Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-11-23
A BLANK DAY.

sun was lncllnlng toward the lt0NA CLOUDS
Oh the horizon, telling rs thas IL was past
2 O'Clock on wild afternoon so surely
all thoughts OF sport must be- given up for
the day.
"Arrah, yer ladyship. sure an it's not TO
home yen be going: His lordship must
put the hounds into that wee bit Of gorse
beyaHt the Knock There ; fox just after
leaving it, asserted Mickey Dwane, horse
breaker to the neighborhood as he jumped
from his saddle TO ease the "young one"
who he had been larking over every avail
able obstacle as we went from cover To
cover
Eyes, Lady Nora" said Captain Des-
pard, adding his entreatios TO Mickey's,
"do petition your brother TO give us an
other chance. IL is no distance TO the
gorse
every we'll, said ! and trotted Sata-
nella up TO where, looking highly disconso-
late, my brother Richard stood among his
hounds, taking counsel with jamie, our
old huntsman, as TO the expediency of
taking the dispirited pack home.
"All right, old lady" he answered, $50
be it, Wen try the gorse, and now, Mick
ely, IL you're wrong, plague on the whole
race of horse breakers"
There are only Dick ard left now TO
take care of each other Mother died when
/ was born, and father last GEAR, leaving
Dick my sole guardian. AS lie was then
only just of age, and / was Il, all our rel
atives cried out against our living alone,
but we managed beautifully, and neither
of us wished for any other arrangement
until lately.
could not hide from myself any longer
that Dick loved Cousin Ida more than me-
and feel sure he would have asked her
TO marry him before now only he is afraid
OF what | will feel. Heighol didn't think
| wanted TO marry any one, but somehow
| | have learned to sympathize with my
| brotherW
"Now smile and bring us luck, Lady
Nora, said Captain Despard as he rang
ed up alongside me, cnntering over the
springy turf between us and the gorse
He smiled himself as he spoke, and his
plain face looked almost handsome.
81 am afraid that the foxes won't be at
home TO look at any smiles Of mine, p" re-
torted, laughing. Remember that they
are very hard hearted and hard headed
beasts
IL only wish were more like fox,
then" he answered in low voice. 81
find my heart and lay head fail me often
| now. "
"Yoicks, frard my beauties Rather,
Banker, get on TO him, lads! Hi. Melody,
f'rardp'
We had run for Is minutes without "a
check
Satanella was going grandly and had
not made "A mistake. She took me trihe
too fast at the walls for my taste, but
seemed to measure Der distance exactly,
for when we reached them she jumped like
deer, and at banks, too, it was beautiful
to feel her-like a cat in agility-leap on
to the top, and changing her feet in sec
ond spring over the great dark grips,
| landing With plenty of room to spare.
TO my left rode Dick and Jamie, leading
by about 80 yards, ana TO my right Cap
tain Despard, and behind, trailing at long
er and longer intervals, the rest of the
field. Dick had looked back at every
fence to see If was safely over. Now
saw him put up his hand and knew that
something big was before us, and big and
ugly il was-a deep cut drain on the near
side and a bad landing on the far side,
with q high, rotten razor edged bank be-
! tween.
! But was scarcely over myself when,
to my horror, Iheard a crash on my right
and saw confused mass Of man and horse
come crushing into the grin, tod pink
coat cleaned between tie cruel steel bound
| hoofs.
Great heavens! 1t was Jack Despard
turned absolutely sick with fear as pull
ed my mare round TO find, | feared, my
friend kicked out Of recognition. But in.
stead, to my infinite relief, saw him
crawl from under his horse muddy enough,
| but apparently without broken bones.
"Not hurt bit, Nora DEAR he cried,
seeing my white face, "and will get my
horse cut in a second. Go ON. will catct
! you up.
am sure Satanella knew what weight
was of my heart rs she flew along, and
my cheeks must have tingled such Joy
came over me at jacks unconventional;
speech.
What was that stealing, mud stained
and painting along the hedge2 The pack
saw him, too, as slower and slower the fox
crep', done 10 "a turn.
\ yell, and they were on him. One vi.
cious snap Mt the leading hound, and he
was rolled over after a gallant run of 40
minutes with one check.
WHO'D whoop, hear him, hear him,
worry, worry" 1t was soon over, and
griuning mask on Dicks saddle and one
more brush TO my credit are all that are
left OF as brave fox as could Ireland"
ever held
"Well ridden, old girl" was Dicks
comment Then he added, rather sheep
lshly; "You ride on home. | am going
round by the manor "a promised Ida the
next mask we got" So he departed. and
! / knew Cousin Ida would keep him for din,
ner.
"Wtll you have "A very dirty escort, La
dy Noraf'
81 am so glad you were not hurt, and
your good nag ~ right too. ="
'Weli, ! don't mind having had that
fall bit, for | saw in your face that you
cared. mus speak out now, for, oh, child,
you have stolen my heart'
The bank of clouds on the horizon had
grown red and dark again before we got
home. Jack ,..fsted me off my hoj &c at the
hall door, and-well, I'm not ashamed TO
own it he kissed me.
When Dick came home, ne said to me:
mora, I've news for you Don't be
angry, ducky, but Ida has promised to
marry me-"
"Dick, answered, awe new 5 for youl
Il - - =, II l,ox. I