Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-09-12
CINDA's RIDE.

of frolic. The reader will note that this
method of statement saves long strings Of
mncilaginous platitudes about fathomless
orbs dropping lashes, a faultiess form and
peeping feet that nervously pat on occa-
sion, etc.
Hetty was IS, and she had 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
plete Hetty enjoyed the be-beaued SEN
sation SO much that she wanted every girl
friend to have a beau. She specially pitied
Lucinda Stocking, who had careered beau
lessly far into the thirties.
''Cinda," as she was familiarly called
exhausted in her personality all the posi-
bilities of acrid spinsterism. 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 epitome of prudery. She
had no use for the "horrid men," and she
dotted on Baxters "Saints' Rest and on
her Maltese cat.
In the same town lived John Hatfield,
bachelor of A. John was an exceeding
ly proper man and was much more afraid
of women than of cholera or smallpox or
even rampant dynamite bomb. He was
not a woman hater and had always in
tended to marry when the fright 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
q ho full nf v1T
had no end Of that innocent cunning and
finesse which, properly adjusted and
worked, will circumvent fate itself. With
out firing the reader with tedious detail,
it is enough to state that within month
from the time Hetty put her plan on foot
she had John and Cinda on speaking
terms. This represented 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 marvelously 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 1t
made John doubt his own identity, while
q glance into the immediate past and
present sent Cinda into catalepsy OF
dazed self insufficiency. The gossips had
settled 1t that the marriage of this couple
was inevitable-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 drive Thinking 1t hui
MANNING and socially improving to ride
out" she had lately coaxed Cinda into
her cart. This ancient damsel got at last
really submissive about it and would 20
with Hetty without having to be coaxed
more than ''iust tiny bit" as Hetty ex-
pressed it.
On one beautiful Sunday afternoon
Hetty oyercame Cinda's religious scruples
and propriety sense sufficiently to get her
into her cart with herself. She wanted to
show people how human and modernizeG
Cinda had become They drove out In
the country, called on some friends, stop
ned by the way and gathered some flowers
and with these pinned on their bosoms
chatted pleasantly and contentedly as Nell
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, scorned 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, and while
Hetty was discoursing eloquently upon
the perfectly proper and very elegant figure
they were cutting (this to quiet Cinda's
scruples, who as they neared town began
to feel self condemned) 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 and Cinda behind. The marc in
stantly recovered her feet and started OIL
very brislkly. AS Hetty had nothing to
brace her feet against, her feeble tugging
at the reins only stimulated Nellie to
greater speed-she soon broke into splr
tied canter. And thus they entered town
and thus traversed 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
or. The jolt had "busted" their Psyche
knots, and their hair streamed wildly out
behind, while there was a swapping and
fluttering of skirts and things which was
truly animating.
As they flew along Hetty caught q
glimpse of her beau, who, with comical
smirk, politely tipped his hat. Although
outrageously embarrassed over her situa-
ton, it had been all. she could do to re-
strain her laughter The droll act of hel
lover snapped the quicker strings of hel
self control, and she burst into ringing
laughter. This had the effect to make he1
equestrianism seem voluntary. The street
IxUith
wheels ana turning hanusprings, eoo.
wn,io .no sono, JlS shnotod The anonies