The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-17
a GAME POSTPONED.

her cheeks. and her eyes were very
sweet.
The time passed on until the noisy
clock on the 1nantel clearly and forci-
! bly, announced the hour of 10.
1t had been comparatively easy this
far, but now was the time when Clint
usually went home.
/ The 'eal contest was about to begin.
The judge showed his chair back to
! the table, picked up paper and began
! to read
From time to time he glanced over
the top Of his paper, at the two talk
ing before the fire. but still read on.
When the clock struck II, he threw
! the paper down, pulled his chair back
/ to the fire, and drew the young man
/ into an animated political discussion.
Isabel stirred about the room, cor
rectly putting things in order for the
night.
1t was nearing midnight. For the
last fifteen minutes the conversation
! had begun to lag.
These were cold minutes of complete
silence.
Had you noticed that I had traded
! horses?' Clint asked in one painful
pause.
mo, have you?'' Isabel asked. COM
ing forward with interest.
Yes. I've traded the grays for
George Merwin's blacks. OF course.
there was considerable to boot. They
go like the wind in my new cutter
L should think they would Isabel
drew deep breath. Il do like black
horses. 1 never cared for gray ones.
L always think of having to look for
red-headed girl" she laughed, 81
should think you'd always be on the
lookout for one when you ride behind
them"
Perhaps Mr.. Holderman is looking
for red-headed girl" the judge said.
with a queer look in the direction of
the young man. There's a Superst-
ton that a red-headed girl has vio-
lent temper. Now, that isn't always
true" he said, after a moments ST
| lence, in which his thoughts seemed to
have been far away. ''ISabelS mother
had as sweet a disposition as any Wo-
man that ever lived, and her hair was
the color of that deep flame there"
Isabel was leaning on the back of
her fathers chair. why, father,
you've always said my hair was al
most the color of mothers. I'm sure
no one would ever think of calling
mine red
Il don't know about that" the judge
laughed, land I don't know about the
temper either he added, reaching up
and pinching her cheek.
Il never liked red hair, but I'm sure
1 don't believe in that sign" Clint
said, clumsily. He gazed fixedly into
the fire and felt as though he were
turning to stone.
The clock struck u, with a resonant
defiant stroke, as though it understood
the contest in which it held the stakes.
and refused to commit itself, as to
whose side would win.
At a quarter past u the judge stood
up.
Clint felt his heart beating wildly
The moment of triumph was at hand.
The judge crossed to the bay win
dow at the other end of the room. Isa-
bells eyes followed him nervously.
From one side among the geraniums
and ivy he drew the chess table, and
pushed it before him toward the fire.
II think it would be pleasant for US
to have a game of chess" he said affa-
bly,.
Clint sprang to his feet.
'Oh, thank you, sir, but I think 1
must be going home"
'Oh. must you? Well, come over
again and We'll get at it earlier in the
evening"
1t seemed hours before Clint finally
found himself out on the smooth snow
beaten road spinning along toward
home
He would have been completely
wretched in his defeat if it had not
bee. for that look in IsabePs eyes
He could endure her fathers ridicule
and wait his time, remembering that
look
And so he made a good story of it
at breakfast the next morning, and
added elevating his voice above the
roaring laugh of his father and the
shrieks of his mother and sister:
Never you mind. The judge isn't
through with me yeti I've only fired
my first gun. I'll own when 1 came
out of the house was out of shot, but
haven't given up the fight yet"
''Oh, you'll let some other bantam
rooster carry her off. 1 guess I'm safe
enough On the cash and land 1 prom
ised you,"' his father answered with a
provoking laugh:
Don't you count on itr' Clint said,
springing up from the table, with fire
in his eyes. I'm not downed yet, 1
tell your
"All right. sonny, Wen have a big
dance to celebrate your engagement
and an oyster supper. L suppose there's
no rush about ordering the oysters?"
'Ill hold you to that" Clint said,
bringing his fist up against the door.
IF the things settled by Saturday
week we'll have the dance. If it isn't
well, it won't be. I'm going over to
town after the mall
He turned and went out Of the room
AS the door closed he heard his sister
say, tittering:
f'CHnt has about as hard a time
counting Isabel as you had counting
mother"
This was a warm thought of COM
fort to him At least Isabel had never
denied him her love, and he knew that
his mother had been hardly won.
1t was a bright winter morning. Be
fore him was a clear stretch of road
to the Iowa river, three miles away
The white fields on either side spark
led in the sunlight. The great drifts,
rolled up along the fences, looked blue
in the shadows Of their fantastic ter
racings. The sleighing never was bet
ter.
All at once Clint heard the noise of
sleigh bells, and a voice called to him:
"Give me the road"
He turned and saw Isabel Hilton
coming toward him, driving her own
bay ponies at a fearful rate
Clint drove quickly out at one side |
of the road and she sped by him.
He saw that her horses were run
ming away.
There had been no alarm in Isabel's |
face, though she was holding the |
reins with all her strength and had |
looked neither to the right nor the
one thing more than another that the |
prided themselves in, it |
was their knowledge of a good horse |
and splendid Craftsmanship.
Isabel Hilton's love of horses and her |
daring in driving them had been one
of the first things that had won Clints |
Her control and courage |
now appealed to him tremendously. |
His own horses seemed to have felt |
the spiritsof the runaway pair ahead,
as they flew along over the snow after
them.