The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-10-31
Married Life
the Second Year
BY MABEL HERBERT URNER.

answer, and she knocked dBdlH- one
was just turning away, thinking that
perhaps after all she was down at the
beach, when the door opened.
"Oh, I'm so sorry | woke you.
should have known"
I'm glad you did" laughed Mrs.
Stevens, cordially. Il always take
little nap after luncheon, but l never
want to sleep long. 1t only makes me
stupid for the rest of the day. Wait
till | dress and we'll go down to the
beach"
Helen sank on q couch and looked
up at Mrs. Stevens with troubled eyes.
ITS something | want to ask you
something | want you to help me in
and-yet' with an uncertain little
laugh, as she pulled nervously at the
tasseI of her parasol-"t seems so
foolish hardly know how to tell
you"
Mrs Stevens instantly Interested,
surmsing some domestic trouble ore"
up chair beside her.
"Why, you know, dear" encourag-
ingly, "if there's anything | can dor
But this is so foolish. It's about
that horseback ride Sunday. You know
your husband asked If | could ride ana
Warren answered oh, yes, Helen
quite a horsewoman' Don't you re-
member"
Mrs Stevens nodded.
SHE WAS TERRIFIED.
well. Tm-Im not! I'm not! I've
never been on a horse in my life but
once-and then | was terrified. But
long ago before we were married
gave Warren to understand that l
could ride-and I've had to keep up
that pretenSe ever since. or course, II
must seem absurd that | haven't told
him the truth, but the way 1t all nap
pencd-somehow | never could-He
used to be so strenuously athletic. tie
skated and rowed and was an expert
tennis and golf player-and could 40
none of these things. Oh, used to feel
so humiliated.'
Helen hesitated moment and then
went on, her eyes on the figures in the
rug she was tracing with her parasol.
"And one day, he said half teasingly,
half in earnest: What little house
kitten you are, There's not a single
outdoor thing you can do | happened
to be turning the leaves of magazine
and there was picture or a woman
on horseback. Oh, don't know what
possessed me but | said: "Oh, yes,
can ride. ! used to ride a great deal
and I really can ride very we'll. And
he answered: Good! That's fine!
There's no better eXercise' OF course
that was before We're engaged. we
mentioned it several Tins afterwards
but ! naNer had the courage to tell
him the truth
Here Helen stopped over to pick up
the parasol that had slipped from her
nervous fingers, and went on hurried
1y:
We've never been where they've
had saddle horses so it really hasn't
LOG iph
suggested that we hire horses from
the stable here and 20 riding Sunday
morning. I tried to get out Of it by
saving 7 had no habit, and you said
YOU had two and would drive in to-
morrow and bring down both. And |
protested at that, you said all | would
need was a skirt, and they had those
at the stables. SO | couldn't get out or
it. And Warren is so eager to go. he
SAYS he hasn't ridden for years, ana
it will do him more good than any
thing else And that If we can make a
reasonable arrangement by the week
we'll both ride every morning before
he goes into town. Now what shall
do? 1t seems to me l cant tell MIN d.
ter all these years.
Mrs. Stevenson laughed comfort
ingly.
why my dear, that's very simple.
This is only Wednesday. They've rid
ing instructors out here, and all youV
got to do is to take as many lessons
as you can before Sunday.
"But couldn't learn In that time!'
"Of course you can. I've never had
q lesson in my life
"All you have to do is to sit wei
back in the saddle and don't saw or
the reinS.
SHE is REASSURED.
ooh, but I've always been afraid O
horses. | love them-love to pet them
but the thought of riding one terri
fes me-
1T won't after you've ridden few
times. Wait until I get dressed ant
we'll go right over to the stable nov
and You'll take your first lesson. Inc.
have an enclosure there back OF thu
stables and no one can see you.
An hour later Helen was MOUNTED
on a sedate. gentle hourse with rid
ing master beside her.
Right shoulder back-elbow IN
Hold the reins little lower please
There, that's better. No, not so tight
on the curb" were the bewildering in
structions Helen tried desperately t
follow.
As she was slight and supple, sh
should have looked well on horse
but her very eagerness to learn QUICK
" and her nervous fear made it NOR
difficult.
The first lesson was only on tn
reins and the position in the saddle
But the reins were painfully confus
ing. Helen could not remember tn
difference between the shuttle and tn
curb. nor the fingers between Whlcl
to hold them. And when she wen
back to the hotel she tied some tap
to the bedpost in imitation of the rein
in a vain effort to solve it out there.
The next morning, as soon as Wal
rem had left for the city she starte
for her second lesson. This was O
posting -rising to the trot. The II
structor rode close beside her an