The Winslow mail., 1911-11-11

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Cottage Pony

- e e. S"@ s. q" II
Billy was introduced on the prem
ises by Anna when she came to clean
house. AS | saw her rafting along
down the wooded road in her old rick
ETY. cart drawn by a small and buai-
nesslike bay pony | did rot clasp my
hands to my heart with a prem0nitiOn
of trouble was too busy thrilling
with joy at the prospect Of turning the
battle against cobwebs and dust over
10 her She unhitched the pony and
tied him to the back OF the cart out
side the fence with his nose in a
bunch of hay under the seat.
The sun was shining fiercely Oh him
q little later when | noticed him and
bad surge of philanthropy.
ITS shame!" said L. 81 am going to
tie him inside in the shade where he
can eat grass. It'll save moving it,"
Billy turned mild and trustful eye
upon my approach. 1t was then that
saw a cherished grapevine that had
been trailed over the fence at the eX-
1ense Of much time and several yards
)f twine had been eaten bare. Not
.eaf remained. Early that morning it
mad been mass of green.
You imp" said and slapped Billy.
He was tied short. To eat those leaves
ne must have performed an acrobatic
twist that would have been we'll worth
seeing. He did not seem in the le- st
concerned as | jerked him inside the
fence and tied him, but rubbed my
shoulder with his soft nose. harden
ed my heart There are people who
Use exactly the same tactics as Billy
and they should be disapproved of on
principle.
Some time later | looked out at Bill
!y. | never did have a head for math-
ematics and | had been too liberal in
the length of the rope. Having eaten
all the grass in circle Billy was now
with great enthusiasm and gusto en-
Ioying a salad of my scarlet geranium
bed recently set out at so much per
geranium.
The top of the sixth geranium He
merely ficked his tail and seemed in
iured when | hauled him back Hold
ing his ears firmly, | glared into his
3ountenance and told him few
things. Wriggling loose, he tried to
stick his nose into my apron pocket.
you are not in the least cute!" |
insisted coldly. 81 am not impressed
at all, understand! | prefer beauty of
character to parlor tricks and it's plain
to be seen you are an abandoned and
hardened case!'
Then | tied him to a small tree in
the midst of an arid waste of moss,
sprouting acorns and ether unappetiz-
ing things, for it really seemed that
by this time Billy must be entirely
filed with food. Leaving him to his
meditations | stalked away. 1t was
Anna, washing windows, who saw the
deed
That bad horse!" she commented
with cheerful stolidity. "He is now
eating things above!"
It was true. Twisting and stretch
ing his neck like a serpent, Billy
reached waving tendril of the grape
vines trained over a rustic arbor and
hauled in several yards. He was
standing on tiptoes to do it. We went
out and seriously considered the mat
ter after separating Billy from his
aerial feast The only safe place for
him was on the fireplace mantel or
the roof STILL from the latter he
probably would spring agilely into the
treetops and devour those. If there
had been an abandoned we'll on the
place he could have been lowered into
hat till Anne was ready to depart.
Comfortably bulging from his numer
Gus repasts, Billy watched us with
mild and liquid eyes as we debated
He whinnied beguilingly. He seemed
20 think he was a favorite with the
family, instead of an Outcast.
| got the yardstick and measured.
Tied around by the corner of the
house, it seemed that Billy would be
"endered utterly innocuoUs and help
ess He could not reach the peach tree
with six peaches on it, which are more
o me than diamonds. He could not
each the young beeches to gnaw the
bark and he could not touch the wood
Dine over the house. Under his feet
was good, plain sand on which be
night gorge if he cared to. and over
lis head unlimited quantities of air.
led him in vindictive triumph while
1e tried to rub his nose against my
cheek and whinnied the depth of his
affection. There was no doubt he was
4 social horse.