Smyrna times., 1888-03-21
In RED AND WHITE.
DNeAA NioI.
Georgia Roberts in Pittsburg Bull

'Slumped off six points, blast it p'
scowling viciOusly over his paper at the
steak brought by the water.
Ezekiel Spriggs laid down his paDer and
picking up his fork stuck it into the meat
As he withdrew it and saw the rich rod
Juice ooze out, his face frightened
Sprlggs was somewhat of an epicure.
Six points a pretty big drOD y said
DICK, possessing himself of the paper and
alternating between it and his breakfast
"How dye come out?'
But Spriggs was busily engaged in
tearing OF huge pieces of steak and chew
ing them with much the same expression
that chicken exhibits when takino a
drink Of water. Business was business
put breakfast was breakfast Just then.
and while Dick chartered and read ev-
tracts, Spriggs turned his eyes to the cell
ing at every bite and gave himself uD to
soulful enjoyment of what was before
him. Dick skinned lightly over the
news, took a cursOry glance at the editor
lals anu paused at the lower corner of the
page, then he read aloud
POSSIBLY the reason why, when a red
headed girl appears on the street, a white
morse soon makes its appearance, will have
10 be sought for in history Away back
IN the early Greek and Egyptian days. red
haired girls were justly priced above
alp
"Whadz that?" interrupted Spriges.
Spriggs was a bachelor and though rich
was not especially addicted to the fafrspv
Dick leaned thoughtfully back in his
chair. ITS a dogasted funny thing.
Uncle Zeke, but it's fact never knew #
to fail; straight as string too"
'Well, what is it?''
why, don't you see, the saying is that
wherever you see a red headed Girl there
IS always white horse in sight. l be-
HeVe 1t now; didn't at first. Why only
last Sunday night l went to church with
MISS Austin-yOu ought to see her, Uncle
Zeke"- Dick paused with a piece of
steak half way to his mouth, and gazed
yearningly at the blank wall. 'WelI as
l was saying, l went to church: coming
out | saw directly in front of us a girl
with hair just about as red as Won find if
one of the rules Of the game is that Won
must always go somewhere that is acces
sible to the horse after seeing the red hair.
50 made an excuse about n short cut and
dragged Mabel out the side door
thought had the white horse sequence
dead this time, but just as we came ont
the door, sure enough the inevitable white
horse came trOtting round the corner.
There wasn't another four legged animal
IN sight, and l didn't see any the whole
way home. I've tried it every chance and
never knew it to fail"
Spriggs grunted an inaudible RESPONSE
and rose from the table. By noon he Ind
forgotten all about it, but the sirbt of a
red haired girl brought the subject to his
mind. In spite of its evident absurditv.
there was something odd and uncanny
about the notion, and Spriggs almost I'M
consciously began to scan the passers by.
Turning the corner he came plump against
another maid with fiery hair, and. sure
enough, there, hitched to a post, was a
rather scrawny, but an unmistakabIe
WHITE horse. This was the beginning of
his downfall, for there and then he deter
mined to see exactly what was in the saw
ing. Now Spriggs was nothing if not
methodical. y long life of single blessed
ness and business training had made him
SO, and he entered into the Investigation
in somewhat the same manner as he eyyould
some great business question.
The major part Of the next dav was
spent in keeping tally of the horses that
passed his Office window; and the follow
ing day in an extended hunt of red headed
girls without regard to their so called ac-
compartments. The result was that while
one horse in every fifteen was white. only
one female in thirty-One had red hair. 4
series of afternoon sittings at his club
window brought out the remarkable fact
that for every seven women that passed
two horses were in sight. This was to be
the basis of the test. Spriggs reasoned
that the chances against the sequence
were about two to one, for, according to
his observations, in the ordinary DAVIS
run there were twice as many red haired
girls rs white horses. This. of course
did not allow for unusual occurrences or
ior night travel, when there are fewer
horses on the street. At the end of the
first week the result was: failures. one.
verificatiOns, forty-eight. Spriggs did
not quite believe in the thing vet. Int
the next week was even more conyinc-
ing. The record stood: failures. none:
success, scventy-fOur times BY this time
1t had become not definite test to prove
the truth of a saying, but q wild hunt
after an instance where a failure could be
recorded Night after night Spriggs
prowled around the streets, peering into
the faces of the pedestrians and frequent.
ing localities where there would be little
likelihood Of finding quadrupeds. The
lever had grown TO such an extent that
he was forced to admit to himself that
there must be something in it, while he
prOfessed to believe that the truth needed
further investigation.
One day Dick dropped in, and taking
Spriggs aside, with much hesitation and
stammering, cOnfided the fact that he was
engaged to be married. "It's Mabel Aus
tin, Uncle Zeke, a beautiful girl''-
''Light or dark?' asked Spriggs, with a
quick look Of interest.
"Well, Iguess you'll call her a brunette,
for she has the lOveliest black hair in the
world; but have promised to bring you
to see her tonight. Say you'll CO. Uncle
Zeze-I'll call for you at g. shall IS'
1t had been many years since Spriggs
had gone out calling and he was lOath to
begin now, when he needed all his time
for his Investigations; however, he
promised and sent his nephew away re-
joicing
Spriggs found Mabel all that Dick had
claimed for her, and was well pleased with
his boys choice; yet the evening dragged
somewhat, and his dress suit made Uncle
Zeke overly conscious of his society short
cOmings.
lie was standing near the window for
a moment alone, when he heard kis name
called. Turning quickly, he saw Dick
approaching with vision of lOveliness on
his arm.
One look was enough, and the next in
stant Spriggs had wheeled about and
jerked aside the hangings. Trotting
slowly past and directly under the street
lamp was the inevitable white horse.
Then he remembered that Dick possibly
wanted to present him, and, dropping the
curtain in great haste, he confronted the
pair. The vision had cold and naughty
look, and Dick was clearly embarrassed.
Spriggs appreciated his awkward position
fully, and with a great effort made him
self exceedingly agreeable. Indeed, in his
abject humiliation, he was so devoted
that Dick was led to whisper to his
haneee; Your sunny headed friend seems
to have caught Uncle Zeke hard"
When Spriggs went home he sat down
and went over the events of the evening.
The vision was certainly handsome and
could talk as few women were able, but
he shuddered at the thought of her hair
IL was an unmistakable red. Neverthe-
less, he had asked permission to call and
it had been graciously granted. Spriggs
called and then called again. In a short
time his leisure hours were about evenly
divided between his investigations and the
vision. Spriggs was struck hard, so hard,
indeed, that when in her delightful pres
ence he almost forgot his hobby He in-
rrorioblv birnd tUbffn horan boxvavnr