Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-03-27
The House of the Black
BEL ..e.s Ring Copyright. 1905
CHAPTER V.
THE HORSE RACING ON THE
MOON RUN.


MOON RUN.
II had been an open winter For six
weeks the roads had been half-spoke
deep. not with mud, but with that
thick, yellow smear that clings like
birdlime. There had been flurries of
snow when the wind had roared and
when the black ring about the Heller
cabin had stood out sharp and vivid
in the drifts. but there had been no
sleighing. The snow had gone as quick
ly as Il had come. flooding Gum Run
Gap until il roared like a mill-race over
a quarter of mile of road, and barring
Karl Keichline from his Sunday SER
vices for weeks at time. The valley
creek had spread far out on the bot
toms, and the voice OF Roaring Run,
always a dominating note, had become
a hoarse below that echoed even into
the remOtest hooks Of the valley.
on the evening of the day on which
Rose had discovered Jim Farthing' s
little horse, the winter came on in earn
est. II began in "A smother of wet snow
"a foot OF it-like raw putty. A cloudy
day when roads had packed hard and
smooth, Il fierce drop In the night Of
40 degrees, and IN Wednesday morning
the sleighinG was perfect.
IL is not sure who first thought Of
the trip: II may be doubted If any one
did. 1t was one of those spontaneous
affairs when all awake at the same mo-
ment and find that they are thinking
the same thought. Why not a sled ride
over Moon Run and chicken and
waffle supper at the old Snyder house
at the Cross Roads? On Tuesday even
ing not one had dreamed of II; on
Wednesday evening every young per-
son in the valley was ready
When Jim Farthing got the news his
first thought was of Rose. He would
L. l.. IL 4. 4 l.
right down and invite her now. With
in 10 minutes he was in front of the
Hartswick mansion.
Front door or back? It called for
nice judgment. Front doors are OF lit
tie use in the Seven Mountains; for
they are for the minister and the doc
tor and funerals. But this was Harts-
wick Hall, and he hesitated. Only a
moment, however. Who was he that
he should go to the front door of a
weekday and in the forenoon? He
heard brisk, light step. seemingly
started by his knock, when Rose her
self stood framed in the door
"Ah, good morning" She looked
down at her costume and laughed. Her
sleeves were rolled to the elbow; and
her dress was concealed by a bingham
jumper. There was touch of -four on
her check, and more than a dusting of
1t in little lock that had struggled
rebelliously from it's moOrings
Come right in. Want to shakc?"
She held up her fioury hands, laughing
the while.
Think I'm afraid of flour" he asked
jovially, selling her hand with a hearty
grip.
Take this chair, Mr. Farthing." She
pushed him a kitchen rocker.
NO: no chair. I'm not making a
call. Keep right on with your work. "
"Oh, I'm going to-" She looked up
at him with bright eyes and laughed
in a way that thrilled him nightly.
I'm making bread; and you can't stop
you know. after once you've begun"
She turned to her heap OF dough and
began to knead with vigor. Young Jim
could have watched her all day.
Il dropped in to ask II you were go
ing on the ride tonight" 1t took cour-
age, but 1t was not his way to loiter
and wait for hints.
"Sure Wouldn't miss II for any
| thing" She paused a moment and
looked up at him with girlish enthu-
siasm. Karl phoned up that he was
going with his new horse"
oh"
you know-the one he bought over
Altoona way three weeks ago. They
say he's a beauty-fastest thing there
Is round here. He's a perfect bay
| so pap says: seven years old, Is hands
| high, and weighs 1900. How's that?'
And you're going with Karl?"
| Yes Wouldn't miss IT for a farm
You're going aren't you with the lit
tie colt?"
"Yes-perhaps." Somehow the day
| had suddenly gone dark. 1t came to
him with a bitter rush that he was
out of his place The prosperous Keich-
line had every advantage. She had her.
self expressed the difference; the one
drove a magnificent great bay; the 9TH
er, little colt That indeed was the
proportion. He turned to go.
Don't hasten, Mr.. Farthing." she
urged sweetly, turning from her bread
and looking into his eyes as frankly
as child. you've only just got here.
Il must go. can't stay. / must get
| to work" She went with him to the
door, and laughed aloud when he SHOOK
her doughy hand.
See you on the ride" she called mer-
rily, and he was down the path and
| in the road and driving pell-mell home
before he realized just what he was
! about
The cloud that was to shadow young
Jim's life had arisen now, and 1t was
racing black and threatening, to the
! zenith.
The sled ride began auspiciously. II
was a beautiful night, thick at first
with stars that glittered in the still
| cold. Then the moon came up, roll
| ing, large and round, over the snags
OF Turkey Ridge, casting long shad-
ows down the valleys, and then flood
! ing all with that marvellous glory that
comes only with the snowy night and
the radiant moon.
But the focal point Of all the land
sCape was the "bobsled." n long bod
led affair half full Of straw, and packed
| tight with young folk, who sang and
! laughed and abandoned themselves tC
| the witChery of the hour as only young
sters can. In front and behind were
the single cOuples-boys who had a
rig" of their own and a girl, and staid
pairs at the critical junction between
Courtship and matrimony.
Up at the head of the line was
Karl KeiChline, with Rose beside hin
in his smart new sleigh. His horse
was indeed a magnificent One-a met
tlesome. hard-bitted, long -geared fell
low that kept his driver constantly or
the alert 1t was evident that the
sleek postmaster remained with the
group only through courtesy. A single
word, loOsening of the reins, and
zip, he would be out of the landscape
in a twinlding. 1t was understood that
on the home trip Rose was to drive
and they were to have a free road.
At the rear of the procession. ut
terly unnOticed and unthought of
were the Farthing brothers and the
| colt Tom was driving and Jim sat
! curled down, black and silent and pre-
occupied. He had not even wanted tC
drive the horse.
Through winding valleys, between the
zigZagging parallels of rail fences, into
dark gaps where the songs echoed
strangely from the ragged walls, out
into tangles of scrub oak and yellow
pine, and through lanes of rhododen-
dron weirdly clinging to its green TO-
liage even among the January SHOWS
mile after mile wound the gay cav
alcade.
Bright, sunny days will soon pass
away"
came the sweet chord from the sled
-girlish sopranos and altos blending
rarfaatlv with farnrS on1 housao FOR