The San Francisco call., 1910-02-05


he stopped exhausted at the foot of the
cross
Dropping the four reins across the
pony's neck Thomas Algernon fingered
for several moments, entranced oY the
wonderful expanse of sea and woods
and sky spread out before him he
had not known before that there was
anything so beautiful in Golden Gate
park. In travelling abroad with ms
parents he was familiar with many
OF the worlds famous parks ana the
beauties of great harbors. He had
klriven through Central park In New
York, through Lincoln park in Chicago
and been delighted with the beauty OF
IT'S gardens. He knew Kew gardens
and Hyde park in London and was ac-
quainted with gardens of the LuXem-
bourg and the Bois de Boulogne IN
Paris and also the wonderful gardens
at Versailles. He had climbed to the
top of Liberty statue at New York ana
looked out over the harbor at the Hags
waving from the forts, Wadsworth ana
Hamilton, on opposite sides OF the bay.
He had walked the deck or the snip
with his father when they were enter
ing the harbor of Southampton and
stood on the quay at Naples, absorbing
as well as he could in his child's way
all the azure lOveliness of the ltailah
city, behind which lowered Vesuvius,
dark and sinister. But this wasshome.
Sitting on his pony at the foot OF
PRAYER Book cross in San Francisco
he gazed upon what seemed to him
then the most beautiful view he had
ever seen in his short life, and he felt
subdued and strangely soothed, until
he remembered all at once his brother
and sister and the riding master, and
he was seized with sudden remorse
for his unwarranted desertion of them
Looking at his watch he saw that he
could just about reach the riding acad-
emy by the time they returned. He
rode slowly around the cross. reading
the inscription thereon, and then began
the descent of the hill. Reaching the
bottom he speedily gained the bride
path, which he scanned eagerly III
search of the returning party, which,
however, was nowhere in sight.
Fearing that they might have pre-
ceded him Thomas cantered quickly
toward home, the pony eagerly antici-
pating his dinner, needing no urging,
SO that in very few minutes they
had reached the Sixth avenue exit.
Suddenly Thomas Strengthened in his
saddle and his heart gave great
bound. Coming swiftly up Sixth ave-
nue. was what was Enthusiastically
runaway. In the buggy behind the
runaway horse were two women. an
elderly lady whose white hair shone
bright in the sunlight and younger
woman, who was pulling with all her
strength on the reins, leaning as far
back as possible. The cause of the
runaway was also apparent to Thomas
in that first glance. The rubber tire
Of the left hind wheel had become
loosened, and with each revolution of
the wheel it swept round like a ter
rible whip in the hands of an angry
man, increasing with each turn the
terror and fright of the maddened ami
NAL.
Iyon Nho CO n GitnAfiAn
was that two streetcars were approach
ing from opposite directions and would
Undoubtedly pass each other at the
time the runaway mare would dash
across the tracks.
Before Thomas eyes was vivid pic
ture of the inevitable collision and the
ensuing horror For a moment he sat
stock still, as though turned to stone.
The street was deserted. He looked
wildly around for the mounted police,
then called with all the strength of
his young lungs, thinking he might at
tract the attention of the park gard
ener In vain. Then his mind cleared,
and he felt imbued with a wonderful
strength of purpose. ITS up to me-"
was the one well defined thought in his
mind, and digging his spurs into the
pony's flank he dashed ahead at full
speed, taking his feet from the stirrups
to be ready for the spring. A moment
more and he was alongside the frenzied
mare, and throwing himself at her
head he grasped her bride rein with
both hands and hung there, being
dragged several yards before she came
to a standstill, his pony in the mean
time freed from his rider, galloping
quickly away.
When the mare stopped with Thomas
still hanging to her head they were
only two or three feet from the car
tracks. The cars had stopped and one
of the passengers brought a physician
from the neighboring drug store to at
tend to the elderly lady. who had faint
ed. When she saw that her mother was
recovering consciousness the younger
lady looked about for their rescuer who
was nowhere to be seen.
Some one had caught the pony and