The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1909-08-21
he Witch Of
the Hunt
Copyright, by ]. B. Lippincott Coz
BY ALFRED sToDDART

me spring races of the Meadow
thorpe Hunt club were in progress.
Along the improvised race course
which partially surrounded the polo
Held and skirted the lawn of the club
house number of vehicles of various
sorts, ranging from four-in-hand
coaches to break-carts, were drawn up,
and the whole scene, the fresh green
OF the turf lighted by the gay gowns
OF the women, the blue sky overhead,
and the smiling landscape all around,
was one which might readily defy the
brush of an artist.
A little blue-eyed girl, whose trim
riding habit betrayed perfect figure,
albeit slight, and whose sunny hair
beneath her straw riding hat escaped
IN tiny rlnglets, as though defying the
attempted severity of it's ''doing up"
whose dainty feet in swagger riding
boots could just be seen beneath the
habit fastened up to her waist, Peggy
Strangeways, the witch of Meadow
thorpe, made her.way unescorted and
unattended from the clubhouse porch
through the throng of carriages and
people to the improvised paddock,
where tent had been erected to shell
ter the clerk Of the scales and his
paraphernalia.
The Witch Of Meadowthorpe had
won her title not from the spells
which she cast over mankind, al
though she often amused herself in
THIS very manner, but by her wonder
tul influence over horses. Not only
did she witch the world" with horse
manshlp, but the horse as we'll. She
seemed to cast spell over all equine
nature. The most vicious brute in her
hands was as gentle as a Shetland
pony.
Peggy made her way into the weigh
ing tent and the men stood aside re-
spectfully to let her pass. She was
in search of some one. Had anyone
seen John Fogarty? r.
'Mornin', Miss Peggy" said Fogarty
moment later when she encountered
him just outside the tent. The bell
had just rung for the first race-a polo
pony affair-and there. was much ex-
element in getting the little racers
saddled and off to the starting posts.
Woodworking, John. Are you going
to start Whalebone?"
Deed we are, miss, but as for stop
PIN hlm-well, that's another natter
said Fogarty, his honest red face light
ing up with pleasure at his own w.t.
How is Mr.. Braddon this morn
ing" ..
Il guess Mr. Jack must be getting
all right again. He was a-cussin'
pretty strong this morning cause he
couldn't ride instead O. settin' trussed
up like an ole woman in run-about,
with two broken ribs and a collar
bone busted s 5.~
us he here YETI" r.
Not he. But he'll be here in time
to see Whalebone break Tim Grogan's
neck for him. Ff& E*SS
Don't talk SO, John. You make me
shudder. Whalebone can't be so bad
as all that
I've handled some bad uns, miss,
and don't want a wuss one than
Whalebone-when he is bad For he's
like lot more good horses and some
women begin your pardon, miss
just like the little girl, you know, with
curl down the middle Of her forrid.
When's he's good he's orful good, but
when he's bad he's 'orrid.''
John" said Peggy, after Fogarty
had finished his eulogy, "step aside a
little. want to speak to you quietly
She whispered few words into Fo-
gartys respectfully inclined ear which
brought look Of horror to his honest
face, and to which he vouchsafed no
answer but a decided shake of his
head in the negative. A few more
words from Peggy elected nothing
more than further and more decided
shakes of the head, but Peggy's witch
craft was not for nothing.
By and by honest John Fogarty's
head ceased wagging sideways and re-
NAMED stationary, and ultimately it
went up and down, slowly and reluc-
family, but still up and down. Peggy's
witchcraft had at last prevailed.
Whereupon the witch, having cast her
spell, gave him few parting injunc-
lions and vanished, leaving Fogarty as
bewildered and anxious as was ever
an honest Irishman. 1S'
Jack Braddon had been laid up for
the last two weeks with two ribs and
collar bone broken. Gossip had it
that there had been another fracture
of far more serious nature-in short,
that Peggy Strangeways had broken
his heart. Certainly Jack was in
very blue and respondent condition
for man who had only sustained
such injuries as are looked upon as
the fortunes Of war in the hunting
field
+ It did seem a, little rough. After
hunting and dancing and flirting with
him all winter, Peggy had suddenly
sent Jack about his business with the
advent of spring for no apparent rea-
son whatever, at least no reason which
was apparent to the Meadowthorpe
set.
There was no logical reason why
she shouldn't marry Jack Braddon
He was well off, young, good-looking,
and as passionately fond of horses as
WAS Peggy herself. All Meadowthorpe,
except a few impressionable young
men who had been touched them
selves by Peggys witchcraft, had ar
ranged the match some months back,
and it was looked upon as highly in
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