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

3nO Or1mOle Inc DOy vent homo
"beaten ont," and the father continued
the search alone till he was in like con-
dition.
With the first streak Of dawn the PAR
son was out on the commons, bride in
hand. He came in late, tired and faint.
to breakfast, but Nell was still like the
lost bride of Netherby.
For two days he pervadcd the city
with a bride done up in . religious pa
per, asking every one about that horse.
till he felt as il he had = placard on his
back announcing his business. lie de-
scribed the animal till he seemed to
himself like a book-agent, repeating his
finely bound in limp Levant morocco.
~silk-sewed. double-back." etc. But all
in vain. The pound contained a solitary
mule, who looked as il it was a long
time since he had contained any thing.
The police were very clear that the two
tramps had checkmated the one minis
ter, and made of with the nice animal.
As to the chance of recovering her in
that event, they we're not nearly 81
clear. But the minister kept one obsti-
nate consOlation-the repeated attempts
Of strangers to capture her. which he
had seen the bright creature outwit
He made up his mind to quit the city
and scOur the country.
The third morning, early, he went to
Deacon Goodman, and came hack with
his stately and fleet black steed. which
stood paving At the gate. while the hur-
ried breakfast was eaten. Should they
stop for family worship this once?
YES" said the parson, prayers and
~provender hinder nc mans journey"
From the Holy Book to the dusty
road. behind the trotter's flying feet.
Here comes . nan riding . horse
something like Nell. Shall we pull up
and ask him? Is 1t any use? Yes, we'll
try once more. Feeling as il the man
had already heard it five hundred times,
the stereotyped question, with the cluck
already on his tongue, to start his horse
on when he gets the expected negative.
But, to his vast surprise, m the an
swer:
'Yes, I saw her two nights ago going
out this road a the tOll-gate. The
gate-keeper was watching her, and his
boy started with another horse to catch
her, but she left him out Of sight"
At last on the track Of the game, on
went the hunters. W
THAT delay Of worship Charlie. Just
sent us to this man. Otherwise No
should have passed the turn Of the road
without meeting him."
On now, to Brother Ransom'S where
Nell was purchased. Beyond the high
mill, down . little green lane, they
found the miller. He WAS unaffectedly
dismayed to find that his favorite, which
he had been slow to part with to the
minister. had disappeared. She had not
been there. nor been seen by any n OF
the place.
"Whom did you buy her Of, Brother
Ransom?' the minister asked.
''Why, Of DR.. Douglas, of Warsaw.
He has = large farm 1t South Salem. but
is president Of the national hank at
Warsaw, and you will find him there in
business hours"
South Salem was twenty-six miles east
the direction the mare had taken, the
minister having turned from the straight
road Z drive around to the mill-where
he supposed she would have gone had
she kept On straight east 1t was a
slight clue, but would do for what the
scientists call . working hypothesis"
Across then to strike the great road
farther on. Then came Encouragement
The blacksmith at the four had
seen no such animal, and, like most
people who do not know . thing, was
sure he should il there had been any
thing to know. But with faith in the
equine instinct the parson still pressed
eastward. Agang of men in . meadow,
building . great haystack-a sudden
halt by the hedge hail and . ques-
ton: ''Ye-e-s!" came the far reply; 'just
before dark, two nights ago! She went
by flying! Going that way,"witha long
arm pointing eastward. A thank you"
and away! 1t is we'll known that min
listers do not need to eat; but the horse
and boy had to be fed. So . hOspitable
farm opened its wide gates where the
pastor had beer . guest before.
Fresh, then. for work, and sped
with good wishes, away the pursuers
went, hot upon the trail. The little
burg Of Windsor crowns the hill a few
miles on. All questions are referred to
Rip Van Wrinkle, the tavern-keeper,
store-keeper. postmaster, and imprinted,
viva voce newspaper Of the place. There
he sits at his door in the sun, with .
fine outlook all yer the village.
"Yes, ! saw such . mare. very pretty,
round and slick. knowed she hadn't
ben astray very long. was sitting right
there about nine o'clock. Tuesday night.
There was Jest . dim moonlight She
up that hill from the west, and
tried to 20 down that road towards War
Jaw. There was two men talkin' at
the corner, and she went up two or three
times and turned back. Then she
up through town too fast to stop
her-up toward the forks Of the road
and which way she went I
tell"
Further inquiry developed the fact
that the left-hand road II the aforesaid
forks led to Limbo, the headquarters Of
. horse-thieves' underground railroad,
almost all the stolen horses OF
the region were passed through. But
the right hand road bore eastward, and
was . roundabout way to Warsaw and
South Salem, the road where the men
had been talking that night being the
direct one.
The minister decided for the right
hand road. But instantly all clue dis
appeared. Not . man, woman o. child
had seen such . horse, or any horse.
The more he inquired, the blanker grew
the ignorance. Would it o be better
to turn back and try the other road? But
the parson reasoned that these people