Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-05
D1ILY. STORY.
A RIDE FOR LIBERTY.
[Original.1

|
of both. The horses would not be in
teresting without the girl, and with
out the horses there would be no story.
Charlotte DeForest is the girl i'll
question, and she was the belle of the
| blue grass region. She could ride and
| shoot and dance and fiirt and was Z
constant terror to her father and moth
| er lest she be thrown from some of
the wild horses she rode or get shot
| while hunting or, worst of all, make 4
| match with some undesirable party.
Her father, however. gave her Il free
rein in everything except marriage.
| So long as Charlotte was fancy free
her fathers statement did not interest
| her. but one day came Hall Dangler,
! young Tennesseean who had every
| trait to make him unacceptable to old
| people and every trait to make him
acceptable to the young. He had late
| " inherited Il plantation near Muir
| freesboro, with fair bank account.
| besides stocks and bonds. This he
was proceeding to run through as rap
| idly as possible and had already got
away with Il full quarter of it. He
was handsome as picture, reckless,
|
| to capture Il girl of nineteen.
Dangler made short work with Char
| lotte DeForest's heart. But Charlotte
knowing that her father would diSap
prove of him, said nothing about her
love and would not permit her lover
to ask for her hand. Her parents took
fright the moment Dangler appeared
on the scene; but. as he put in no
claim for their daughter and their
daughter did not admit any Partially
for the young scapegrace, there Wa
no excuse TO keep the two apart. The
best the parents could do was to make
new rule that Charlotte should not in
future leave the premises with any
young man without other company.
Against this Charlotte protested with
out avail. Both she and her lover
knew we'll that it was directed against
them, and from that moment they act
ed as prisoners eager to secure liberty.
They began by deliberately breaking
the rule. riding away together. Mr.
DeForeSt sent Il servant To recall them.
Affairs had not yet gone so far that
Charlotte would disobey, but 1t was
not long before she knew that certain
OF the household had been deputed to
watch her. Then she learned that her
father had so far perfected sys
tenn of espionage that ii would be i'm
possible for her to get away with her
lover even if she desired to do so.
Just as soon as she discovered this she
made up her mind to break through
the Gordon placed about her at the first
opportunity.
One morning Mr.. DeForest was in
field near the house trying some horses.
His stablemen We're showing their
PAGES before him. Charlotte and Hall
Dangler went over to take n look ut
the stock. Charlotte had her own sad
die brought out and insisted on trying
one of the horses. When she dismount-
ed, Dangler asked permission to mount
another. Then the two made motions
to mount at the same time, but Mr..
DeFOrest ordered his daughter to de
sist. and DanGler rode off alone.
More than an hour was spent trying
the horses. Dangler mounted Il mum
Der in succession and under prctensc
of testing their speed rode them till
they were we'll nigh exhausted. Miss
DeForest after having been checked |
by her father would not mount again, |
but stood pOuting, looking on, holding |
her horse by the bride rein. There |
was one horse called Simon that Dan |
gler pronounced incapable of any speed |
whatever, and the animal was left |
with his bride rein thrown over Il |
fence post Presently, after Il few
whispered words between the lovers, |
Charlotte mounted and rode toward |
the house. All except Dangler Were |
too preoccupied to notice that sh, |
passed the house and was soon lost t. |
view down the road. Then suddenly |
Dangler mounted Simon and dashed |
after her.
Mount! Quick!' shouted Mr.. De
Forest. Five hundred dollars to the
man who catches them
There We're three stablemen and six |
horses, all in the stable having been |
brought out. Two of the horses being |
saddled, two of the men mounted ana |
rode away, while the remaining man |
saddled one of the remaining horses |
This Mr.. DeForest mounted himself |
He was too old to join in the race but
wished TO follow. The two men in
advance pushed on with fair speed |
for awhile, but it was not long before
they discovered that their horses
freshness had been worn out by Dan
gler in his pretended efforts to test their
speed. Miss DeForest's horse had not
been used at all, and Simon, ridden by
Dangler, was fresh as a daisy. The
plan, which was not premeditated, had
simply been to show the old people
that they could not control the young |
ones movements. The only premedi |
tated thing about 1t was Hall Dan
gler's wearing out the horses so that |
the couple could not be pursued to ad
vantage. First one follower Jagged |
then the other, and when Mr.. DeFor
est came up he found both out of the |