Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-03-19
The House of the Black.
81 : Pate: Ring Copyright. 1905
CHAPTER ur-continued.
By F. L. Pattee

bul sue ulds ~ Wa' &o 81,
were strapped on. She anticipated
J every moyement and checked and
refined and braced and swung. until
after q moment the scared morse
lighted out full speed on a straight
away trot, as III she were In a sulky
and on the homestretch, 1T was an
experience to shake the life out OF one,
but the girl kept her seat. 1t was as
IL she had always ridden that way. In
three minutes she had the horse in a
rocking canter. Then Jim loped up
on the mustang. He was perched pre-
cariously on the side-saddle, and his
face was full OF apprehension. She
looked over al him and laughed.
This is fine!" she cried, turning to
him a face fairly radiant with enjoy
ment.
why, I'd no idea she'd do that" he
began TO apologize. You see she
never"
But isn't she a little wonder, though?
My, can't she gol ! had no idea you
had such a horse" Her hair was shak-
en- in curly little wisps about her face,
and her cheeks were glowing. She
seemed 10 be perched carelessly on the
saddle, so that the slightest movement
might shake her off.
by George. / thought she'd kill you
sure. Aren't you hurt? Aren't you
shaken all to pieces? Wait, let me
help you down"
'Pshaw! that's nothing. I'm going
TO ride some more. It's fun" She
laughed up at him again in a way that
made her finger-tips prickle.
Say" he burst out. II don't believe
there's another girl in the state who
could have lone it. l don't believe
there's half a dozen in the whole
world" There was no MISLEADING the
lone In the young fellows voice.
THE idea! | can't ride much. But.
say, this is no saddle horse. She's a
trotter."
II know 1t"
Really? Then what are you riding
her for2 You're spelling her
Young Jim could have told the exact
truth, but he didn't. He preferred to
keep silent.
You're too heavy in the first place.
You must welgh"-looking him over
with Judging eye-'all Of one hundred
and eighty"
"one hundred n eighty-four ex-
actly."
That's it, and the mare here goes
barely 900. And she's a fine-boned, SEN
sitive little thing. It's risky for you
TO be jumping her around on these
miserable roads, and besides that you
are teaching her 50 she'll break every
time just at the critical minute. Has
h ever trotted to a sulky?"
She's got a record of 2:25,"
"No-o-o! Why, Mr.. Farthing. / never
dreamed you had such n horse up there.
When did you get herr"
I've had her ever since she was a
colt"
III / had known It ] should have had
her out before this time, I'll tell you
that" She looked up al him archly,
and then laughed in mere girlish full
ness of life. Say / want to try her
In the harness some time? May II"
why, yes. Certainly
Right OFF? This week?"
Its muddy for trotting. amt it?
The roads are all like this, or worse"
There's the Gum Stump pike she
suggested. That's fairly hard now"
"All right. VIII you go with me
some afternoon this week and try her?
Say Thursday. WIN your he asked
eagerly, refining his horse a little closer.
Yes, l can go Thursday. Say, / be-
lieve IL this mares handled right she's
better than 1925. Just see what a chest
she's got and what a neck and should
ers, and see hat clean, dainty little
head. Why. her records written all
over her"
We've been pretty busy up to our
place. and | really haven't had time to
exercise her"
III uOi \ SOh = (IiG #WllIilGS hO
tt2" she flashed up at him mischievous-
ly. up i'm the old house there? They're
out, you known"
Are they? Perhaps / can he
laughed. Guess you'd be safer, though;
when shall / call?'
Two IL you can. I've got TO be back
by FIVE. Here we are" She drew up
the horse suddenly and turned him
partly around. wen have to swap
horses here; I've got an errand Il mile
down this road. Here now. hootchie,
don't o shy when / jump off. Here!
here! See that? Haven't 1 got her
tanned? Why, in a week she'd be just
like a kitten, wouldn't she? What's
her name?" She had alighted and stood
fondling the horses nose.
"Dolly-Dolly Gray"
Fine! Well, 'goodby. Dolly Gray"
She sang h words, then laughed up
into his face with mere JOY OF life. An
instant later she was on her own horse
and off down the branch road. A dozen
bounds n she turned lightly in her
saddle.
"Goodby. till Thursday she called.
Then she swung around the bend out of
sight.
1t was a full minute before he had
collected himself enough fully TO realize
what he was about. No wonder the
boys lost their heads. Young Jim had
lost his for the first time in his life.
For him now there was but one thing
in all the world. and that was Thurs
day-but much was to happen before
Thursday.
CHAPTER Nv.