Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-06-03
CHAPTER XII.
Give Standish Seeks An Inter
view.


- opened her eyes with a
gasp of fear, then sat up and looked
apprehensively around.
"She is gone, DEAR" whispered
Anice, divining her meaning, "and
Gerald didn't mean what he said. He
was excited, that was all. He's all
right again now. Shall | help you up
stairs?"
But Mrs. Conover insisted on being
assisted to the nearby sofa.
'All right again, old LADY," asked
Caleb, walking across to the sofa.
Like me to send for the doctor?"
"No. Yes, I'm quite we'll again
now" stammered his wife. Thank
you for asking"
Until further notice." Conover an
nounced dryly, looking from one to
the other, these pleasant home
hours are suspended. By request.
They're too exciting for a quiet man
like me. I hope you'll all try to
smother any disappointment you feel,
And now" turning to the butler, who
had come in answer to his ring, "I'll
see if | can't get the taste of this
farewell performance of the pleasant
hour series out of my mouth before
start my evenings work. Gaines, or
der Dunderberg brought around in ten
minutes
where are you going?" asked Mrs.
Donovan vy11a hoH ir1nnrfnnt1u caJ1Oht
the order.
"To get into my riding Clothes" an
swcred her husband from the door
way.
But you spoke of Dunderberg
You're surely not going to ride Dun
derberg when I'm SO shaken up.
shall worry So"
why? You amt riding him.
But why not ride Sultan? He's SO
gentle and quiet and"
Lefty! do l look as if l was on a
still hunt for something gentle and
quiet? l want something that'll give
me fight Something that'll tire me
out and take my mind off black, flop
up pompadours and stocking-leg
Gloves Jerry, you come along with
me. | want a talk with you.''
ooh, if only that dreadful horse
would die" sighed Mrs. Conover. "I
never have an instant's peace while
you're riding him."
Rot" growled Caleb, grinning re-
assurance at the pathetic little figure
on the sofa. 'There never yet was a
horse l couldn't manage or that could
harm me. Come along, Jerry"
He stamped upstairs to his dressing
room followed by the reluctant, still
muttering Gerald.
This was by no means the first
time Mrs. Conover had plucked up
courage to entreat her lord not to ride
his favorite horse, Dunderberg, the
most vicious, tricky brute in all that
horse-breeding State. And never yet
had the Railroader deigned to heed
her request. In fact, such opposition
rather pleased him than otherwise,
inasmuch as it enhanced, to all listen
ers, his own equestrian prowess.
Caleb Conover was a VIGOROUSLY
bad rider. Horsemanship must be
learned before the age of twenty or
never at all. And Conover was we'll
past forty before he threw leg over
saddle. But he loved the exercise,
and took special JOY in buying and
mastering the most unmanageable
horses he could find. How so wretched
a horseman could avert bad falls or
even death was mystery to all who
knew him.
Both women, with the wondrous
art which their sex alone can master,
had dropped into conventional atti-
tudes with their backs to the light by
the time the intruder's first word was
spoken. As Give Standish passed
through the portieres into the library
he saw only that it's two occupants
were seated, one reading. the other
crocheting, in polite boredom. each
evidently quite willing that their pro.