The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1905-08-29
Che Major
BY HItcs 6. HlIen
COPYRIGHT, 1901, by Alice E. Allen


had blinked slow THANK you" with
his great kind eyes. Then at Dick g
command he had trotted gravely away.
Next to Dick. Major loved the Girl.
Sometimes he grew impatient 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 Girl 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 stiff trot when one was
told to walk. But did Dick love 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, when they-Dick and the Major
had waited before the Girls door near
ly 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
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 ap-
prove of Geraldine, although, perhaps,
she was prettier than the Girl. But
Dick evidently did approve of her,
The Major chewed away on his crisp
hay and meditated. 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 1t was the single carriage which
was drawn out, not the surrey. That
only two people should ride together
in the same carriage at 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
slow, steady trot, increased his pace
up the long hill, dashed determinedly
by the turn which led to Geraldine's
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
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 carnage, that the Major under
stands me thoroughly"
Lucky Major" said Dick as he took
the lines. Il wish had horse sense"
The Girl laughed Major would go
mile over sandy roads to hear her
laugh. Now he started off at his best
gait He soon found that they were
going out into the country. OF that
the Major approved fully.
Dick and the Girl conyersed read
lily enough on various subjects-the
weather, the roads, the outlook for
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 Maori" 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 kisses it had stolen from the vio-
let's. Hosts of dainty bluets raised
their pretty parasols in the dust Of the
wayside The world was very fair
and in its May.
The Major wished that he could talk
How stupid to be only horse! For as
they went on and on silence fell upon
the occupants Of the carriage. The Ma
jor's head dropped lower and lower. He
went more and more slowly.
The Girl hummed careless little tune
under her breath Dick addressed all
of his remarks to the Major, and the
Major did as he thought best about
obeying.
Majors lazy today" said Dick
gloomily. Hes scarcely worth his
feed; believe I'll sell him when a chance
Offers
The Girls voice was sweet. but a tri-
fie strained, when she responded. The
Major, who paid more attention to tones
than to words. knew that something
must be done for her. What should IT
be? he unused as he walked slowly along
the road
Then they turned from the main road
and went along rough, uneven wagon
track through pasture toward the
woods
In the woods something might hap
pen. Woods sweet with pine and pink
with arbutus offered many opportuni-
ties for the adjustment of complicated
love affairs.
Once under the pines before Dick
could fasten the Major to a tree in a
cleared space the Girl was out Of the
carriage and away through the green
glooms.
Dick followed more slowly. Major
stood quietly. Things seemed to go
well at first. Then there came silence,
then another longer one; then there was
no conversation at ALL
After awhile the Girl came out from
under the trees. Her face was sober,
Dick came behind her. She ran up to
him-the Major-and gave him some
grass. She slipped her arm around his
neck and said in very low voice: Ma
jor, / wouldn't be so stupid as your
master is-not for worlds! Would your
Then she ran away again through
! the soft gold green shadows. Dick fol-
lowed. There was a look on his face
which Major remembered to have seen
there once before when he, the Major,
had entered horse race.
Major munched the grass and lis
tened. He could hear Dicks voice
speaking earnestly. Then came the
Girls, coolly defiant, tantalizing; then