The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-27
The Summer
CottagePony

Billy was introduced on the prem
ises by Anna when she came to clean
house. AS J saw her rafting along
down the wooded road in her old rick
ETY. cart drawn by a small and bust
nesslike bay pony did not clasp my
hands to my heart with a premonition
of trouble was too busy thrilling
with joy at the prospect of turning the
battle against cobwebs and dust over
to 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 on him
a little later when | noticed him and
had surge of philanthropy.
Its shame!" said |. 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
l saw a cherished grapevine that had
been trailed over the fence at the ex-
pense of much time and several yards
of Irvine had been eaten bare. Not a
leaf remained. Early that morning 1t
had been a mass of green.
You imp" said and slapped Billy.
He was tied short. To eat those leaves
he must have performed an acrobatic
twist that would have been we'll worth
seeing. He did not seem in the least
concerned as I 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
| ly. l never did have 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-
joying salad of my scarlet geranium
bed recently set out at so much per
geranium.
Billy" shrieked, just as he bit off
the top of the sixth geranium. He
merely flicked his tail and seemed in.
jured when | hauled him back. Hold
ing his ears firmly, glared into his
countenance 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. II 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 easel"
Then l tied him to a small tree In
the midst of an arid waste of moss
sprOuting acOrns and other unappetiz
ing things, for 1t really seemed that
by this time Billy must be entirely
filled with food Leaving him to his
meditations | stalked away. It was
Anna, washing windows, who saw the
deed.
That bad horse!" she commented
with cheerful stolidity. HE is now
eating things above!"
1t was true. Twisting and stretch
ing his neck like serpent, Billy
reached a waving tendril Of the grape
vines trained over a rustic arbor and
hauled in several yards. He was
standing on tiptOes to do 1t. 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 OF
| hn 10 he
probably would spring agilely into the
treetops and devour those. If there
had been an abandoned well on the
place he could have been lowered into
that till Anne was ready to depart
Comfortably bullying from his numer-
GUS repasts, Billy watched us with
mild and liquid eyes as we debated.
He whinnied beguilingly He seemed
to 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, 1t seemed that Billy would be
rendered utterly innocuous and help
less. He could not reach the peach tree
with six peaches on 1t, which are more
to me than diamonds. He could not
reach the young beeches to gnaw the
bark and he could not touch the wood
bine over the house. Under his feet
was good, plain sand, on which he
might gorge II he cared to- and over
his head unlimited quantities of air. |
tied him In vindictive triumph while
he tried to rub his nose against my
cheek and whinnied the depth of his
affection. There was no doubt he was
| a social horse.
THERE" | crowed. Now go ahead
and do your worst"
An hour later II was time to get
our MONDAY dinner and | sought the
kitchen. Hastily stepping into the
pantry. | got a shock that finished
me. Through the open window from
| outside projected Billy's head, and he
| was lust consuming the last of the
| rhubarb pie that | had baked early
that day and set on chair to coon.
He licked his jaws as he twiDkled mis-
eyes at me. II he could have talked
he would have murmured; You told
me to-"
| am going to save up money and
buy Billy. | think he would be far
more interesting than parrot or a
bulldog
Science Called TO Aid Business.
As white truffies have nothing like