Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-11-12
THE OLD BROWN MARE.
By ". E NORRIS

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beheld him stretched fiat upon his back
What my parents can have been think
ing about when they branded me at the
baptismal font with the name of Diana
l cannot imagine. How were they to
foresee that hunting would ever become
the one pure and unmixed pleasure of
my life? Nothing, suppose, could have
seemed to them more improbable; but
at the age of seven-and-twenty | had
been my own mistress for good many
years, and had consulted my own inch-
nations without any morbid disquietude
as to what my neighbors might think
about me. lived during the greater
part of the year at my house, Newton
Selby, with my worthy old duenna, Mrs.
Robertson, and l had learned how to
manage my estate, and had, | believe,
a conscience as void of offense as that of
the majority of human beings.
Being pretty well off, need scarcely
say that l had at one time or another re-
ceived offers of marriage from every eli
gble and ineligible bachelor in the
county, as well as from a considerable
number of London men whom | had
met during my annual visits to the me-
tropolis, and if, as Mrs. Robertson as
sured me was the case, had acquired
character for eccentricity, can only at
tribute this to the circumstance that |
had been compelled to decline all these
gentlemen with thanks. What may per
haps be taken as some proof that was
not really wanting in common sense was
that l had ended by accepting my sec
ond cousin, Granville Maitland, but as
he was up in London, attending to his
parliamentary duties, | did not bother
my head very much about him during
this last hunting season Of my spinster-
hood.
1t was ON a nice, mild, misty morn
ing that l set off for the meet, riding
the old brown mare. had not hunted
her at all that season, because, to tell
the truth, she was rather too many guns
for me when hounds were running, and,
to make further confession, my nerve
Old Colonel Wharton shook his head
when he rode up to say good morning
and recognized my mount l knew very
well what he was thinking; but l must
say that he had no business to have such
thoughts, for never in my life have in
jured a hound. However, he was too
polite to put his unfattering apprehen-
sions into words, and as we moved along
toward the covert side he introduced a
young friend of his who, he said, was
staying with him for day or two, and
whom he hoped to persuade that there
was such thing as hunting in our
parts, though there might not be great
deal of uninterrupted galloping. 1 did
not notice much about this young Mr..
Longfeld except that he had hand
some, boyish sort of face and fair mus.
tache, and that the colonel had put him
up on the roam. So like old Wharton to
have given his friend the roan-a sly
little horse, clever enough at banking,
but with about as much speed as a cos
termonger's donkey.
Well, we found at once and had nice
little burst of about fifteen minutes, fol-
lowed by check The mare overpow-
cred me, as she always does, but carried
me splendidly, and of course I was
little sorry to be caught up by the rest Of
the field. However, after short delay,
the hounds got upon the scent again, and
away we all went, heller SHELTER, down a
narrow lane into which we had to jump.
could hardly tell how many people
were ahead of me, and naturally did
not care because knew that if only
got half chance should soon dispose
of the crowd. Only l was very anxious
to get once more into the open, for those
muddy, slippery lanes are apt to be awk-
ward when your horse is practically run
ming away with you. And presently we
came to a sharp turn-the very thing
that I had been dreading. They all got
round it safely except that unfortunate
Mr.. Longfeld, who, suppose, must
have taken the corner too close. At any
was on to him before l had time to re-
alize anything more than that catas-
trophe was inevitable. 1t may have
been my fault or it may have been the
fault of the brown mare-which is an
other way of saying the same thing; |
what is certain is that we were both |
sent flying, and that one of US had a mo-
ment of great uncertainty as to whether |
she was in this world or the next.
When my head had ceased whirling |
round, and 1 had risen to my feet and |
wiped some of the mud out Of my eyes,
my first thought, as need scarcely say,
was for the man whom / had probably |
killed, and l shall never forget the sick
ening sensation of terror with winch !
beheld him stretched fiat upon his back,
his arms extended helplessly, and the
two horses, who had scrambled up,
over him. Four or five men
had pulled up, and were ready with the
usual senseless suggestions, to which
paid no heed. All wanted to know was
he was still alive-which, to
my unutterable relief, / found that he
was, though he showed no signs Of con-
seriousness Most fortunately, we were
not only within a couple Of miles Of
Newton Selby, but were close to a pub
lie house, whittier ! Immediately sent /
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