New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-14
MRS. KEATS BRADFORD.
BEHIND THE LOOMS HORSE.
1892. BIZ tn. Tribune Association

moving into the northwest wind. Or 1t seemed
Is if il were hours. And they were only lTtte
more than half way now.
Mr. jerks" said Rowcna. She found that
her chln and lips were stiff that she could
hardly form those words.
Wall" responded Mr.. jerks with slight side
wise movement of his read in her direction.
will il he any induccment for YOU TO drive
faster if give you dollar more for taxing us 10
the other neighborhood >"
"Ain't you bright" hoarscly whispered Row
ena's sister He'll make you pay the dollar ana
he won't drive any faster, either | know that
old horse and | should think you'd remember It,
too It's the one Mr.. LOOMS had when we were
little girls. and he sold it 10 Mr. jerks for Ills
express business"
She laughed fecbly as she finished speaking
Rowena groaned She remembered the loomis
horse very we'll She would have recognized II
if it had been daylight On her way to schooi
she had often been picked up by Mr.. LOOMS, who
had come along in his open wagon with the high
panelled back to the seat. He would draw in the
lines and say:
"Huo, little gal, don't you want me to give you
you lift p"
Rowena would shyly say, thank you," and then
Chamber in and rest her dinner pail on her knee
while the old horse she thought it was old then.
would 20 lust as the same horse was going now
The pace was if life on this earth were thousand
wears in length Rowena always had a nervous
fear that She should be tardy when Mr.. LOOMS
gave her a lift" She never dared TO refuse.
however And Mr.. LOOMS always peered down
into her face and exclaimed with great surprise
Why it's one of Hiram Tuttles little gals.
amt it ?" Then he would chuckle and say; Il
s'pose you expect 10 git IA nice husband some OF
these days"
lie never failed of making these remarks, and
Rowena never failed of hating him with youthful
fervor when he spoke about the nice husband.
She used to sit with her dinner pail held rigidly
in its place on her knee and furtively watch him.
She mentally made sketch of him every time.
Once she put this mental sketch into objective
form in the back of Greenleafs Arithmetic and
passed it to ner seat-mate. who was George War
ner George gigged and said in a whisper:
WHY. it's old Mr.. Loomis!' And she passed on
the arithmetic, and il had gone down a whole row
of girls, each one recognizing the portrait. The
tenth girl laughed aloud. She was Immediately
summoned out into the floor with the book in
her hand.
The child was sternly asked what she was
laughing at. She extended the " Greenleaf' utter
ing the one word, That" The teacher took the
book, gave one glance, then turned abruptly away
toward the blackboard
school again and made this inquiry in dry, judicial
tones
Who did this ?" holding up the book.
Rowena, very pale and frightened, raised her
hand She was told to stay after school. But
the teacher had only given the child friendly
lecture concerning the necessity Of being respect
full to the aged, and not making sketches of them.
This episode back TO Rowena when
she knew she was again being hauled" over the
road by the Loomis horse 1t came back with
such vividness that it might have happened the
week before.
She knew now that they could not 60 any faster.
and that they must submit, even if they died from
the chill that was creeping into the marrow Of
their bones.
do you think we can walk the rest of the
way?" Rowena put this question to her sister.
She tried to see the track ahead Of them or be
hind them. 1t was narrow track, not very well
tredden, and there was no foot-path
Mr.. jerks, that he might claim his extra dollar.
was now frequently shaking the lines and saying
sGiddup" in a conversational kind Of tone that
had no effect and that not expected to have
any effect. When the horse stumbled and foun
dered more than usual, his driver remarked that
the old horse was jest's balled ups he could be
There hadn't ben goin' to ball up a boss so, not
before this winter" Mr.. jerks also added that
twas such ballin' up time"
Sarah Kimball assured Rowena that it was of
no use to get out and try to walk unless they had
on rubber boots and boomers She supposed they
should ball up too.
Here she laughed in a way that showed she
would very soon cry. Il hope mothers got
good fire." she said almost with sob And !
shll ask her 10 make us some ginger tea. That
is, if I'm alive when l get there
Marmadule had by far the best of this drive
into the other neighborhood. He was a wise
person and he knew when he was well off. lie
had pressed himself well in between his mistress
and Sarah kmball. If the buffalo skin slipped
of the others it never slipped off him. He was
thus in way to emerge at the end of the
journey in good condition and TO be able to give
elusive greetings.
For the end of the journey did come. At last
they saw the light in the kitchen at home. As
the deliberate jingle jingle of the bells on the old
LOOMS horse sounded in the farmhouse yard. the
back door opened and dog rushed out with
furious barking
boy with his shoulders hunched up so that
his head appeared sunk between them, and his
hands in his pockets, appeared in the rays from
the lantern fastened on the pung
Buster! i say, Buster Shet up can't YEP
This was Nathan Henry. His brother Martin
followed behind him. and Martins shoulders were
also hunched with the cold. lie also told Buster
to "shet up"
OF course the dog did not obey. but continued
to bark and to fly frantically around the front
legs Of the LOOMS steed.
Folks TO home?" inquired Mr. jerks with the
satisfied air of man who has just had good
job"
"Ee-up" said Nathan Henry.
"Ee-up,' said Martin.
Il guess I've brought We some folks you'll be
glad to see" remarked Mr. jerks. stepping out
of the pung.
Have you got good fire." asked Sarah
Kimbal