Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1904-11-10
Che Major
BY Hltce 6. HlIen
Copyright, 1904, bg Alice E. Allen

| him dain.ily as he stood near the ter
| race.
The Major had taken the apple care
| fully from the Girls soft hand He
had blinked slow Thank you with
| his great kind eyes. Then ut Dicks
| command he had trotted gravely away
| Next to Dick, Major loved the Girl.
| Sometimes lie grew inpatient even
| with Dick. Now was one of the times.
| The rich flavor of that late russell still
fingered in his mouth. He wondered
| the Major-if the Gid herself never
| grew impatient with Dick.
| OF course the Girl loved Dick. One
| couldn't help that. even if one did
| grow impatient sometimes and want
| to be off on Il stiff trot when one was
told to walk But did Dick loye the
| Girl? Or was it Geraldine?
| He went to see Geraldine nearly
| every week, and almost never TO see
| the Girl. But time was, not so long
| ago, Zen they Dick and the Major
| W
| il every day.
| To be sure, they always had waited.
| And sometimes, the Major remember
ed now with a sigh, he had grown res
tive and impatient with the long delay.
| But in time the Girl had always COME
| well worth waiting for. And before
she stepped into the carriage she had
| H.. L ~ i I IL.
lump of sugar or told him admiringly
| what fine horse he was.
| Geraldine never noticed him at all,
| except TO scream when he jumped at
| an automobile. The Major didn't APP
| prove of Geraldine, although, perhaps,
| she was prettier than the Girl But
Dick evidently did approve of her.
The Major chewed away OH his crisp
! hay ana medtated Sometimes he felt
| that he must do something desperate,
something that would open Dicks eyes
| TO the superiority of the Girl.
The Major meditated long time
over his hay before Dick came to har-
ness him The Major saw, with joy
| that it was the single carriage which
| was drawn out. not the surrey. That
only two people should ride together
in the same carriage ut the same time
was one of the Majors pet theories
Dick whistled all through the har-
Messing. The Major didn't know one
tune from another, but he did know
that when Dick whistled he was in
good humor SO he, the Major. pranced
little as he had always done when
he was young. to show that he. too,
| was light hearted.
The Major crossed the bridge with
a slow, steady trot, increased his pace
up the long hill, dashed determinedly
| by the turn which led to Geraldines
and, his head held high. drew up be-
| fore the Girls house.
When he looked around at his mas
| ter Dick did not seem i'll pleased. He
seemed surprised, but that may have
| been because the Girl was ready and
waiting.
| She came down the walk. She Wore
| a blue shirt waist and her prettiest hat.
| In her slender, ungloved hand was a
great lump of sugar.
"Its for you, SIR she said, reach
| ing up the crisp lump to Major, Then
she stood on tiptoe and patted his nose.
| Good Major good old Major" she
| said softly to him. Il believe" she
added to Dick as he helped her into
| the carriage, that the Major under
! stands me thoroughly"
| Lucky Major" said Dick as he took
the lines. Il wish l hal horse sense
| The Girl laughed. Major would 90
| mile over sandy roads to hear her
| laugh. Now he started off at bis best
| gait. He soon found that they We're
| going out into the country. OF that
| the Major approved fully.
| Dick and the Girl conversed read
| lily enough on various subjects-the
| weather. the roads, the outlook for a
| good hay crop Interesting as this
last topic usually was to Major, he
felt vaguely dissatisfied now Why
| couldn't that stupid Dick say some
thing which would bring back to the
| Girls voice the tone she had used
when she said good old Major?" One
| had only TO look at her, the Major
| knew Twas easy enough.
Major shifted and trotted on. Well
| he knew the road-every inch of it.
| 1t led, up hill and down, past gay lit
tie brooks, between fields bright with
| cowslips, and orchards white with the
| snow of cherry blooms, to the pine
| grove on the bank OF the river where
! the arbutus grew.
The wind was soft and sweet with
| the kis IS it had stolen from the vio-
| lets. Hosts of dainty buets raised
their pretty parasols in the dust of the
7 Iyuysicit TIC %ocid WIS reiyn, glAe
and In its May.
The Major wished that he could talk
| How stupid to be only a horse! For as
! they went on and on silence fell upon
| the occupants of the carriage The Ma.
| tor's head dropped lower and lower He
went more and more slowly.
The Girl hummed a careless little tune
under her breath. Dick addressed all
| of his remarks TO the Major, and the
| Major did rs he thought best about
obeying.
Majors lazy today" said Dick
| .,l,