Evening star., 1902-08-30
ing the same subject of mental restrospect,

! ing the same subject Of mental restrospect,
| Ailis Porter.
| 1t was evident that outside of her family
! little interested her but horses; certainly
/ not very lofty aspiration. When the con-
| versation had dealt with broad principals,
| men and their shortcomings the previous
| evening, she had centralized it in Lausanne,
| picturing him as symbolic of good acts
| and evil repute Patiently it was difficult
| to become interested in such a young
| woman; actually she monopolized their
| thoughts. Inconsistently the fair offender
felt no recoil of this somewhat distressing
| situation; her mind busted itself chiefly
over the reclamation of Lauzanne.
BY inheritance all the qualities of a good
| horse had come to him, except a submis-
sve temper. Allis worked on the theory
| that his disposition had been set awry by
lnJudicious handling; that unlimited pa
tience would cause him to forget all that
| He could gallop, else he had not won the
race In which he beat the Dutchman. That
he had needed a stimulant that day was
because he had been soured, and would not
| try with his wits about him.
From the time of coming to Ringwood
| Allis had ridden him in all his exercise gal
| lops and had asked Mike personally to SUI
all her great patience, all her youthful en-
| thusiasm and faith, for the chestnut had
| notions beyond all belief.
| At first, missing the abuse, he almost
| seemed to thirst for it; tried the gentle girl
| In every way-sulked and loafed, and took
| little streaks of trying to cut the course
| and made false breaks, though he were
| going to run with full vigor-even laid
| hold of the horses with his teeth when op
| portunity offered. These antics did not
| break the girls faith; she rode him with
the gentle hand a woman knows, and a
| horse soon learns to appreciate; and gave
| him to understand that he was to have fair
| treatment.
Porter viewed this continuous perform
ance with silent scepticism. He did not
abuse horses himself, neither did he put
up with too much nonsense from them. To
him they were like children, needing a lot
of tolerant kindness. but also, at times. to
be greatly improved by a sound spanking.
Once, when he suggested something Of this
sort to Allis, saying that Lauzanne was
a spoiled child, she admitted that he was,
but that thoughtless cruelty and not in
dulgence had done the harm, therefore
kindness was the cure.
The first sign of regeneration was the
implicit faith that Lauzanne began to place
in his young mistress. At first, when she
put up hand to pet him, he would jerk his
head away In alright; now he snuggled her
shoulder or nibbled at her glove. in full
spirit of comaraderie. Then one day, in
gallop, came stronger manifestation
brief minute of eXh1laratiOn, with after
hours of thankfulness, and beyond that, alas
for the uncerta nty of a spoiled temper, an
added period of walowing in the slough Of
despond.
with Shandy-it was before his downfall
on Lucretia, another stable lad, Ned Car
ter, on Game Boy and Allis on Lauzanne,
the three swung off for a working gallOp
of a mile or more.
Lauzanne was in an nquisitive mood as
the other two raced on in front. What was
his light-weighted rider up to anyway?
Why did she always leave it to him to do
just as he liked? Was she really deceiving
him-did she wish him to lie back there be-
hind the others always? He fell to won
dering what she would do If he were TO
take hold Of the bit and spread his big
muscles in ruShiDo md
past the others and get home to the feed
box first. He ratified the snaffie in his
mouth with nervous indecision-he had a
notion to try 1t.
Steady, my boy!' said AIis. as she
slipped the reins back through her fingers
TIL they stretched tight. dozen times she
mad sought in vain to make him think she
did not wish him to galop. but something
in the crisp air this morning threw him off
his guard. Why should he be forced to lag
behind? He stretched the arch of his neck
stralght till the bit held hard in his mouth;
the ears pitched forward in eager point:
the great frame under the girl quivered and
sank closer to earth: the roar of his beat
ing hoofs came up to her ears muffied by
the drive of the wind that was now gale
as the chestnut raced into it with the speed
of an express.
How her heart sang! Here was speed:
and with such stride-strong and straight
and true! Low she crouched, and her call
TO LauZanne was but a joyous whisper Her
small hands were framed in steel; strength
to steady the big chestnut as he swung
round the course glued to the rail On Lau-
Zanne sped; and to the rhythm Of his big
heaVing quarters the girls soul sang a song
of delight. At last at last! was coming
reward: her reward.
And then, just when everything had been
achleVed, when the great gallon had
brought them half up the stretch some
thing came to Lauzanne-perhaps the mem
ory of the whipping finishes; at any rate he
CURED up ike dog, threw his ears back
fDa1 fha i &C
forelegs, as he set himself against the rush
OF speed and In dozen strides he was
Lauzanne again-Lauzanne the Despised
And so 1t had gone on for weeks, Allis
working out her theory, up to the time of
the trouble over Diablo
Ihere was something in the girls quiet
determination that was masterful; perhaps
that was why she had ALWAYS had her own
way at home. Now this mastery was
spreading out wonderfully; Lauzanne and
Mike and her father, and Crane and Morti-
/ mer, all in different degrees of subsection.
put as fate knew, all subject
Mrs. Porter's lament the night of Dol
mans crusade had given Crane a KEYNOTE
for his line Of action.
1t was the day following her scoring of
the tolerant husband that Crane revisited
RlngWood, full Of his new idea
lie had an impulse to buy back Lauzanne
For almost the first time in his life he ex-
cause of Alis Porters affairs were in a
bad way. and he would robably accent
eagerly an offer from Crane to Tighten his
load. Individually, he cared little for Por-
ters financial tribulations, but 1t was a
good opportunity to prepare the way for a
strong pressing of his suit with the girl
With his usual fine discrimination. he
spoke to Mrs Porter first. intimating, never
so slightly. that her words had won his en-
tire sympathy, that If her husband would
sell any of the horses he would buy them
There was a strong atmosphere of sim
cerlty about Crane at all times; what he
did he did with the full vigor of man be-
lieving in its truth. One might almost have
suspected that he deceived himself-that he
had no conception of the unright eousness
of his acts. At any rate he Imposed most
successfully upon the mother of Allis
Quite egotistically she attributed to herself
the trend Of his friendship. In racing
phrase, Crane was out for a killing and
playing his cards with consummate skill
With the master of Ringwood he went
very straight to the point This was pos
sible as Porter could not hesitate to dis
his financial condition I, his he.,