The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-08-24
CINDA'S RIDE.


of beauty one-fourth of intelligence, one
eighth of light accomplishments, one
eighth of loving kindness and one-fourth
or frolic. The reader will note that this
method of statement saves long strings of
mucilaginous platitudes about fathomless
orbs, dropping lashes, n faultless form and
peeping feet that nervously pat on occa-
sion, ETC.
Hetty was IS, and she had q 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 beau She specially pitied
Lucinda Stocking, who had careered beau
lessly far into the thirties.
"Cinda," as she was Familiarity 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 tho "horrid men," and she
dotted on Baxter's Saints Rest" and on
her Maltese cat
In the same town lived John Hatfield,
bachelor of AZ. 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 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
of lovers. She was full of resource and
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 it
made John doubt his own identity, while
glance into the immediate past and
present sent Cinda into a catalepsy of
dazed self insufficiency. The gossips had
settled it that tho marriage of this couple
was inevitable-that nothing short of
death could prevent it.
Hetty had q nice horse and road cart at
her command. Like all girls, she was
crafty fond of drive Thinking it hui
manizing 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 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 overcame Cinda's religious scruples
and propriety 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 on some friends, stop
ped by the way and gathered some flowers
and with these pinned on their bosoms
chattcd pleasantly and contentedly as Mel
lie trotted abstractedly along. Hetty was
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 tho 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 condcmned), tho horse stumbled
and went clear down. The sudden stop
page precipitated both Hetty and Cinda
over the dash and astride tho horse, Hetty
in front and Cinda behind. The marc in
stantly recovered her feet and started off
very briskly. AS Hetty had nothing to
brace her feet against, her feeble tugging
at the reins only stimulated Nellie to
greater speeu--sne SOON broke INTO sp1r
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 n swapping and
1uttering of skirts and things which was
truly animating.
AS they flew along Hetty caught
glimpse of her beau, who, with comical
smirk, politely tipped his hat. Although
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
equestrianism seem voluntary. The street
boys screeched with delight, many of them
in the excess of their glee throwing cart
wheels and turning handsprings, etc.,
while the sober citizens felt scandalized
and were profoundly shocked. The agonies
of Cinda during this forced piece of bare
back riding were something too excruci-
ating to be even conceived, much less de-
scribed.
They reached Hetty's home in safety
and her father, astonished into speechless-
ness, assisted them to the ground. AS soon
as Cinda touched terra firma she loosed q
flood of tho most startling profanity, thus:
LA goodness! Sakes alivel Mercy mel
The awful awfulness of this awful thing
Is jest too toredown dreadful at allp' Then
with her bonnet pulled well down in 'front.'
she hurried home and hid away there
deeply and darkly q "rmined to never be
seen on the street n.