St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-02-15

Waterman. and ] saw her walking pretty
fast along the street. and ! tried TO pass
her OF the sidewalk, to sex e l knew
her. But as loon as she saw ! was try
ing to head her, she broke into a run and
went out OF sight down hat street"
Eastward still; the lost clue was caught
up again.
Then a solid fifteen miles through the
hot afternoon without a favorable word,
and South Salem vas reached. No one
in the village had seen the missing
horse, but all could direct to the Doug
lass farm. Soon. however. a man driv-
ing in from that direction told how he
had scep her the night before, and how
she had staid around the little school,
house all the evening, trying to eat the
short, dry grass, but was gone in the
morning. That looked rather blue, but
the minister still drove on. resolved to
inquire at the farm itself. He found
the house fully a quarter Of a mile from
the road. with three gates to open be-
fore it could be reached. Evidently the
patient animal. after waiting in vain for
admittance, had rome of discouraged.
But whittier? As the parson was walk
ing his horse thoughtfully along. and
studying the situation. a man drove out
Of a neighboring field with . hOrse-rake,
and he at c accosted him:
Il think I know where she is" he an.
swered. Il was over at my sisters this
morning, and there was such . marc
hanging around there all the forenoon.
She came up to the pump and seemed
pretty dry. We gave her a pail Of wa
ter, but she just slipped OF before we
could catch her. But she didn't go away;
she staid in sight, eating by the road
side, and was there when ! came away"
The two miles were o o passed, and,
on arrival at the place designated, the
answer a They opened the gate at
in the barn there, now"
The farmer next door looked half
pleased and half disappointed when the
parson ratified of the ~well-learned
description, and answered: 4.
Eyes, she's here. I raised that mare
from . colt. was away to-day. and she
hung around the place, they tell me. all
the omorning, till l came home and
opened the gate. Then she came right
in. My hoy here knew her. though he
was a little fellow when she vent away.
My house and barn used to he back on
that place yonder. It's all fenced up
from the road now, and she couldn't get
there. But my boy put = bride on her
and rode her over there, and she whin-
MED, and seemed as pleased as q child 70
get home. lie was in hope nobody would
come to claim her."
But the minister's boy rushed into the
stall and put his arms around Nell's
smooth neck between laughing and cry
ing. And after q good supper, with no
charge for any thing. the old owner and
the new cordially parted. and the pro-
cession started homeward, the minister
with the black horse in the buggy lead
ing the way, and Charlie enthroned on
the recovered Nell cantering behind.
The minister's idea is hat the tramps
were really working to catch the mare
till she became alarmed and indignant
At their persistence, dashed away, and
once fairly adrift. could think Of no
such restful haven as the farm where
she had passed youths happy days. Tho
more she was watched and chased, the
more determined she was to get
there. The two men talking by the
Windsor corner she took for an ambus-
cade of enemies, and studied out the
other road. three miles farther around,
but bearing eastward, kept through the
night. till she arrived hungry, thirsty
and weary, but successful. At the now
fenced-up farm. Then she knew her old
master and followed him in, to be nee
more at hOme.-J. c. Feruald, in Coun-
try Gentleman.