Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-08

where the Heart In

DR.. James Cole noted all these charms
IN casual sort OF way while he dickered
over the purchase OF the widows horse,
Peter.
He r. the dearest old thingr' connded
the widow as she patted Peters fat sides.
! Not so dreadfully old, either. only 12-
and he has the cutest triclSsl II you
| carry lump OF sugar IN your pocket.
! Peter will put his nose right in and steal
! it-oh, Peter-you naughty ponyr' she
4 chided as Peters black muzzie emerged
from the doctors coat pocket.
Hes fun Of tricks, all right" agreed
/ the doctor.
Please don't be cruel TO him." pro-
| tested Adella How'd. "why, I couldn't
sell Petcr if ] thought you would be un-
kind to him"
i've never illtrested a horse in my
hfe," said the doctor ironically. "Whne
| cannot have Peter in the house with
| me i shall make him quite comfortable
in my new stable, and I shall not braid
red ribbons in his name"
I'm quite sure you will not" retorted
Mrs. How'd. her smile vanishing In
| flash OF resentment. "1f you have quite
decided upon buying Peter, you might
conclude the transaction now. can
| not afford TO keep him. I rarely use him
| and he eats so much"
The transaction was soon ended, and
| Mrs. How'd tucked check away i'm her
| cashboN while Doctor Cole harnessed
| Peter to the smart runabout which he
I had also purchased and prepared to drive
away TO Peters new home.
| "Good-by, Peter, dear" whispered
| Adella in Peters ear. And forgive me
| for selling you to such a cross old bear!"
Doctor Cole whipped of his hat in fare
| well, and and drove away from Mrs
NIaWr
| gate, and closed the stable door on Pc
ter's empty quarters. Then she went into
| the house and had a good cry, for she
| had been fond of Peter.
| Adela How'd was a very busy little
woman. She wrote sage advice for the
| kitchen column for a small rural weekly
and she baked the most delicious viands
| for the woman's exchange In the village
| The new doctor. the one who had bought
| Adela's horse, traded regularly at the ex-
| change and always demanded Adella's
bread and pies ard cakes.
On this evening when she had parted
| with Peter, Adella had her household COL
umn to write so she quite forgot about
tho empty stable and at 10 o'clock went
| up to bed.
She was just dropping Off to sleep when
there came the sound of pounding hoofs
from the road outside, a pause and a.
heavy thud in the yard, then the familiar
trot, trot of Peters feet as he went to
the barn.
Adella went to the window and looked,
| Sure enough, there was Peter, standing
| before the barn door.
She donned some clothes and went
| down into the yard. Just then Dr. Cole
arrived, painting and disheveled, and
| quite irascible at the occurrence.
| TITS going TO be a nuisance, Mrs
| How'd" he said, frowningly.
| "I'm very sorry. doctor" aootbad tba
| little widow, but Peter was homesick
| and I'm sure he will not repeat the Of
| fense"
So Peter was led home by the doctor
who quite forgot his evaporation in the
| train of thought that pursued him even
| after he had returned to his pillow.
"If women knew how becoming It is to
wear the hair loose and flowing like-er-'
| the doctor went to sleep.
| Adella's hair had been loose and flowing
"a glorious aureole of ruddy locks.
The following night Peter repeated the
offense He leaped the fence surround
| ing the doctors pasture, trotted down to
| his old home, scaled the gate and whin-
MED for admittance to the stable.
Again the doctor came for his runaway
| and again Adella apologized, but this time
her hair was decorously braided in two
| great ropes that swung over her shoul-
| ders in girlish way.
I lndI nlknL lnb doctor decided that II
women only knew how becoming it was
to wear the hair a la Marguerite, why
| er-
| Four times within a fortnight did Peter
| break away from his halter or his tether
rope and come back to his old home
| Then he decided to make the best Of a
| bad business and tried to make himself
| happy at Doctor Coles.
There were times when the doctors
| ownership of Peter became very incon-
/ venient and extremely embarrassing
| Once was when he was taking Miss An
| gela Petty to ride.
When Peter reached the Widow Howd's
| gate he planted his feet in the sand and
| deaf to all entreaties, refused to bulge.
Adella heard the disturbance and came
out into the moonlit evening, her lovely
hair ruffied by the breeze and her face
breaking into dimpling smiles.
| "You naughty Peter-horsev' she scold-
| ed as she petted Peter into action once
more. II hope you are forgivIng him all
his sins, doctor"
I'm trying to-" said the doctor, grimly.
Angela Petty Uttered peter seems
well trained" she insinuated, but it
| must be inconvenient for the doctor to
have to stop here every time he goes
driving!''
Scarlet flooded AdelIa's face but her
| usually ready tongue found no answer to
the taunt. She stepped quickly inside the
L BdIe ana disappeared Wllnln l0e mousse.
AS the door closed, Peter, bowling to
the inevitable moved forward But An
gela Petty did not enjoy that ride a bit.
and Doctor Cole never invited her to drive
| again.
ST detest catty women" he muttered in
| Peters ear.
After that when Peter ran back TO
| Adellas, she never made her appearance.
Poor Peter became quite homesick, and,
although he never missed an opportunity
TO stop at his old home, he rarely saw
Adella.
Doctor Cole continued TO buy her tooth
some dainties at the Exchange, and oc-
casonally he met her at some village
gathering, but for him Adella's smile had
ceased TO dimple. She was grave and
quiet these days.
One dreary November evening" when
the rain beat on the tin roof of the
kitchen ell until Adella could bear the
sound no longer. Peter decided that he
would make one more effort to return
TO his old mistress
His feet splashed in the mud OF the
road and his leap over Adellas gate waf
perilous one because OF the slippery
wet grass
Trot, trot. trot. he went around to the
barn. and Adella threw a shawl over hei
head and went out 10 open the barn door
Peter was shivering with wet and he
uttered a cry Of delight when he entered