Mower County transcript., 1906-03-28


Dick could outrun Pirat Il Pirate
kept Ito the road 1lsst Dick would bring him
down butR irate took into hls
head to vault fence Narburrttsoan3
shudd ddered Faster, taste, over this
roll of earth, clattering across this
bridge, around this curve and that
angle Once the ssig III. off a team draw sl,,t
{ ing a huge grain wagon sent aE,shiver
to Warburto = heart But they sthunn-
.dered past with q foot to spare. The
old negro on the seat stared after
them his ebony face drawn it'll won
der and the whites Of his eyes showing.
Foot by foot, yard hy yard the space
lessened till Dick Isl nose was. within
three feet Of Pirate \ flowing tail.
Warburton fairly q lifted Dick along
with his knees. z only wish i could
describe the &c 4 as IN u jehu told lit
to me The descrip ption held me by the
throat il could see the flashing by Jof
trees and houses and fields; the scam
pering Of fpiccaninnies across the road;
the horses from the meadows dashing
up to the fences and Whinnying; the
fine, stone and dust which Pirates rat
-tling heels threw into my jehu's face
and eyes; the old pain throbbing
anew in. his leg. And when he finally
drew alongside the j black brute and
saw the white, set face of 1.-THE. girl he
loved. can imagine no greater mo-
ment but one in his life. There was
no fear on her face, but there was ap-
peal in her eyes as she half turned her
head. He leaned across the intervening
space and slid his arm around her
waist. The two horses came together
and twisted his leg cruelty. His jaws
snapped. .s#..
.'tLet the stirrup go!" he cried. ''Let
go, quick!''3 She heard him. 1*Your
knee from the horn! can't keep them
together any longer. Now!"z. f.. :.
Brave and plucky and cool she was.
She obeyed him instantly. There was
a mighty heaye, a terrible straining
of the back and the knees, and Pirate
was freed of his precious. burden! The
hardest part Of it came now. Dick
could not be made to slow down
abruptly. He wanted to keep right on
after his rival. ! So, between holding
the girl with. his right arm and pulling
the horse with his left, ,Warburton
saw that he could keep up this terri
BILE effort but a very short time. Her
arms were convulsively wound around
his neck, and this added to the strain.
Not word did she say; her eyes were
closed, as if she expected any moment
to be dashed to the earth.
But Dick was only mortal horse.
The fierce run and the double burden
began to tell, and shortly his head
came up. Warburton stopped him.
The girl slid to the ground, and in a
moment he was at her side. And just
In time. The reaction was too much
for her Dazedly she brushed her
hair from her eyes, stared wildly at
Warburton and tainted. He did not
catch her with that graceful precision
which on the stage is sosfamiliar to lis.
No. He was lucky to5' snatch one Of
her arms, thus preventing her head
from striking the road. He dragged
her to the side of the highway and
rested her head on his shaking knees.
Things grew dark for time. To tell
the truth, he himself was very close
to that feminine weakness which the
! old fellows, in their rough and ready
plays, used to call ''vapours."' But he
forced his heart to steady itself.
And what do you suppose the rascal
did-with nobody but Dick to watch
him? Why, he did what any healthy
young man in love would have done;
pressed his lips. to the girls hair,
his eyes filling and half a sob in his
parched throat. He dolefully pictured
himself a modern .Antiochus, dying of
love and never confessing it. Then he
Kissed her hair again; only her hair,
for somehow he felt that her lips were
as yet inviolable to his touch. -
Painting is but transltory; by ana
+. by she opened her eyes and stared
vaguely into the face above her. do
not know what she saw there; what
ever it was caused her to struggle to
. her feet There was color enough
in her cheeks now; and, there was a
question, too. in her eyes. OF War
burton it asked. '.What did YOU do
when I lay there unconscious" I'm
afraid there was color in his face, too.
Her gaze Immediately roved up the
road. There was no Pirate, only a
haze of dust. Doubtless he was still
going it, delighted over the trouble he
had managed to bring about. Warbur-
ton knelt at the girls side and brushed
the dust from her skirt. She eyed
him curiously. I shan't say that she
smiled; don't know, for I wasn't
there. =. y 7. }}s., = g. - 3. -, T.
% Mnanwhiih sho nnadn several f11ti1a