The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-03-19

church, after all, size said. No: she
would not rnind-that is, not very much
though Ninesy-little angel-had just
insisted that sister mast wear the new
hat first. Still, if Jack was too ill to en-
Joy the day, she could not think of drag
ging him through tho heat q
Jack cut short her protestations. ST
am well enough" he said. "a little
overstrained maybe-this is the anxious
time about the crop, you know--but
staying at home is the last thing care
to do. / must be ut something all the
time SO shall not have leisure to wor-
ry."
"Whoever thought of your bein nerv-
GUS an fidgety like tbat?" Miss Winfield
returned "Mommer is, l know, an
Uncle Ben-he's just the dearest old
grumble all the timel By the way, I
wonder Isn't it just too ridiculous
the way he's maxim show of himself,
an poor Aunt Louizy not two months in
her grave?"
cit is natural, perhaps Jack said,
breathing hard "Most men, hear it
said, bury their wits with their wives"
said, clambering heavily into the buggy.
Some way tho sight recalled to him
Robs light lift from the impulse of his
hand, her dainty way of settling herself :
in exactly the right place beside him,
her eager, coaxing eyes, as she held out
her hands for the reins, saying, with
soft mischief:
"Jack, do be a good fellow. Let me
show you how these horses ought to be
driven. OF course l know ever so much
better than you. People always do you
see, about things that they have no con-
Germ with. When 1 set up for philoso1.
pher-I shall one of these days-I mean
to give my whole mind to discovering
what it is that makes the wisdom Of in
experience so very, very wise. i"
Then, of course, he had let her drive
Der fill, delighting no less than herself
in her knowledge of all the finer nice
points. She knew aSi loved horses as
well as himself. Up 10 three years back
she had had the best mount in the coun-
ty. Nothing there could give dust to
Lightlady, the Lightfoot mare out of
Bonnybel, that Rob had broken and
trained herself into pattern of equine
virtues. A thief had come in the night
and stolen her from the pasture where
she ran at grass. Rob had got white and
breathless minute when the certainty
of loss came to her, then broken into a
laugh, saying as her color came back:
"The fellow should be ashamed of
himself. No artistic horse thief would
ever have demeaned himself to take any
thing so ridiculously easy, but if he had
good taste in horsefesh Lightlady was
temptation. Nothing in the state had
better blood or action. If he was in q
strait, he chose we'll. No doubt it's aw-
fully unprinoipled to say it, but if he was
in danger l forgive him and hope he got
away"
"Never mind, daughter You shall
have better than Lightlady as soonas
ever Jack can find it for you," Mr.. Nc
Gregor had said, and Rob had flung up
her hands, saying, with mischievous
laugh: Daddy, do you mean that? oh,
you can'tl Surely you'll let me choose
my own saddle horse Remember, Imay
one day have to choose az
Husband. Jack had broken in,
laughing over the face she made, though
she ran on as though he had not spoken.
-'person to inherit my vast estate.
What will you do then if you cannot
trust me now? You know, people always
show the best side of themselves, and,
like my daddy, never look under the
surface. "
"Yet you would venture upon horse
trade" Jack had said, lifting his eyes
commiseratingly. "when you know that
even. my father, the honestest man alive,
admits that trading horses is mighty
strain on such qualities In fact, some
times-say when he comes home with
beast worth about twice the one he rode
away have my doubts il the strain is
not little too much even for him.
"Shut upP' Rob had cried. II will
not listen to treason, not against Colonel
Talbot. If it was his son now-but /
won't be personal. You see, I have
taken the colonel's judgment, and he
says Bonnybel's new little colt is finer
than silk and going to be handsomer
than Lightlady. So shall train it up
in the way it should 60 and ride BonnH>
bel until her baby is bridlewise. I" ~
There the matter had rested. All the
talk came back to young Talbot as he
gathered up his reins and sent the sor-
rels away at Shaping pace. Even If
she had asked it he was far too wise to
risk Miss Winfold's heavy hand over
them. Intelligently docile, the creatures
were full OF subtle and sympathetic fire.
They knew an alien touch and resented
it nightly. But for Rob they did their
best, moving with smooth. Swimming
stride, free of darts or pointing and as
evenly as though there were one spirit
in twin bodies. Today they felt their
masters mood and were so skittish and
FESTIVE Miss Winfield began to scream.
not aloud, but in faint spits and spurts.
"They are, amt they, runnin away
she asked, clinging to his arm.