
ing seen the inside of that resort of New
York's aspiring equestrians, 1 consent
ed, and all unknowing what awaited
me, entered those imposing portals.
In an amateur way l considered myself
something of Judge of horse, but it
was not easy to find much amiss with
Bob's new acquisition. The animal was
visited, examined, approved, the COM
Portable quarters and def saddling adj
mired, and then I must needs adjourn
to the ring and see the horse put
through his PAGES. Bob was very fair
rider, and watching him make the ami
NAL curvet and passage, I began to con-
slider whether it might not be worth
while to order horse for myself, and
take turn with him in the park.
While l stood thus idly leaning on the
barricade and debating pros and cons,
there came Il sharp ting, door flew
open. impelled bysome invisible agency,
girlish figure fitted by me, and a sweet
voice said: "Will you order my horse,
Mr. Wahlp"
| liked the voice; each syllable fell
distinct and clear and fingered pleas
antly on the ear. | felt attracted by it,
l knew not why, and as soon as 1 could
do so without rudeness, / changed my
position in order to get look at the
speaker, and then it was all up with me.
may as well own it first as lastthat
then and there, upon the floor Of Dick
els, / fell over head and ears in love
with Milicent Tremaine. Let me try
and picture her as saw her then and
so many times afterward. She was
small, with a pretty rounded figure,
quick and darling in her motions as a
bird or squirrel, and had an arch way
of glancing up from under her eyelashes
that made you think of a roguish child.
Her eyes dark and soft, yet shining,
looked out from beneath fringe of
short curly hair that would never stay
tucked away under the prim little Derby,
but insisted on straying in soft little
rings about her temples and tiny ears.
No wonder, for the cheek was so soft
and round and dimpled that it was small
blame to the curls if they liked to caress
it. A dark gray habit fitting perfectly
to the 1.-THE figure, a Derby hat OF the
same color set jauntily little back
from the face, the neatest and glossiest
of patent-1eather boots, and a gold
handled riding-whip completed the
outfit.
Miss Tremaine seemed quite uncon-
scious of the presence of any one except
her maid, to whom she occasionally adj
dressed a few words as she stood half
concealed behind a pillar waiting the
arrival of her horse. Nor was it long
before the order: "Send in Miss Ire
maine's Comet was answered by the
appearance of chestnut pony whose
short, compact form and dark stripe
down the back, as we'll as his erratic
modes of advance, proclaimed the Tex
as mustang.
The pony, led by an unnecessarily
good-looking groom, upon whom Miss
Tremaine bestowed a smile that ought
to have made him happy for twenty-four
hours, approached the mounting-block.
Miss Tremaine had already descended
into the ring, and stood awaiting the
master whose duty it was to aid her in
mounting. was already insanely jeal-
Gus of the pleasant-faced, soft-voiced
young German on whom this agreeable
task devolved, and l began to consider
whether the pony's vagaries would not
Justify me in offering some assistance.
The next instant my heart came into my
throat, when the pony, scarcely waiting