Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-04-10
A SUNDAY RACE.
BY PETER sTUDLEy.


A cool gray and sweet neatness with
in, and d world of rampant glory with
out!
Cordelia Brown had been brought up
a Shakeress, and this was her Califor-
MAN home Everybody was thunder
struck hen Joel Brown proposed to
and was accepted by prim Sister Cor
-delia,'' She was called by everyone.
Though Sister Cordelia had years and
years ago forsaken the community life,
still the early training was much in evil
dence, even to the quaint and spotless
kerchief.
When the first froth of it had blown
Off, everyone agreed that after all it
was not an ill-match. Joel was steady.
Sister Cordelia was the quintessence of
steadiness. Joel Brown was nearer
fifty than forty, and assuredly Sister
Cordelia made no pretense to youth.
Again, their farms adjoined. There
fore it was all as it should be, when
Cordelia transferred her bits over to
Joel Browns, his residence being about
twice the size. turning her house into
a drying place. Joel himself had ever
been neat as wax, but now the whole
surroundings shone with Il purity that
was immaculate Joel had touch of
romance in him; he strol1ed his silvery
gray chin and said:
What do you want most that I can
buy you? Something out of the ordi-
nary. you understand"
Cordelia understood-it was to be
the wedding present, since before they
were married she had persistently re-
fused to accept any memento whatso-
ever. After much deiberation she re-
piled:
mister Brown, L guess that we
feel We must be eNtravagant for once in
your life, I'll take the finest sprinkler
and fountain hose we can find"
So Joel bought a length of hose and
gilded nozzle that took her breath
away. She had secretly sighed many
years for half such length, and as she
directed the stream on the golden
fruit until every orange shone like
golden ball in its setting of deep green,
she murmured: MY. but hope such a
length Of nozzle is not sinful
However, Cordelia was Cordelia still,
and two things she would not counten-
ance, viz: the twirling whirling foun-
tain attachment to the wonderful hose
and the other-Joel's colt.
Joel magnanimously changed the
first to a steady triumphant matter-of-
fact spray, which played nightly on the
tiny lawn that was a part of the trim
glory of the place; but the colt-ah
there was the rubi 1t was JoePs weak
ness, his one weakness-he dotted on
bit of good horsefiesh, and this colt
was a colt of pedigree. 1t had famous
racing sire. Had it been branded on its
silNen coat with the word Sin it could
not have been more an object of silent
condemnation to Cordelia. To her it
was the carnal representative of the
pomps and vanities of this wicked
world. Joel was not unmindful OF it;
but the colt-vas the colt!
Tracta BILE and gentle as n kitten, led bv
n little halter it would run by the side of
Joel, as he drove to market. 1t even
sought with soft whinny to WOO Cor
della as she passed the paddock in her
clean gray dress and white cap; but
-Cordelia never turned her head. Joel
smiled softly to himself, yet respected
.Cordelia's notions all the same.
The colt grew apace. The neighbors,
men and women, also respected Corde-
las notions-insomuch that the very
few men friends of Joel would wait un-
til she had passed on to meeting before
they strolled over to JoeI's to s.hev a
look at that COLT
1t was whilst Cordelia was away that
the colt was first broke into harness"
Little breaking was required, for by
-Joers methods Enid (for such was
it was proud promotion and behaved
accordingly