Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-01-18
A BLANK DAY.


we bad drawn our last cOver-blank. The
sun was inclining toward the heavy clouds
Oh the horizon. telling rs that il was past
O'Clock on wild afternoon so surely
all thoughts of sport must he given up for
the day.
"Arrah, yer ladyship. sure an II 8 not 70
home yen DE gOingy His lordship must
put the hounds into that wee bit of gorse
beyant the Knock. There's "A fox just after
leaving IL, asserted Mickey Dwane, horse
breaker to the neighborhood, as he Jumped
from his saddle 20 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 % give us an
other chance. Ii is no distance TO the
! goree "
Every well, 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, az TO the eXpediency OF
/ taking the dispirited pack home
IAN right, old lady" he answered, $50
be it. Wen try the gorse, and now, Mick
ey, If you're wrong, plague on the whole
race of horse breakers"
There are only Dick and | left now TO
take care of each other Mother died when
| was born, and father last ear leaving
Dick my sole guardian. As lie vas 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
10 marry him before now, only he is afraid
Of what | will feel. HeghOl didn Z think
| wanted to marry any one, but somehow
| have learned to sympathize with my
brotherl'
"Now smile and bring us luck, Lady
Nora. " said Captain Oespard as he rang
ed up alongside me, cantering over the
springy turf between us and the gorse.
He smiled himself as he spoke. and his
plain face looked almost handsome.
II am afraid that the foxes won't be at
home to look at any smiles Of mine" / 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 my head fail me often
now. -
"Yoicks, f'rard, my beauties. RATHER,
Banker, get on to him, lads! Hi, Melody,
frardp
We had run for Is minutes without a
check!
Satanella was going grandly and had
not made mistake She took me a tribe
too fast at the walls for my taste, but
seemed TO measure her distance exactly,
for when we reached them she jumped like
deer. and at banks, too, il was beautiful
TO feel her-like cat in agility-leap on
20 the top, and changing her feet in "A 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. and to my right Cap
tain Despard, and behind, trailing at long
or 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 bad landing on the far side,
with high, rotten, razor edged bank be-
tween.
But was scarcely over myself when,
TO my horror, heard crash on my right
and saw a confused mass of man and horse
come crushing into the grin, Ind pink
coat cleaned between tie cruel steel bound
hoofs.
Great heavensl 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.
mot hurt bit, Nora, dear!' he cried,
| % / tx,in f,at
9 horse out in second Go on. / will catch
you up"
am sure Satanella knew what a weigh
: was off my heart as 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 hedge' The pack
,. saw him, too, as slower and slower the fox
crept, done TO a turn
e A yell. and they were on him. One vi
d cious snap at the leading hound, and he
was rolled over after gallant run of AZ
minutes with one check.
I "Whoo- whoop, hear him, hear him
/ worry, worryr' 1t was soon over, and 9
grinning mask on Dicks saddle and one
a more brush 20 my credit are all that are
l. left OF as brave a fox as could Ireland
| ever Dtlu.
"Wel ridden, old girlr' was Dicks
y comment. Then he added, rather sheep
a shly: "You ride on home. l am going
round by the manor az promised Ida thu
: next mask we got" So he departed, anC
@ knew Cousin Ida would keep him for din
ner.
"Will you have n very dirty escort, La
It dy Norai"
y al am so glad you were not hurt, ant
your good nag AL right too"
70 "Well / don't mind having had tina
fall bit, for | saw in your face that yoI
cared. Imust speak out now, for, oh, child
II you have stolen my hearth
N The bank of clouds on the horizon ha'
grown red and dark again before we go
;, home. Jack lifted me off my horse at tn
% hall door, and-well, I'm not ashamed Il
own it he kissed me.
" When Dick came home, he said TO me:
d mora, I've news for you! Don't b
= angry, ducky, but Ida has promised L
marry mel'
5S WDick - answered "I' We news for you