The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-07

neither Is 1T d very Jop' 49, |
on the evening when I first propounded
the idea to the young lady who mad re-
Gently consented to become Mrs. SIN
clair Yeates, it seemed glittering with
possibilities.
I was then climbing the steep ascent |
of the captains toward my majority /
had attained to the dignity of mud ma
for and had spent a good deal on pos
tage stamps and on railway fares to in |
terview people of influence before found
myself in the hotel at skebawn opening
long envelopes addressed to Major
Yeates. r. NJ"
MY most immediate concern was to
leave it at the earliest opportunity. but
in those nine weeks l had learned,
among other painful things a little,
very little. of the methods of the par
tisan in the West of Ireland Finding
house had been easy enough. l had had
nv choice of several, each with some
hundreds of acres of shooting, thorough
ly poached, and a considerable portion
of the roof intact. 1 had selected one;
the one that had the largest extent OF
roof in proportion to the shooting. and
had been assured by my landlord that
in fortnight or so it would be mt for
occupation.
There's a few little odd things to be
dome" he said easily, "a lick of paint
here and there and slap Of plaster
am shortsighted; l am also of Irish
extraction; both facts that make for
toleration-but even l thought he was
undertaking the case. So did the con-
tractor.
These and kindred difficulties extended
in an unbroken chain through the sum-
mer months, until a certain wet and
windy day in October, when, With my
baggage I drove over to establish my
self at Shreelane. 1t was a tall, ugly
house of three stories high. Its walls
faced with weather. beaten states, It's
windows staring, narrow and vacant.
stood on the steps, waiting for the door
to be opened, while the rain sluiced upon
me from a broken eavesshoot that had
among many other things, escaped the
notice of my landlord
The door opened and revealed the hall.
1t struck me that 1 had, perhaps, over
estimated it's possibilities. Among them
l had certainly not included tagged
floor, sweating with damp, and reek
Of cabbage from the adjacent kitchen
stairs large, elderly woman, with
O. red face and a cap worn helmet-Wlse
on her forehead, swept me magnificent
courtesy as l crossed the threshold
your honor's welcome" she began,
and then every door in the house slam
med in obedience to the gust that drove
through it. With something that sound
ed like Mend we for a back DOOR
Mrs. Cadogan abandoned her opening
speech and made for the kitchen stairs
1 am a martyr to colds in the head
and / felt one coming on l made
lager in front of the dining room fire
with a tattered leather screen and the
dinner table, and gradually, with cigar
cites and strong tea, baffled the smell
of must and cats and fervently trusted
that the rain might avert threatened
visit from my landlord l was then put
specifically acquainted with Mr.. Flor
ence Mccarthy Knox and his habits.
At about 4:30, when the room hac
warmed up, and my cold was yielding to
treatment, Mrs. Cadogan entered and
informed me that "Mr. FURRY" was in
the yard, and would be thankful il I'd
go out to him. for he couldn't come in.
| huddled on a macintosh and went out
into the yard.
Ny landlord was there on horseback,
and with him there was man standing
recognized with despair that / was about
to be compelled to buy horse
Good afternoon. Major" said Mr..
Knox in his slow. sing song brogue;
Its rather soon to be paying YOU
visit, but I thought you might be in
hurry to sec the horse | was telling
You Of
l thanked him and suggested that it
was rather wet for horse dealing.
'Oh, it's nothing when you're used TO
it," replied Mr.. Knox. His gloyeless
hands were red and wet. the rain ran
down his nose, and his covert coat was
soaked to sodden brown. / thought
that did not want to become used TO 1t.
My relations with horses have been OF
a purely military character. l have eu
dured the Sandhurst riding school. !
have galloped for an impetuous general.
l have been steward at regi!Eental races,
but none of these feats have altered
my opinion that the horse, as means
of locomotion, is obsolete Nevertheless,
the man who accepts a resident magis
tracy in the southwest of Ireland volun-
tarily retires into the prehistoric age
To institute a stable became inevitable.
You ought to throw a leg over him.
said Mr.. Knox land you're welcome to
take him over fence or two if you
like. He's nice. flippant jumper"
Even to my unexacting eye the gray
horse did not seem to promise fiippancy.
l explained that / wanted something to
drive and not to ride
well, that's fine raking hors, in
harness." said Mr.. Knox. loot IL at me
with his serious gray eyes. Bring him
up here Michael"
Michael abandoned his efforts to kick
the gray horses forelegs into a becom-
ing position and led him up to me.
| regarded him from under my umbrella
with quite unreasonable disfavor He
had the dreadful beauty of horse in j
toy shop, as chubby, as wooden and as
conscientiously dappled, but it was I'M
reasonable to urge this as an objection
Yielding to circumstance, / threw my
legs over the brute, and after pacing
grayely round the quadrangle that form
&c the yard l decided that as he had
neither fallen down nor kicked me off
it was worth paying e 25 for him, if only
to get in out of the rain.