Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-06-11

"I-know-it isn't customary"
gasped Ringbrand, making violent ef-
forts to keep near the plunging animal,
"but-I-usually-do it-this way"
just then his foot slipped out of the
stirrup, and Pluto's enthusiastic and re-
proachful protests ceased. The discom
fited cavalier mopped his steaming face
again, and beckoned to the boy.
"Just hold him second, will you?"
he said, and, backing away for short
run, he vaulted into the saddle before
the astonished charger knew what was
happening.
bravo! bravo!" exclaimed Hester,
clapping her hands in delighted appro.
val. 'That was certainly original.
Where did you learn to vault, Mr.. Ring
brand?"
II used to do little of it at the uni
versity," he replied, modestly forbear-
ing to add that he had held the record
for the running high jump in his class.
"Do-do gentlemen usually mount
that way in New York" she inquired,
innocently.
II can't say they do-not always" he
responded, as they ambled down the
long avenue and turned into the noun
tain road. "Now that you speak of it,
I'm not sure that ever saw anyone do
it in just that way-at least not outside
Of a circus"
She laughed again, a sweet bubbling
over of unrestained merriment that
made him think of happy children and
singing birds. Didn't yon know, sure
enough, that you were on the wrong
side?" she asked, naively.
Honestly, didn't at first," he con-
fessed, "but began to suspect some
such dreadful thing before you spoke.
Then it occurred to me that Pluto was
unreasonably particular about such
small thing, and thought it might be
we'll to convince him of the fact"
II think you've succeeded; but I'm
afraid you have hurt his sense of the
proprieties beyond recovery. He is al
most as conventional as l used to think
you were."
II hope you don't think it any more,
after seeing my Interpretation OF boots
and saddles,' he protested. "And while
we're on the subject of horseback rid
ing, let me make an open confession;
1 know less than nothing about it, ex-
perimentally, and shall be deeply in
debted to you if you'll teach me how to
behave in a becoming manner"
She leaned over and disengaged her
skirt from it's entanglement in his STIR
rup. 'May II" she asked.
II shall be very grateful"
"Well, then, IL believe it is custom
ary for gentleman to ride on the other
side," she began.
Ringbrand had quite recovered his
self-possesson by this time, and he
pulled Pluto around to her right. "Of
course. should think that would sug-
gest itself naturally to anyone but a
book worm like myself; assure You |
shouldn't have made my hero in a story
guilty of such awkwardness. Now,
how about these stirrups? they seem
to me to be too short, or too long, or
something"
She looked at them critically: II
think they are little too short. Shall
i hold Pluto while you dismeunt to let
them down?"
mo, thank you; think can manage
it from the deck" he replied, slipping
his feet from the stirrup irons and ad-
iusting the straps to a more comforta-
BILE length. There, how is that?'
THAT looks better. Now, shall we
try little gallop?"
"If you please. I'll do anything you
tell me to-"
They swept along the level road tan
easy canter, and Ringbrand profted by
Hester's suggestions as well as he could
in the short intervals which his furtive
admiration of her graceful carriage and
radiant beauty spared him from a
consideration of his own shortcom-
ings. The road led them finally
to the western brow of the noun
tain, and they pulled up at the
edge of the cliff to enjoy the view
spread out before them.
"Your surroundings are perpetual
inspiration, Miss Hester" said Ring
brand, feasting his eyes with the keen
appreciation of an artist upon the mag
niicent panorama of the mountains
and valleys and forests stretching away
to the westward.
II am glad you like Tennessee" re-
piled the girl, with touch of pathos in
her voice. $50 many people-especial-
ly northerners-seem to think it an un-
profitable wilderness"
"Who could be SO unappreciative as to
say that?"
Miss Bradfern, for one. She is from
Boston, and she visited friends in Dun
bar last summer. She was continually
pining for New England in general and
Boston in particular. I'm sure can't
understand how she will be able to live
here"
'Is she coming here to live?"
"Yes; as the wife of our rector in
Tregarthen. tell him he's setting
bad example by going SO far from
home"
"1'hen presume he is a southerner?"
"He is; he's a Georgian; but believe
he was educated in the north"
"Am I to understand that you think
one ought not to marry out of his sec
tion?" he asked, making the rector's
case possible opportunity for ascer-
VDo you rectity mistakes here" asked
gentleman as he stepped into drug
tore. YVES sir, we do, if the patient