The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-04-07

a III ZDoo61 A-&NAL S1|
ceiling: her evening dress was accom-
/ plished by means of an additional white
shawl rather dirtier than its congeners.
AZ took her in TO dinner she quoted
virgil TO me, ard III the same Dreatia
screeched an o~bjurgation at 2 beng
whose matted head rose suddenly IN 10
view behind an ancient Chinese screen.
a. have seen the head OF a Zulu woman
peer over a bush.
Dinner Mas a. incongruous as every
thing elee. Ietestable soup ~ z Spleudia
old silver tureen that was nearly -
dark in hue as Robinson C-usoes thumb.
q perfect salmon. perfectly cooked. On =
cbiDp4d kitchen dish, such cut glass as
f. not easy to find nowadays sherry thaf.
AZ FURRY subsequently remarked, would
burn the she'll Of an egg. and a bottle Of
port draped in i~mmemorial coD"ebs, worn
with age and probably priceless Though
o,t tho yicissitudes OF the meal NFs.
Krox,s conversation flowed en- undls-
n,aye8 directed sometimes at ne-sAe
nd installed me In the position q friend
Of her youth. and talked 70 ne as II |
acre nv own grandfather-sometimes
If c,7leoe. with whom she had several
heated arguments, and sometimes sAe
wouId make q statement or remarkable
fraukness on the subject OF her morse
farming affairs TO FURRY, VINO, very nach
on mis- best behavior, agreed with all shs
said and risked no original remark -
| listened 10 them both, | remembered
with infinite amusement how ne had told
me once that q pct name she had for
him was TONY L~umpkin.' and no oae
Int herself knew what she meant BY it
II seemed strange that she made no al
lnvion ia Trinket's colt or to FURRY S
birthday bnf mindful of my Instructions
| held my peace.
AZ at about $50 o'clock, we drove
away in the moonlight, FURRY congratn-
lated me solemnly on my success with
his grandmother He was good enough
10 tell me that she would marry me to-
morrow If | asked her. and he wished ]
would. ever if it was only 10 see what
q nice grandson he'd be for me-. a sym
pathetic giggle behind me told me that
Michael. on the back seat. had heard
and relished the jest.
We had left the gates Of Aussola7
; about half a mile behind. when. at the
corner of a %by-road, FURRY pulled up. 4
short. squat figure arose from the black
shadow of a furze bush and came on
into the moonlight, swinging its arms like
a cabman and cursing audibly
"Oh murder. oh murder. Misther Flur-
nv, What kept We at all? 'Twould perish
the crows to be waiting here the way
! am these two hours"
'Ah, shut your mouth, Slipper said
FURRY, who, to my surprise, had turnec
! back the rug and was taking off his driv.
ing coat, L couldn't help it. Come or
; Yeates, we've got to get out here"
: "What for?" | asked. in not unnatura
7 bew:lderment.
Its all right. III tell you as We g
! along replied my companion, Who wa:
!, already turning to follow Slipper up TIE
by-road. Take the trap on, Michae
and wait at the Rivers Cross" He wait
:, ed for me to cone Up With him, and ther
put his hand on my arm. "You see
Q Major, this is the way it is. Ny grand
mothers given me that colt right'enoush
but if | waited for her to send him Over
to me Id never see q hair Of his tail. s.
just thought that as We were Owe
here we might as we'll take him bacl
with us, and maybe you'll give US a he'll
with him; he'n not be altogether too hand.
\ for a first go off
y / was sta ggered. An infant in arm
g could scarcely nave failed to discern tn
ftshiness of the transaction, and | begget
g Mr.. Knox not to put himself to thi
a trouble on my account, as | had no doub
i / could find a horse for my friend else
= ~ vi 4A1ioA D2NA LiS AAitt - w.
II 10 trouble at all, quite the contrary, an
r, that, since his grandmother had give.
it him the colt, he saw no reason why II
!, should not take him when he wantc
him; also, that if I didn't want him he
n be glad enough to keep him himself; and
& finally, that l wasn't the chap to go bac
on a friend, but | was welcome to dirty
d back to Shreelane with Michael this
minute if I liked.
Of course : yielded in the end. toll
FURRY l should lose my job over til
business, and he said I could then MARI
his grandmother, and the discussion wa
&c abruptly closed by the necessity of fol
:, lowing Slipper over a locked fye-barre
gate.
; Our pioneer took us over about half
g mile of country, knocking down ston
gaps where practicable and scramblin
over tall banks in the deceptive moon
id light. We found ourselves at length i
T. q field with a shed IN one corner OF 1t
d in q dim group Of farm buildings a littl
way eff q light was shining.
Of wait here said FURRY to me in
whisper; 1.-The less noise the better. It
Il an open shed. and we'll just slip in an
T coax him out
% Slipper unwound from his waist
IS halter, and my colleagues glided lik
y spcctres into the shadow of the she,
: leaving me to mediate on my duties a
q Resident Magistrate, and on the questio
that would be asked in the House by on
te local member when Slipper had give
CT away the adventure in mis- cups.
le IN less than a minute three shadow
II emerged from the shed, where two Il
Il gone in. They had got the colt.
He came out as quiet as a calf whe
ie he MINDED the sugar said FURRY; 9.
! was we'll for me | filled my pockets fro3
g~randnama's sugar BASIN
IS He and Slipper had a rope from eac
side Of the colts head; they took hi
quickly across q field toward q gate. TIL
! colt stepped daintily between them owe
! the moonlit grass; he snorted occasional
: II, but appeared on the whole amenabI,
The trouble began later. and was dut
as trouble often is, to the beguilement
of a short cut. Against the matur:
III Judgment of S1irrar IHjurcv inCiCfod r