Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-13

.Oh, NOR SAID Helen, trying to assume
sympathetic expression 81 am sure his
lungs will give out soon, and he'll be forced
to stop"
"Kah-ah"
sob, Helen" replied Sallie, rather sarcas-
| tically, hell answer you, too"
We drew near the village. Our mule had
made no sound for .ninute or two
TON is right" said Sallie, cheerfuily, WHIP
ing her eyes and trying to look bright; she
is going TO behave now"
But, oh, horrorsl as we reached the main
part of thu village, |'Kah-ahi" came out
louder than ever before
Some men on the porch nudged each other,
and one little boy called out kentucky
Piano!" Then, more "Kah-ahsl" in rapid
succession and the men from the stores and
backroonls rushed out, and, when they saw
who it was withdrew suddenly, as if ashamed
Of themselves, or of U.s.
Now, we had passed the place that Tom
prophesied would be a quietus to our untir-
| ing singing bird" and l proposed going
back again.
''Oh, mol" Sallie said; ~ can never go
through the town again"
Helen suggested that we should exchange
buggieS She was sure we did not whip him
enough; but with Tom to Jerk him." and
her to whip him, they would get along fa-
mously
We gladly-ohl SO gladly-accepted her
offer. The buggies we drawn up side by side
as we were talking, and | verify thought the
mule must have suspected something, for the
pony was near him, and he kept looking very
knowing and did not bray once.
just as we We're making our arrangements
to exchange buggies, q negro man emerged
from turn Of the road, and inquired with
interest II anything had happened. He
proved to be Toms acquaintance, and the
man from whom he had hired the pony and
our Elucn despised mule.
whats de matter, sahg' be asked
Matter enough. Your long cared mule
mas brayed every step of the way, and nearly
irivcn Us crazy"
wasn't de pony benin, rarsteri"
eyes"
Oats de trouble. You shoreiy didn't try
90 dribe wid ole Jolly in de foremost Why,
he's dc mos misurbul critter you ever see if
de pony git out oh his sight. Twas dis way
de pony was leetle an young when we fust
got him, and Jolly he seemed to think it his
july TO puttect BIN, and he always KEEP an
eye on him cher since an when dc pony got
big enough to wuck he had to be in front or
Jollyd keep up mighty racket. Wen, welll
you shouldn't neber tried to dribe wild De
pony benin. Why, when we hauls do hay
We has to hitch de pony to do cutter an Jolly
to de binder"
And this was the solution. Jolly's bray
ings were the lamentations of affection.
TIE hunor and sympathy of the others
were both excited. They were intensely in
tereSted while listening to the negros story
OF the mules attachment. Who could utter
a syllable of reproach after thisl How much
interest they felt in the kind, loving mule
capable Of being so unhappy when his pro-
tege was out of sight.
Salie sighed with regret that she cherished
such harsh feelings and had laid the whip so
unmercIfully upon his back. Even Helen
avowed that she would nevermore see Il mule
without sentiment of respect for such con-
stancy.
Ny own emotions were varied I felt
keenly the responsibility for the days pleas
uTe On the girls account, and it had been
considerably marred already. Visions still
foated before my eyes of the faces seen from
the store galleries; Sallie's speech, .'Oh,
am mortified to DEATH" still rang In my ears,
mingled with the deafening sounds from our
mule. 3ly sense of self respect and vanity
was too deeply wounded to recover soon. 1
took small share in the caresses given and
apologies expressed to our pony's ''puttecter,"
for my pride, of such long standing, was no,
to lie suddenly uprooted by a short and Pr
thctic mule story.
II WAS with difficulty that kept back my
tears; l could think Of no comfort Even
mother, who WAS always my refuge in time
Ct trouble, could not felt sure, appreciate
the situation. l knew that the finale, as ex-
planned by the old negro, would appeal to
her -npathies; so l did not al.ude to it, but
lec Tom give the particulars.
Endowed by nature with disposition ike
mine, it was hard to recover from tho morti-
fication; but tho rez5 Of the family, who
thought more lightly Of it oil than I did had
discernalent enough to understand my feel
ing5, and always forbore to make any allu-
sion TO our picnic excursion.-"C u" in
New Orleans Times- Democrat.