The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-08-16
CINDA'S RIDE.

of frOlic. The reader will note that this
method of statement saves long strings Of
m~uciIaginous platitude5 about fathomleSs
orbs, dropping lashes, a f~aultless form and
peeping feet that nervously pat on coca
sion, etc.
Hetty was i, and she had a beau, and
this beau loved fun and Hetty as much as
Hetty loved fun and him. 1t is certain
this prospective match was made in heav-
en-, for their reciprocal fitness was com
pIete. Hctty enjoyed the bc-bcaucd SEN
satiOn 50 much that she wanted every girl
friend to have a beau. She specially pitied
Lucinda Stocking, who had care%tcd beau
lessly far into the thirtics,
''Cinda, - as she was Familiarity called,
exhausted in her personality all the posi-
biIities of acxid spinstcrism. She was pain
fully perpendicular in person and manner
and was SO neat it made you uncOmfOrt-
able. She was prim, precise and punctil-
iOus in every thought and action, and her
daily life was an cpitome Of prudCry. She
had no use for the "horrid men" and she
dotted on Baxter's Saints Rest and on
her Maltese cat.
In the same town lived JOIN Hatfield,
a bachelor of A.. John was an exceeding
ly proper man and was much more afraid
Of women than Of cholera or smallpox or
even a rampant dynamite bomb. He was
not a woman hatCr and had always in
tended to marry when the right woman
should come along. 1t began to look like
she would never show up.
Hetty conceived the audaciouS scheme
of bringing these two into the Relationship
of lovers. She was full Of rGsOurce and
had no end Of that innocent cunning and
fnesse which, properly adjusted and
worked, will circumvcnt fate itself. With
| ont +;rinp Tho roolor with +aIip1C dOtai1
it is enough to state that within a month
from the time Hetty put her plan on foot
she had John and Cinda on speaking
terms. This represented a feat in di-
plomacy which was little short Of marvel
Gus. In another month the intimacy be-
tween John and Cinda had grown and
warmed SO marvclOusly that they actually
went to church together on one Sunday
eve. The surprise of the people was only
exceeded by the establishment of John and
Cinda themselves. Thinking about it
made John doubt his own identity, while
q glance into the immediate past and
present sent Cinda into a catalepsy of
dazed self insutficicncy. The gossips had
settled it that the marriage Of this couple
was inevitabIe-that nothing short of
death could prevent it.
Hetty had a nice horse and road cart at
her command. Like all girls, she was
crafty fond of a drive. Thinking it hui
manizing and socially improving to ride
out, - she had lately cOaxed Cinda into
her cart. This ancient damscl got at last
really submissive about it and would go
with Hetty without having to be cOaxed
more than Just a tiny bit, " as Hetty ex-
pressed it.
On one beautiful Sunday afternoon
Hetty overeamo Cinda's religious scruples
and prOpriesy sense sufficiently to get her
into her cart with herself. She wanted to
show people how human and modernized
Cinda had become. They drove out in
the country, called or some friends, stop
ped by the way and gathered some flowers
and with these pinned on their bosOms
chattcd pleasantly and c~ontentedly as Mel
lie trotted abstractedly along. Hetty was
a typical girl driver. She was particular
not to keep her lines taut, was careful
to look in every other direction except
ahead, scOrnCd to pick the road for her
animal, and perpetually forgot that the
horse, with all his noble qualities, is a
dumb brute.
Just before entering town, ana while
Hetty was discoursing eloquently upon
the perfectly proper and very elegant figure
they were cutting (this to quiet Cinda's
scruplcs, who as they neared town began
to feel self c~Ondemned), the horse stumbled
and went clear down. The sudden stop
page prccipitated both Hetty and Cinda
over the dash and astride the horse, Hetty
in front n Cinda behind. The mare in
stantly recovered her feet and started off
very briskly. AS Hetty had nothing to
brace her feet against, her feeble Juggling
at the reins only stimulated Nellie to
greater spced-she soon broke into a spir-
tied cantCr. And thus they entered town
and thus travcrscd the main street to the
end where Hetty lived. The sidewalks
were full Of people who were out prom
enading and enjoying the beautiful wealth
er. The jolt had "busted" their Psyche
knots, and their hair strcamed wildly out
behind, while there was a swapping and
tluttering Of sk TT and things which was
truly animating.
As they flew along Hctty caught a
glimpse of her beau, who, with a comical
smirk, politely tipped his hat. Although
~outragcoUsly embarrassed over her situa-
ton, it had been all she could do to re
strain her laughter. The droll act of her
lover snapped the quicker strings of her
self control, and she burst into ringing
laughter. This had the effect to make her
equcstrianism seem voluntary. The street
boys sCrcechcd with delight, many Of them
in the excess Of their glce throwing cart
wheels and turning handsprings, etc, !
while the sober citizens felt scandalized
and We're profoundly shocked. The agonies
of Cinda during this forced piece of bare
back riding We're something too cxcruci-
ating 10 be even conceived, much less de !.
!
They reached Hetty's home in safety,
and her father, astonishcd into speechless-
ness, assisted them to the ground. As soon
a Cinda touched terra firma she looscd &
flood Of the most startling profanity, thus:
La goodness Sakcs alive! Mercy me.
awful awfulncss Of this awful thing
Is jest too torvdown dreadful at ALL Then,
her bonnet pulled well down in front.
She hurried home and hid away there.
and darkly determined to never be
seen on the street again.
The affair shocked John TO the very
basement OF his being, and while he stin
has longingS with reference to Cinda he
thinks IL perfectly reasonable in her to alb =
- -, NJ L--s -. -. A. " =