Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-11

she have permitted this groom to know But
Pirate, with that rare instinct of the horse
knew that his mistress was not sure of
hlm He showed the whites of
his eyes and began paving the gravel. The
girl glanced covertly at her groom and
found no color in his cheeks. Two small.
muscular Jumps appeared at the corners of
her jaws She would ride Pirate and moth
ing should stop her; nothing, nothing.
w omanlike, knowing herself to be in the
wrong, she was furious.
And Pirate surprised them both. During
the hrst mile he behaved himself In the
most gentlemanly fashion; and if he SHE'D
once or twice, waltZed a little it was only
because he was full of life and spirit. They
trotted. they cantered, ran and walked.
Warburton, hitherto holding himself in
readiness for whatever might happen re-
Taxed the tension of his muscles. and his
shoulders sank relievedly. Perhaps. after
all. his alarm had been needless, The trou-
Die with Pirate might be the infreuueucy
WIN Whlcn ne had been saddled and ridden
But he knew that the girl would not soon
forget his interference. There would be
more humiliation, more bitter pills for him
to swallow. 1t pleased him. however. to
with Pirate.
AS for the most beautiful person in all
the great world, 1 am afraid that she was
beginning to feel self-important. Now that
her confidence was fully restored, she never
once spoke to, or looked at her groom
Occasionally from the corner of her eve
she could see the white patch on Dicks
nose.
James she said maliciously and sud-
denly, go back five yards. 1 wish to ride
alone
Warburton. his face burning, fell back.
And thus she made her first mistake. The
second and final mistake came Immediately
AFTER she touched Pirate with her heel.
ana ne broke from a trot into lively gal
lop. Dick, without a touch Of the boot.
kept his distance to a foot Pirate no
longer seeing Dick at his side CONCLUDED
that he had left his rival behind; and the
suppressed mischief in his black head be-
gan to find an outlet. Steadily he arehed
his neck; steadily but surely he drew down
on the reins The girl felt the effort and
tried to Illustrate it. In backing iIer pull
flashed down the side of Pirates bead-tbe
finishing touch. There was wild lean a
blur of dust and Mr. Pirate. well named
after his freebooting sires. his head down
snare-drum, Mr.. Pirate ran away- headed
for heaven only knew where
For brief moment Warburton lost his
nerve; he was struck with horror. If
would be killed or dreadfully bnrt
and perhaps disfgured. 1t seemed rather
strange, as he recalled It, that Mol
instead of himself, should have taken the
initiative The noble sorrel, formerly a cav
airy horse. shot forward magnificentIv
Doubtless his horse sense took In the situa
ton. or else he did not like the Thought of
yonder proud, supercilious show horse beat
ing him in a running race. So very fast
mile was put to the rear.
The girl, approaching her peril, did as all
good horsewomen would have done: locked
her knee ON the horn and held on. The rush
of wind tore the pins from her hair. which
like q golden plume, stretched out behind
her. Qdave you ever read anything like this
before? dare say. But to Warburton and
the girl 1t never occurred that other ner-
sons had gone through like episodes. 1t was
real. and actual, and single, and tragic to
them.)
The distance between the two horses be-
gan slowly to lessen. and Warburton under
stood, in nebulous way. what the girl had
meant when she said that Dick could outr1n
Pirate. If Pirate kept to the road Dick
would bring him down; but If Pirate took It
into his head to vault fence! Warburton
shuddered. Faster faster. over this roll of
earth. Gathering across this bridge, around
this curve and that angle. Once the sight
of team drawing huge grain wagon sent
a siliver to Warburton's heart But they
Numbered past with foot to spare The
old negro on the seat stared after Them his