Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-04-25
IFANNY, THE COLT.

Little Fanny was motherless, having
been discovered In an open field beside
her dead mother. Before she was year
old she could open the door to her own
room and 20 to bed alone. She did not
quite understand the fastenings from the
inside and had to be let out in the morn
ing.
Tie children, there were six, thought
her a most wonderful baby, and claimed
her as their own The boys had taught
her to take of their caps with her teeth,
shake hands with her feet, and do many
other cute things.
When she was four years old she had
to go to work, for Fanny was only horse
after all. Never was she driven except
by one of the family, and she really acted
as If she liked to 60. When the buggy
was drawn out she would give little
joyful whlnny and step daintily about as
If impatient to be of. And when opce
on the road dlsliked, OF all things to take
the dust fr m another carriage. The
children were a croupy set, and doctor
was often called, Fanny being the horse
to be ridden every time; and so well had
she learned what was wanting II add .
was placed hastily upon her back, che
only waited for rider, and without q
hint from the rein, bounded oil in the d.
rection OF the doctors cifieei rsturasng
she logged leisurtly.
1t was sad uAS for the family when
one mcIiling no glad whinny greeted the
! one who went to feed her. She had been
stolen.
Two other horses had been taken from
nelghbor at the same time, and he be.
moaned them as SO much money lost.
But the joint owners of Fanny grieved as
II friend were dead; to her 1t might be
even worse than death. "For how could
the taker be other than cruelf' they
! asked.
| . A thorough search was made, but no
clew obtained, and the horses were given
up as lost The other children tried to
be brace, but the younger ones could not
keep the tears back when "poor Fanny
was mentioned, and the mother vas
much shocked one evening to hear four
year. old Bessie add to her infant PRAYER
"And please, God, send Fanny back
She kissed the child tenderly and wills
pered,-
al we cannot have Fanny wen have
another horse to take her place"
"But 1t wouldn't be her, mamma. |
want just Fannyp And she laid her
mead in her mothers lap and sobbed, as
she had done many times since the loss.
A few days later, as the family were at
breakfast, Nora, the girl, rushed into the
dining room, exclaining,
III ye piase, mum, Fsnny's in the sta
Die, or else lis her ghost, sure! whit
TO hnd The clo'es.pins last night, and as
wint near the barn heard whinLow as
IKE hers as two pase, and"
BEFORE she could say another word
every seat was empty ard all had hur-
rled to the barn.
The stable door was opened and forth
stepped Fanny to be huggei and kissed as
never before.
She still wore her halter from which a
broken strap daugled, showing how size
had released herself, and once free, her
presence IN her o"u stall wac no mys-
terry.
A police officer was duly notified, and
taking her tracks went about 1--WE miles
along the beach of the lake where, In a
bluii oVerhanging a raviue, he discov-
erred a sort OF cave where the two other
horses were still tied.
Fanny had broken her halter, opened
the wide door that swung in, pushed her
way through the brush piled against IT,
aud hurried home to her own stable.
The horses must have been taken 10
this hiding place by being led along the
waters edge to conceal their tracks, and
their food conveyed to them by boat.
The thief was not caught, more's the
pity. Evidently seeing the signs OF Fan
ny's escape, he was only too glad to es-
cape himself. The owner of the two
horses suggested that Fanny ought to
have medal, but upon being shown q
lump OF sugar she uttered decided
neigh and then munched her sugar in
silence.