Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-17

ana TOOK special JOY HI buS ing anu hAo'S~A
ing the most unmanageable horses he could /
find
How so wretched horseman could avert |
had falls or even death was a mystery to |
all who knew him. 1t was seemingly py |
his own sheer will power and brutal |
strength of mind and body that he re-
manned triumphant over the worst horse,
was never thrown nor failed to conquer his /
mount.
II was one of the sights of Granite to see
Caleb Conover careering down the nam |
avenue of the residence district, backing
some foaming. plunging hunter, whose whd-
est efforts could never shake that stin IN |
domitable figure from its seat. With wal |
looping elbows and jerking shoulders, the |
,,urnadar was wont to thunder his way at |
top speed up and down suburban byways;
melting his horse to its worst tricks, tempt
W. il to buck kick. wheel or rear. And
,hen the maddened brute at length in
suIged in any or all of these maneuvers, a
10Y of battle would light the riders face
as. with unbreakable knee grip and self
possession that never deserted him, ne
logged the steed into subsection.
In telling Lefty that there was no horse
he could not safely manage and control
Conover had but repeated an oft-made
budSt-d DudSl WHOSE Il utH hC tASAN q "NO'
of times proven. He was not a constant
equestrian. He never rode for the mere
Measure of it. In ordinary moments he
cared little for such recreation. But when
he was angered, perplexed, or desired to
freshen faded nerves or brain, his first or
der was for his newest. worst-tempered
horse.
A. he rode so enthusiastically and as
the horse he selected was usually one which
even his puckiest grooms feared TO eXer-
else the brute in question was fairly Ger
tain to be in a state of rampant, rank
freshness and to require the best work
of two men to lead him from the stables
to the porte-coChere. AS few steeds could
long withstand such training as ConoVer
Infected he forever changing mounts
The horse of the hour would wax so tame
and doCile as to preclude further excite
m.st or would break a blood vessel or go
dead lame in one of the fierce CONNECTS
with lis master. Then a new mount must
he sought out.
II was barely a month earlier that Caleb
had discovered Dunderberg and had bought
The great black stallion at outrageouSly
high price. And thus far the purchase still
d.Ii.ht-I him. for Dunderberg not only
showed no signs of cringinS to the master
fiery Will but daily grew hercer and more
So. willie Mrs. Conover trembled. wept
and alternately prayed and watched the
length of driveway beyond her window, the
kailr,adrr was wont to dash at breakneCk
speed along the farther country roads, atop
his huge black horse, checking the MAD
pace only for occasional battles-royal with
The yVer-I.acti"us beast.
Tonight. coming atop the previous excite |
m-rt Of the pleasant home hour, the !
strain on Lefty was too great ClinglnS
convulsively to Anice. the poor woman
wept with a hysterical abandon that al
most frightened the girl Tenderly. low
ingly aS mother the girl soothed the
trembling old lady; comforting her as only
"A woman OF great heart and small hand
can. quieting at length the shuddering hys-
trrics into half-stiiled sobs.
Had Caleb Conover upstairs wrestling
with an overnight riding boot CHANGED upon
the group. he would have been sore puzzled
to recognize i'll this all-tender. plying
maiden the colby reserved secretary on
whose unruffied composure and steady
nerve he had utterly come To rely.
oh. it's horrible-horrible. painted Mrs
Corovrr finding voice as the sobs SUBJ
~. YES. l know" soothed Anice. But
Won don't know. You can't know. 1t
isn't only the horse. It's everything!
sometimes wonder how L stand il. Each
time il seems if
and tired. Let me take you upstairs
No II does me good. There's never been
any one | could talk to. And sometimes
l'y felt Id give all liilS
and everything just for one hour flehu-
shin with any one who really cared.
lGuJ care. Really, really do Let me
help YOU. won't you, please? want so
much To.
=" HELM, me-" echoed the weeping woman,
with as near an approach to bitterness as
her crushed spirit could muster. G delp
me- How can any one help one OF CaIeo
Couoler's slaves? And | am the only one
OF them all who has no hope of escape.
The others can leave him and find work
some where else. Even the horses he loves
to fight nave the satisfaction of hghtlns
back But | haven't courage enough to DO
r.Ih.r of those things. What can doE
Il was the first time in their three years
of daily intercourse that Anice l-anler had
seen OF SO much as suspected the existence
nf tu-s feeble. spark of resentment in the
Older Wumau's cowed soul. 1t dumfounded
her and left her for the time without pow
cr of cnusoiing.
Do Won know. Miss I.anier.' went on
Iatty. AT one time l hated you? Yes
as She noted the panied surprise In the
girls big tear-swimming eyes-"actualiy
hated YOU. You were all was not. You
were not afraid of him. He deferred to
YOU. He never deferred to me, or TO any
one else hut YOU since he was porn. re
never cared for me. And he did care Tor
You. l.: | We're to die
Mrs CunoVer"'
Anic.. had shaken off Mrs Conover
cliugiug hands. and was on her feet' her
eyes dIy. her cheeks blazing.
&
p.red the invalid. Il didn't mean any harm
Iuu said YOU wanted to help me. Ana on,
If YOU only knew what a help II rs TO De
abb. t. speak out for once in my lie With-
out fear of that terrible VIII power or
CaIeb's choking me 81 ent! don't hate you
now ! didn't as soon as l saw YOU cared
nothing for him. For YOU don L | see more
than people think And-1 suppose It's WICK
ed of me 10 even think of such thinSs-but
when I die il will be good 10 know Caleb
VII for once be baked in his wishes, for
you'u never marry him. | know that.
Il can't listen To you exclaimed mice.
You are not yourself or you won dn't talk
So. Please
MAY | come in?'
Both women. with the wondr"us art Which
their sex alone can master. had dropped
into conventional attitudes with their backs
To- the light by the time the intrud"r's first
word was spoken AS Give Standish passed
through the poTt:eres into the library. he
saw only that its two occupants were seat
ed one reading. the other crocheting, In
polite boredom. each evidently quite willing
that their prolonged session OF dreary small
talk should be interrupted.
Good evening. Aunt Lefty. said Give. as
he stopped over the excited woman and
kissed her. Il called to see Mr.. Conover on
a matter of some Importance. The foOtman
not sure whether he couid-or would