Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1896-07-16
to something without which the day

and the colonel's boy leading two sad.
died horses up and down before the
veranda steps.
I'm going TO carry you horseback.
riding, Mr.. Ringbrand." she said, run
ming down the steps TO meet him.
lie looked askanoe at the two thor.
oughbreds, and tried TO summon the
courage to say that he knew less than
nothing about horscmanship. I'm
afraid you'll find me a sorry cavalier,
Miss Hester" he demonstrated.
ooh. Pluto is gentle. anybody can
ride him." she rejoined, gathering her
skirt and standing beside her horse.
"Will you give me hand please?"
Having, in his stories, had frequent
occasion Ia describe the dexterous man.
ner in which gentleman assists a lad y
TO mount, Ringbrand knew precisely
what was required of him; but, unfor-
tunatcly, the ability 10 portray dexter
ity in yirile English does not necessarily
imply its possession by the artist. lie
took his place rather awkwardly beside
Hester and made a step of his hand,
! holding IL so high that she hesitated.
] just little bit lower. II You please"
she said, demurely, and his fast shred of
se'f-posscssiun took fight rs he COM
piled. Since Miss Latlmer was any
thing but ethereal, the first attempt
! broke his hold and covered him with
confusion: putting his strength into
the next, he lifted SO vigorously that
nothing but Testers ready agility saved
her from falling out of the saddle on he
opposite side. 1t was too much for her
equanimity, and she burst into a ring.
/ Ing laugh.
Hngbrand Strengthened up and wiped
the Precipitation from has face. al beg
your pardon--indeed do: told YOU
was but cn Indifferent horseman," be
! apolOgized.
please don't mention it," she said,
as soon rs she could speak. ITS aw-
/ fully mean in me TO laugh. hut couldn't
helpit. shall have an immense respect
for your strength after this"
Ringbrand took Plutu's bride from
the grinning boy and tried to mount,
/ forgetting. in his embarrassment, that
well-trained saddle-horses are prone 10
object 10 approaches from the wrong
side. He did not realize his mistake un-
/ til he had one foot in the stirrup and
( was hopping about breathlessly in n
. desperate Cndcavor 10 make Pluto stand
still long enough to enable him TO spring
into the saddle; but with the knowl-
edge came sudden access OF obstinacy,
and he determined to succeed if it took
! the remainder of the afternoon. Hester
was convulsed with laughter, and it
! was some moments before she could
find breath 10 suggest that Pluto was
unaccustomcd TO receiving his rider
| form the off side.
"1-know-it isn't - customary"
gasped Ringbrand, making violent eff
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 enth,,a. 7iic and re.
/ proachful protests cease III. .liscum.
fitted cavalier mopped Ii f-,m'rr face
/ again, and beckoned to the l-y
Just hold him a secUaL. ai. r...
he said, and, backing away .1I .i.rt
run, he vnulted into the saddle 10. .,
the nstonished charger knew what =, e
happening.
bravo! bravoi" exclaimed Hester.
clapping her hands in delighted appro.
val. THAT was certainly original.
Where did you learn TO vault, Mr.. Ring
brandt"
Il used 10 do a little of il at the uni
yersity," he replied. modestly forbear.
ing 10 add that he had held the record
for the running high jump in his class.
"Do-=1lo 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. snow that you speak of It,
I'm not sure that ever saw anyone do
IL in just that way-at least not outside
Of a circus"
She laughed again, sweet bubbling
over of unrestained merriment that
made him think of happy children and
singing birds. Didn't you know, sure
enough, that you were on the wrong
Slte. Sne asked, nalvely.
Honestly, didn't at first" he con-
fessed, "but ! began TO suspect some
( such dreadful thing before you spoke.
Then il occurred TO me that Pluto was
unreasonably particular about such a
small thing, and thought it might be
well to convince him of the fact"
Il 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 used to think
you were"
Il 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;
l know less than nothing about it, ex-
perimentally, and I 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 its ENHANCEMENT in his stir
rup. MAY II" she asked.
Il shall be very grateful"
swell, then, II believe il is custom
airy for a gentleman to ride on the other
side" she began.
Ringbrand had quite recovered his
self-possession 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 I
shouldn't have made my hero in story
guilty of such awkwardness. Now,
how about these stirrups? they seem
TO me to he too short, or too long, or
something"
She looked at them critically: 81
think they are little too short. Shall
hold Pluto while you dismount to let
them DOWN."
'No, thank you; think can manage
il from the deck" he replied, slipping
his feet from the stirrup irons and ad-
justing the straps to more comforta-
bic 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 at an
easy canter, and Ringbrand profited by
Hester's suggestions as well as he could