Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-15
IN RED AND WHITE.

How's Northwestern this morning, I'm
Gle Zeke ?'' asked Dick Spriggs across the
restaurant table.
''Slumped off six points, blast it -
scowling viciously over his paper at the
steak brought by the water.
Ezekiel Spriggs laid down his paper, and
picking up his fork stuck it into the meat
AS he withdrew it and saw the rich, red
juice ooZe out, his face frightened.
Spriggs was somewhat of an epicure
SIX points a pretty big drop" said
Dick, possessing himself of the paper and
alternating between it and his breakfast.
elbow dye come out 2"
But Spriggs was busily engaged in
tearing off huge pieces of steak and chew
ing them with much the same expression
that chicken exhibits when taking q
drink of water. Business was business,
but breakfast was breakfast Just then,
and while Dick chartered and read ex-
tracts, Spriggs turned his eyes to the cell
ing at every bite and gave himself up to
soulful enjoyment OF what was before
him. Dick skinned lightly over the
news, took cursory glance at the editor
Ials and 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, white
horse soon makes its appearance, will have
to 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 SpriGgs.
Epriggs was a bachelor and though rich
was not especially addicted to the fair sex.
Dick leaned thoughtfully back in his
chair. 'It's q dogasted funny thing,
Uncle Zeke, but it's fact, never knew it
to fail; straight as q 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 a white horse in sight. | be-
lieve it now; didn't at first. Why only
last Sunday night went to church with
Miss Austin-you ought to see her, Uncle
Zeke"- Dick paused with q piece of
steak half way to his mouth, and gazed
yearningly at the blank wall. Gwen, as
| was saying, l went to church; coming
out | saw directly in front of us a girl
with hair Just about as red as you find it.
One of the rules of the game is that you
must always so somewhere that is acces-
sible to the horse after seeing the red hair,
so / made an excuse about short cut and
dragged Mabel out the side door. l
thought l 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 / 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 had
forgotten all about it, but the sight of a
red haired girl brought the subject to his
mind. In spite of its evident absurdity,
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
rather scrawny, but an unmistakable
white horse. This was the beginning of
his downfall, for there and then he deter
mined to see exactly what was in the say
ing. Now Spriggs was nothing if not
methodical. A 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 would
some great business question.
The major part of the next day 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. A
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. SprigCs reasoned
that the chances against the sequence
were about two to one, for, according to
his observations, in the ordinary days
run there were twice as many red haired
girls as white horses. This, of course,
did not allow for unusual occurrences or
for night travel, when there, are fewer
horses on the street. At the end of the
first week the result was: failures, one;
Notifications, forty-eight. SprigCs did
not quite believe in the thing yet; but
the next week was even more eonvinc-
ing. The record stood: failures, none;
success, seventy-four times. BY this time
it had become not definite test to prove
the truth of a saying, but a wild hunt
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 CuadrupedS. The
fever had grown 10 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, confded the fact that he was
engaged to be married. Its Mabel Aus
tin. Uncle Zeke. a beautiful girl''-
Light or dark" asked Sprggs, with q
quick look Of interest.
well, Iguess you'll call her 4 brunette,
for she has the loveliest black hair in the
world; bat 1 have promised to bring you
to see her tonight. Say you'll go. Uncle
Zeze-I'n call for you 81 s, shall r.
Ii had been many years since SprigCS
had gone oUc calling and he was lOath 10
begin now, when he needed all his time
for his Investigations; however, lie
promised and sent his nephew away re
jcicing.
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 msde Uncle
Zeke overly conscious of his society short,
comings.
He was standing near the window fer
a moment alone, when he heard kis name
called. Turning quickly, he saw Dick
approaching with vision of leveliness on
his arm.