The age-herald., 1900-01-28
HOW DICK BOLTED


 a more beautiful little horse than Fred Dal- fton's Dick. He was fourteen and a half l hands high and of slender build, with legs
 like deer's and a glossy chestnut coat
 that -shone like satin. Well bred and well
 trained, he was just the animal to delight
 the heart of a sensible horse-loving boy or i girl-or man or woman, either-and vet. l Sometimes when Fred checked him sudden- 1 ly, or urged him to take n hedge or l fence, or gulley. that he felt disinclined for l those delicate pointed little ears of his | would go back tql they lay flat against the | top Of his curved neck and there would l come Hash of white into the corners of ms sbrigLls eyes that suggested a bit of a l temper, controlled with difficulty by It's horse-brained owner Fred had ridden him | constantly for year and never once in that
 time had Dick allowed his temper to get beyond bounds or done anything to imperil
 the safety of his master, who always spoke to him as a perfect lamb of gentleness though having fire and spirit enough to
 make him well worth the riding
 Fred had one sister girl of fifteen, the ddol eff his heart. for whom the boy would have done anything within or without req son. That Ethel ruled Fred for all his eighteen months seniority. was instantly apparent even to the most casual observer Mrs. Dalton had died when Ethel was a
 baby, and her father. with a desire that was almost morbid In its intensity ito make
 the girl feel her great loss little as pos sible. was perhaps over-induigent to her
 and it was tIhe verdict of her friends that Ethel was "a sweet, lovable girl but sadly spoilt"
 Horsewomanship was among Ethels ac- complishnrents. and both MT Dalton and
 Fred were proud of the way she sat her little bay ma~e Joan: and of her fearless ness and endurance in the long rides the three often took together For some reason or other the girl had
 lately seemed dissatisfied with gentle little
 Joan. and had hipted strongly att the ne- ceSSitv of having a horse with more spirit
 and fire: and Fred often noticed, when they were riding together. that she cast rather envious eyes upon Dick who certainly pos
 sessed both these qualities to an unusual degree.
 One September afternoon when the boy and girl were sitting on the piazza with the-r father Ethel proposed that the next day they should ride into Philadelphia. some ten miles distant from their country home, and lunch with their friends. the [ Lewises. And YOU can take Joan Fred and let mo ride Dick" she concluded fin the
 most matter of fact way, as sif there could
 be no possif'e objection to this arrange
 ment. But MT. Dalton put his veto on the p~onasiton at once
 "Fd rather wouldn't. Dick is all
 very well for Fred. but not suitable for you.
 He has never been trained to carry a
 lady"
 "why rapa" exclaimed Ethel, "you said
 rode so welli'
 You do ride well. my dear. and you
 misht have no trouh'e with Dick but then
 again you might. and I don't want you to
 run any risks"
 At this. I srm sorry to say. Ethe1s pretty
 eyes dropped sulky. and her mouth
 formed Itself into obstinao straight line.
 Without word she walked ms iesfically
 down tha 1ppr anda mt ha
 where her brother found her half an hour 1ater. seated in a decn arm chair. reading
 diligently in "The Pilgrims Progress"
 rl~actice she aFwavs resorted to when in the dumns. She looked up with the air of a
 mertvr as her brother came in. 'I don't see why papa should spoil my nice n'an'' she said. "I don't either. Eth Can't see what t11e governor thinks could haanan if you rode D'rt. He's gertleness itself" ''It's always tNhe way when T set my hea~t on anything." with resigned shake of the head
 But we can ride to the Lewises all the same''
 'All tho fun's knocked out of the scheme, | thouefh. .Jnsat to tamely in, as we al-
 ways do-Id made up my mind to ride l Dick"
 "Well. never mind. dear You look aw- fully well on Joan and she's good little | nag"
 nut uo HhHu fTeu. DeCduSe panl l thinks couldn't marage Dick, and could | couldn't I?"
 "Yes. I'm sure of it." 'I know if mamma had lived she wouldn't have let me he thwarted in every single l thing I ever wanted to do.'' "Oh. Eth, YOU get everything YOU want all right. and you aren't thwarted as much YOU think
 Ethel founced little and returned to her parusal of the "Pi'er'm's rogress." But all the time little scheme was unfolding itself fin her mind.
 Next morning Ethel came down to break
 fast in her riding habit. She was in a very
 amfahle mood and had evidently forgotten her disappointment of the dav before. Her father looked up as she entered. "Well. dear all ready for Nour ride?" "yes papa and isn't it lovely dav?"
 "I wish wnre eo'ne with VOL irsteiad of down tn tr'nt ro,v old offine to make bread a~1 hu4i+er." said MT Dalton.
 "I wish you were was the reply. This
 was not quite a sircere expression of feel ing. as after events proved. hut NIr. Dalton thought NJ was and patted hts daughters hand and safd something kind and fatherlv to show that be appreciated it. Fred came
 down at that moment and presentav the two young neope mounted their respective
 steeds ard centered down the short avenue into the road.
 "How well Dick canters" said Fthel. af- tor thev had r'dden Mn silence for some | time 'I should think he'd make q sn'endd | lafv's horse-behsar and easier than Joan" "He's a. jolly little fellow" said Fred, | srroothirg Dicks glossy neck. 'I dort know what ails Joan this morn ire she's quita rouero and doesp't seem to
 want to go It's provoking, isn't r? "CN. she'll get warmed up after a while." | There was a long si'en"a after th's dur 1 ing which Ethel ostentatously ficiSed the | unconscious Joan with her whip and | chirped ito her to mend her pace. The Tttle l rrg hogan to get hot and restive under this 1 unusual treatment. Just as thev reached l lonlalv bit of road Fqhel pulled up. "Frnd." said she. CT am sure the saddle l must be galling loans back she seems so l ra1.iva and uneasy. TN get off and YOU can | look" With this she ir"nped off and stood stroking the horses neck and talking nity- l ingly to her. Fred was by her side In | moment.
 1 "Hold Dick" he safd "and I'll take the l saddle off There's nothing wrong" he de- l clared after carefully looking at loans | back He was abost to put the saddle on