The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-01-26
CHAPTER xiV-conttnued.

actions In anticipation Of what the
fractions Bob was going to get, And
Bob got It, on his next whirl, or at
tempt, rather, for he was no more IMAM
hallway around when the qhirt met
him smack on his tender nose There
and then, in his bewiidertpent, sur
prise and pain, his fore feet just skim
ming the road, dropped down.
Great" Daylight appiauded, "A
couple more will Tx hin. Hes too
smart not to know when he's beaten"
Again Bob tried, But this time be
was barely quarter around when the
doubled quirt on his nose compelled
him 10 drop his fore feet to the road,
Then, with neither rein nor spur, but
by the mere threat Of the qutrt, she
Strengthened him out.
Dede looked triumphantly at Day
hight.
Let roe give him a rum" she asked
Daylight nodded, and she shot down
the road. He watched her out OF
sight around the bend. and watched
TIL she am into sight returning, She
certainly could alt her horse. vas bis
thought. aud she was a sure enough
hummer. God. abe was the wife
for q man! Made most Of them
look pretty slim. And 10 think
Of her %hAmmering all week at
n typewriter. That was no place
V1a b.W Ehg, AhnulA ba d mans
wife. taking It easy. with silks and
satins and diamonds this frontier no
ton Of what beftted a wife beIoved),
and dogs and horses. and such things
But the quarry was doomed to pass
out of his plans for a time, for on the
following Sunday he rode alone, No
Dede on n chestnut sorret caune across
the back.road from Berkeley that day,
nor the day 9 week later, AS the
third week drew to a close and anoth.
or deRolate Sunday confronted him.
Daylight resolved to speak. ONCE or
no Office. And as was his nature, he
went simply and directly to the point.
She had finished her work with him,
aud was gathering her note pad
and pencils together to depart, when
he sAid:
oh. one more thing. Miss Mason
and / hope you won't mind my being
frank and straight out. you've STRUCK
me right along as a sensiblc-mindod
girl, and | don't think you'll take OF
Tense at what I'm going to say. iot
know how long you've been In the OF
fice--tt's years, now. several OF them
anyway; and YOU know I've always
been straight and a]boycboard with
you. I've never what you call~~pre
sumed. because you were In my otftc'
I've tried to be more careful than /
III you wasn't In my ~oiIice-yuu un
derstand, But Just the same. 1t don
make me any the less human IN
a lonely sort OF a telIow-don'
take that as a bid for kindness, VIVA
] mean by IT ia to try and tell yol
Just how much those two rides wit
you have meant, And now hope 20
won't mind my Just asking why yo0
haven't been out riding tho last ~
Sundays"
Ste played nervousiy with a penct
for a time. as Il debating her reply
while he waited patiently.
'"rhts riding" she began, IT'S nc
what they call the right thing.
leave 1t to you, You know the worlt
That's the trouble. It's what tn
xunrlI would hnya IN ,,V about -,
and my employer meeting REGULAR
and riding In the hills on Sunday
its funny, but It's 30. | could rid
with one Of the clerks without r
mark, but with you-~no"
Look here, Miss Mason, said Da
light II know you don't like tn
talking over Of things In the ofic
Neither do I. It's part OF the who
thing, | guess: a man amt suppos,
to talk anything but business with h
stenographer. win you ride with 4
next Sunday, and we can talk 1t ov
thoroughly then and reach some &c
Of q conclusion. Out In the hills
the place where you can talk SON
thing besides business. | guess YOU
seen enough OF me to know I'm pref
square. Ill do honor and respt
you, and. and all that. and
I" He was beginning to fot
der, and the hand that rested on I
desk biotter was vlsibly tremblis
He stroye to pull himself togeth
n Just want to harder than anythi
ever IN my life before, III ca
explain myself, but | do, that's
WIN you--Just next Sunday? 7
morrow"