Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-11-24
"A THANKSGIVING STORY.
Rv Frank pratt

snugly wrapped in rurs. let Ruth
| could he envied, fov the morning was
| one OF those ideal winter days such as
one finds In the north In winter. Clear,
frosty, snow on the ground. sleigh bells
ringing, prancing horses. everything
ideal for q long drive.
Scarcely had they gone a mile from
the house when there was a quick snap.
q jangling cound and. before Ruth could
ask what had happened. the horses
were dashing madly dom the road,
while the hired man reached forward
and grasped the reins, vainly endeav-
oring TO check them.
Its no USE" he cried. looking back;
"the harness has broken. j cannot con.
troll theml Climb to the pack of the
sleigh and / will pull [. I'm up for q
moment Wait until / shout, then drop
Z at the back. Quick. We are neari-.- the
hill!"
She did not hesitate long. Then. with
all her strength, she climbed over the
seat and down over the back or the
old fashioned sleigh, holding on and
waiting for the hired man TO tell her
TO drop.
Are you ready7" he cried. Now
DROP" and with q fearful shout ne
Ieaped from their backs TO the ground,
winding the reins around himself as ne
jumped n looking back TO see IL Rutn
had obeyed his orders.
AS she dropped into the soft snow
she felt the sleigh pause for a second,
but II was only for q second! The now
thoroughly frightened horses had
stopped only long enough to rear upon
their hind legs at the sudden pull upon
them, then they dashed forward and
down the hill, dragging the hired man.
still wound In the relns.
Ruth watched them out OF sight, then
picking her self up. dazed and half
stunned, che turned toward home.
A few rods further a. n met a
neighbor and, telling him OF the acci-
dent. urged him to overtake the run
Always.
Another neighbor drove her home and
so Grandma Greyson, sitting at the
window, saw her ~grandchild drive up,
white and scared, in a neighbours sleigh.
"What is the matter, Ruth?" she
cried; then as she saw Ruth's plight.
What have you done with Sydney?
oh, Ruth, Is he !.-.led?"
1.-The horses ran away, Grandma!'
and Ruth fell ir.o her grandmother's
arms half fainting.
But Sydney, where is hep"
81 don't know what you mean,
hired man saved my life" And then
she told OF the heroi. deed, and how
to get control OF the horses he had
crept over the dashboard, reached the
end of the dangling rlln. wrapped II
around himself and, finding himself
unable to return, leaped to the ground
pulling up the horses in q great fnaI
effort to check them while she Jumped
And how well he had succeeded, though
at the risk Of lis own life.
"Oh, sydney, Cy2ney," cried Grand.
man: "oh, my dear, hope h Is moi
killed"
An hour afterward Sydney owen, fol
Of course 1t was he, was brought homt
by the kind neighbor who went to his
rescue. He was badly shaken up bu'
otherwise uniniured, for the horses had
slipped upon the Icy ma and being un'
able TO keep their footing had coEae &c
a stop, and Gwen had suffered little
from being dragged over the snow.
why did you not tell me who yo,
were from the flrst?" asked Ruth tina
evening as she and Sydney sat In from
Of the fireplace.
Because / thought you would b,
~prejudiced against me-and might no
be willing to carry out the family com
pact!'
And Ruth hung her head.
The next evening Ruth and he
grandmother, accompanied by Sydne
stood in the great staircase hall. The,
were preparing to so 10 a church SO
ciable. Sydney, who had Lecome Ruth
shadow. we not "a nwav from her
Grandma had slipped away for a fey
minutes. Ruth stood there under tn
lights, looking fairer than he had ye
seen her, sydney thought.
Tomorrow i go back" said Ruth
land l shall take with me pleasan
thoughts OF this Thanksgiving visit.
And what else?" asked Sydney
How about the family compact. tn
tie between the Greysons and tn
Owens? Shall It be carried out, Ruth?
II suppose So" said Ruth. Then sh
blushed so divinely that Sydney wa
satisfied.