The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-08
A Girl Called
Davy
By ELEANOR MARSH

Mandy Carpenter, daughter of Dea
| con Carpenter, who owned fine farm
on the Hilton road, was noted for her
ability to bring to his knees any young
man upon whom she chose to apply
her powers of fascination. Mandy
claimed that she did not exercise any
such powers, but this must be taken
with grain Of salt, for it Is the most
natural thing in the world for any one
,, possessing gift to exercise it.
There Is certainly no doubt that she
made an offensive campaign against
| Josh Miller. Josh was the only man
In the county who refused to bend the
! knee to Mandy, and 1t was his rebel
lion against her authority as universal
conqueress that spurred her on to con.
quer him. Josh was distinctly a mans
man and would have nothing to do
with girls. During the day he attend
ed to his farm duties, and in the even
| ing he studied, for Josh was ambitious
to make something Of himself more ex-
allied than an ordinary farm hand.
And 1t is likely that this was an addi-
tional inducement for Mandy to bring
him down.
Josh first saw the enemy approach
when he was blowing. Mandy, tricked
out in her finest finery, came flutter-
ing across the fields, the colors Of her
| garments lighted by the morning sun
and resembling the star spangled ban
ner She was carrying a tin pail and
cup, and when she reached Josh she
said:
II kind O. thought, Mr.. Miller, that
you must be thirsty drivin' the pillow
all the mornin', and just drew some
cider and have brought 1t to you"
"Much obleeged, Miss Carpenter, and
I'm sorry you've had so much trouble
for nothin'. never drink cider. 1t
doesn't set well on my stomick."
ooh, you don'tr looking very disap-
pointed. "I'll leave 1t here under this
tree, and maybe you'll change your
mind later on. wonder If could set
on that seat without fallin' off,"
mo; you couldn't. Besides, I'm set.
tin there myself, and there amt room
for two"
I'm pinin' for a ride this morning,
and l think you might drive the horses
on foot long enough for me to get one
I'd like mighty well to sit on the plow
seat till you've been down one furrow
and back the other"
Josh was moved to say that he had
no time to give girl a ride on the
pillow, but 1t was simply a question be-
tween them whether he would drive
the pillow on foot and let Mandy ride
or be mean enough to refuse her.
Since there was nothing mean about
MIN he got down and helped Mandy
! up on to the seat. which was made of
iron and quite spacious.
Since Josh had the reins there was
nothing by which Mandy could bal,
ance herself, so she clutched the sides
OF the seat with her hands. She was
IN danger Of falling and JOSH walk
ing close beside her, held the reins in
one hand and supported her with the
other. In order to hold her in place
ne was obliged to put his arm around
her waist. In this way they proceed
ed until they had reached the turn.
Il don't see," said Mandy, "any rea-
son why you can't sit up on the seat
yourself. There's room enough for
two. We're neither of us big. and
you could hold me on better than
walkin' on the ground"
mo. couldn't" replied Josh. "How
could 1 hold you on? If I got I'D there
Ia have to drive with both hands,"
Il could hold on to you"
by this time the enlightenment of her
waist had moved Josh to view q posi-.
tion beside Mandy with pleasant an
t1clpation. She moved aside, and he
got up on to the seat. 1t was utterly
impossible for them to sit there with
out one of them clinging to the other.
Mandy did the clinging, while Josh
planted his feet so as to brace himself
and drove with both hands
When the horses had pulled them I'M
one length and back another Mandy
said she'd had enough Of that sort Of
riding and, thanking Josh, was about
TO ieave him when he said that he
thought he could stand a drink of the
cider, after all.
They went together to the tree under
which Mandy had placed the pail. and
JOSH dipped up cupful Of cider, which
ne napded to her. She drank a little
OF 1t and handed it back to him. he
drank the balance, taking care to do
so from that part of the cup her red
Ups had touched. Then he said be
thought he would rest a spell and sat
down on the grass. Mandy sat down
beside him.
Inc rest Of it was very easy. Josh's
arm Etched to encircle Mandy's waist
and, having been there once, there was
no Ice to break to put 1t there again,
Josh, however, made two or three
movements toward placing 1t there be-
fore he found the courage to complete
the enlightenment.
When 1t was learned that Mandy
/ carpenter had brought down Josbna