The Washburn leader., 1910-10-07
THEIR DAY
OFF

e.e.s.s:
What" cried the tall girl and the
short girl simultaneously and unbe-
lievingly.
"Yes," insisted the fat man and the
thin man, likewise in chorus.
"lf you are going on this merry lit
tie jaunt into the country you will
have to rise with the lark" explained
the thin man, because the car leaves
down town at nine o'clock"
"Oh. well, it isn't as If we couldn't
do it," said the tall girl, heroically.
So the next morning the four Of
them caught the electric car.
There had been a sudden faint driz.
zle of rain, but as they whizzed on
past the last cottages on the prairie
west of town the sun bobbed out again.
The level country was rich green
and the sky was very blue.
Il feel" said the fat man, as though
l were threatened with good time
today"
II have exactly the same feeling"
said the thin man.
After time the level country was
succeeded by country that was broken
and rolling. There were glimpses OF
brooks with the willows trailing vel.
low-green fingers in the water and
clumps of naples and sycamores put
ting out glistening young leaves. Some
grazing cattle threw up their heads
and switched their tails and scared
horse galloped to the farther end of a
meadow as the car shot by.
Through the open car windows came
the persistent, cheerful melody OF
meadow larks. The tall girl had mild
Mysteries when she actually saw two
of the little songsters balancing OH q
fence rail. When the short girl spied
a real robin excitement ran high.
In some of the neat yards of farm.
houses there were little round patches
of tulips iii bloom and the bushes
covered with golden flowers whose
name no human being remembers. Vii
lagos decorated with gorgeous coun
try clubs and plain villages in theil
natural state of simplicity fed by
The streets were full of people enjoy
ing the remarkable spring day.
They were at the end of the electric
line before they knew it and got a sur
rey and two white horses, one o,
which seemed tame and one savage
because it had wall eye and rolled
It,
Excuse me-" said the tall girl, but
as none of us knows how to drive
shall feel far safer if hold the lines
myself. Driving will occupy my MIND
80 that shan't have time to worry
about what may happen. 1 am posi-
tive that the wall-eyed horse doesn,
like us. No doubt we'll have run
away"
THAT being the case." said the thir
man, Il will sit in the back seat
where egress from the doomed vehicle
is easiest. ] am great on backward
somersaults!"
1t was noon and much warmer. A
big white butterfly hoated along the
roadside and yellow dandelions
speckled the grass. Some freshl,
plowed land sent forth its rich earthly
fragrance, and in one farmyard si1
sprawly little colts stumbled up agains
their mothers and stared. The worlt
was very new to them. A bunch Of
fat pigs squealed and galloped away
with their absurd rocking-horse gait
Presently by a gray rail fence ap
peared flock of sheep, sadly IL
need of laundering. Among them were
dozen lambs with funny black legs
looking as though they had wadet
through ink.
Stop the horses!" commanded the
fat man. Then he waved his hands a,
the flock. "Gambol, little lambs" he
ordered. "Gambol. consarn you!"
And they did. If you have neve,
seen infant lambs with stick-up ears
and stiff black legs shooting out at al
angles, just as though they had never
heard of the theory of gravitation, fit
ting over the green. you have lived IL
vain!
Like most things in life the horses
did not act as had been expected. The
wall-eyed one plodded along steadily
but every time 1t turned corner the
tame one ran away. The driver gol
excited and hunted up corners Just te
convince herself of the truth of this
but still the tame steed Invariably ran
All these corners of course had to be
negotiated on the return trip, so the
ride was rather abrupt in spots.
After dinner at hotel they tool
the electric car again and rode along
the bank of the river with fishermen
fishing and aspiring canoes SHOOTING
out from unexpected spots. past foam,
dams and clumps of woodland, past
high hills crowded with rich mems
country mansions overlooking miles O,
river valley and farm land and pas,
little hooks In the rocky hills shelter
ing bungalows and summer cottages.
Finally they turned about and tooh