Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-05-26
OVER THE FERRY.

"Then We shan't do It'll" she exclaimed
lmost fercely, raising herself in her sad
die. "There is the ferry"
Captain Miller leaped from his saddle
and taking the horses heads led them on
to the great unwieldy ferryboat as a butch
er's cart came off it.
"Quick overl'' he shouted to the ferry
man. "We want to catch the II Is from
Haybridge."
whats the time now, STRIP
NEARLY H."
The ferryman looked across tho river.
"Lor', sir, you're about as likely to catch
that train as / am to become the champion
sculler next regatta"
The lady produced her smiles and d
green purse lined with red leather and
white satin. Out of this came half a SOW
ereign, which she slipped into the ferry
mans receptive fingers.
These are q bit uncommon, lady" said
the ferryman, slipping the gold into his
pocket. "Bill, wake up at your end.
We've got to make this ere old boat move
along"
And they did too.
The horses tossed their heads in the all
oMAN AOAACNl q Cy Cny uCINOuoly CIdlIlpllS
their bits and shaking their brides. Cap.
tain Miller, holding both reins in one
hand, looked again at his watch.
"Shall we do it?" she asked anxiously.
He did not answer in words, but the ex.
preston on his face plainly said "No."
"Bet you We shall!" cried the lady
brightly.
"What will you bets"
Her voice dropped to a low tone as she
answered, but low though her voice was
she spoke with the utmost intensity.
What will l bet? My hand and my
heart and my life."
eff that be the stake" said Captain
Miller, "we'll catch the train"
"1f we don't, I'll never speak to you
again. she said. looking at the jeweled
watch upon her wrist. Help me up"
He bent down, and treading on his palm
she jumped lightly into her saddle. The
ferryboat grated on the shore. They touch
ed their horses on the TANKS and were off.
The December days went by. the crisp
winter weather passed, and there came the
lovely May time. Again the old ferry
boat crossed the river to bring over a car
rage WIN q pair OF bays.
The carriage was empty except for the
two servants who were on the box. When
it was ferried over, the ooachman took up
his reins, and threading his way through
the old boats and punts which lay along
the side of the ferry road he drove off.
"D'ye know whose carriage that was,
Mr.. Wheal?" said one the ferrymen to the
other.
"That's Captain Miller's carriage, him
that lives up at Littleton, the house what
has a clock. He got married last week.
Speok he'll come down ere this summer"
Had any more thick uns lately, Mr..
Wheal?"
"No, Bill, I amt. They re not over.
she was. l wonder If she caught that
train? Did ye hear wot her bet wasY"
mo"
"Well, she bet her art and 'er and"
"Lor'!"
"Gentle folks as funny ways, Bill"
said the ferryman relectively.
The spring went and the summer came.
One of our English it happened
to be, with cold winds and gray skies.
Wheal was scnlling over in the small fer
ryboat, AS his custom was. He came from
the Haybridge side with two passengers as
his freight
They we're ladies. Stepping out of the
boat on the S%hepperton side, they accosted
another, who vas waiting to be ferried
over.
"Good morning, Mrs. Miller" they
said, nodding and smiling hurriedly from
their umbrellas. Then they passed on un-
der the poplars.
Wheal looked up quickly from his boat,
Identifying Mrs. Miller in his minds eye.
The lady got In and sat down, budding
herself under a small fur cape.
When the ferryman had brought his
boat to the steps, the lady, producing her
green purse, opened 1t. 1t was lined with
red morocco and white satin. The ferry
man, smiling with agreeable recollections,
was emboldened to speak.
"You caught that train, lady, last De-
cemberY"
EYES," she said CURLY. Then she paid
him his penny.
"Bill,' said the ferryman to his mate
as he stood afterward in the shed watch
ing the beautiful rain, ''you know that
lady that we ferried over in the winter
her with Captain Miller and the ~'orsesS''
Her that wanted to ketch a train?"
"That's her. Well, she did ketch her
train, an she ketohed him, too, an he
ketohed her, and, in my opinion, he's
ketched a Tartar"
"How dye know all that, Mr.. Wheal?"
"How do l know itp Why, she's Mrs.
Miller now, COS that's what I heard them
two ladies a-callin 'er. An the stake was
'er art an 'er 'and-if she ketchod the
train. If, mind yer-if. Well, she's Mrs.
Miller, an go she did ketch 1t, an some
how I think now she would rather she'd
lorst it,"
"Why do you think that, Mr.. Wheals''
"Why! Well, she had a pretty smile in
the winter time, and her face was a pretty
pink-a lovely pink it was, but it's 'er
nose as is pink now. Then she give us
'alf a golden Jenny. Well, this is what
she give me now"
On Wheal's broad, toll worn palm lay a
penny. He held 1t out and looked at 1t
with varying expressions, scorn and re-
proaoh and disgust. Then he looked at II
once more and again held 1t out at arms
length, with an expression now Of sorrow.
"There! That's wot she give me. Lor,
now! I ask you, Bill, is marriage a fail.
ure?''
ut allus Is" said Bill, buttoning up
his ooat and retreatnQ int0 the ahed